Papal message to French Bishops

(November 05, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI sent a message Friday to the French Bishops assembled at the Marian shrine of Lourdes in France, on the eve of their Plenary Assembly. The message signed by Vatican secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, expressed the Pope’s appreciation of the main items of their Agenda, which showed the importance the Bishops attached to the renewal of their respective dioceses through spiritual formation. At the heart of this renewal was the pride of place given to the vitality of consecrated life under its various forms. The witness given by consecrated religious was imperative in a society marked by secularisation and religious indifference and at the same time a society tormented by a great thirst for spirituality. In his message the Pope underlined the importance of the Bishops’ concern for the Sunday assemblies, where the Eucharist figures as the indispensable source of the dynamism of Christian life. The preparation for the forthcoming Year of Faith proclaimed by the Pope would be an admirable occasion to strengthen the faith of Christians , their love for the gospel and their witness to Christian life.