Full Text: Pope's remarks at farewell ceremony in Mexico
Pope Benedict XVI left Mexico en route to Cuba on Monday, after a brief but intense
first leg of a six-day Apostolic Voyage to Latin America. In his remarks at the official
farewell ceremony at Guanajuato international airport, the Holy Father thanked all
those who contributed to making his pilgrimage to Mexico a success. Bidding the people
of Mexico farewell, he prayed that they might remain, "for ever in the love of Christ,
in which we meet each other and will again meet with one another." Below, please find
the full text of the Holy Father's remarks.
My brief but intense visit to Mexico is now coming to an end.
Yet this is not the end of my affection and my closeness to a country so very dear
to me. I leave full of unforgettable experiences, not the least of which are the
innumerable courtesies and signs of affection which I have received. With all my
heart I thank the President for his kind words to me, and for all that the authorities
have done for this memorable Journey. And I thank the many people who have helped,
even in the smallest details, to make the events of these days go smoothly. I beg
the Lord that all these efforts may not be in vain, and that with his help, they may
produce abundant and long-lasting fruits in the life of faith, hope and charity of
León and Guanajuato, in Mexico and the other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Recognizing
the faith in Jesus Christ which I have felt resounding in your hearts, and your affectionate
devotion to his Mother, invoked here with beautiful titles like Our Lady of Guadalupe
and Our Lady of Light, a light I have seen reflected in your faces, I wish to reiterate
clearly and with vigour a plea to the Mexican people to remain faithful to yourselves,
not to let yourselves be intimidated by the powers of evil, but to be valiant and
to work to ensure that the sap of your Christian roots may nourish your present and
your future.
I have also seen for myself expressions of concern for various
aspects of the life in this beloved country, some more recent and others longstanding,
which continue to cause such great distress. I take them with me as well, as I share
in the joys and the suffering of my Mexican brothers and sisters, so as to place them
in prayer at the foot of the Cross, in the heart of Christ, from which flow the blood
and water of redemption.
In these circumstances, I strongly urge Mexican Catholics,
and all men and women of good will, not to yield to a utilitarian mentality which
always leads to the sacrifice of the weakest and most defenceless. I invite you to
a common effort so that society can be renewed from the ground up, in order to attain
a life of dignity, justice and peace for everyone. For Catholics, this contribution
to the common good is also a requirement of that essential dimension of the Gospel
which is human promotion and a supreme expression of charity. For this reason, the
Church exhorts all her faithful to be good citizens, conscious of their responsibility
to be concerned for the good of all, both in their personal lives and throughout society.
Dear
Mexican friends, I say to you “Adios!” in the traditional sense of this fine Hispanic
expression: remain with God! Yes, “Adios!”; for ever in the love of Christ, in which
we meet each other and will again meet with one another. May the Lord bless you and
may Mary Most Holy protect you!