Pope Francis recieves southern African bishops

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met with Bishops from South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland on Friday. In prepared remarks, the Holy Father gave thanks to God for the growth of the Church in southern Africa, “thanks to the labours of missionaries from many lands,” who, along with indigenous men and women, “sowed the seeds of your people’s faith so deeply.”

Click here for the full text of the Holy Father's prepared remarks in English

In wide-ranging remarks, Pope Francis noted the great blessings experienced by the Church in Southern Africa, despite very great challenges. He pointed to flourishing parishes, the growth of the diaconate, and the service to “God’s most vulnerable sons and daughters.” Where missionaries from distant countries once carried the burden of the Gospel, now the local Catholic faithful “are having to rely more and more on their own support.” They are “a sign of hope for the whole Church,” the Pope said, praying that “they will continue to persevere in building up the Lord’s Kingdom with their lives that testify to the truth, and with the work of their hands that ease the sufferings of so many.”

Pope Francis also addressed the challenges faced by the Church in southern Africa, mentioning the decline in Catholic families and a corresponding drop in vocations, as well as defections from the Church. The Holy Father dwelt on family issues, including abortion, separation and divorce, and violence against women and children. “All these realities,” he said, “threaten the sanctity of marriage, the stability of life in the home and consequently the life of society as a whole. In this sea of difficulties, we bishops and priests must give a consistent witness to the moral teaching of the Gospel.”

After touching on such grave challenges, the Holy Father spoke about how the Church can respond to them. He noted the union of the Bishops with the people, especially “in solidarity with the vast number of unemployed.” Along with material assistance, he encouraged the Bishops to offer “the greater support of spiritual assistance and sound moral guidance, remembering that the absence of Christ is the greatest poverty of all.”

Promoting vocations and encouraging reception of the Sacraments, the Pope said, are important components of the Church’s work. Pope Francis focused especially on the Sacrament of Matrimony. “The holiness and indissolubility of Christian matrimony, often disintegrating under tremendous pressure from the secular world, must be deepened by clear doctrine and supported by the witness of committed married couples. Christian matrimony is a lifelong covenant of love between one man and one woman; it entails real sacrifices in order to turn away from illusory notions of sexual freedom and in order to foster conjugal fidelity.” He pointed to the teaching of Blessed John Paul II on marriage and family as a “promising and indeed indispensable means of communicating the liberating truth about Christian marriage.”

Pope Francis also expressed concern about “the breakdown of Christian morals, including a growing temptation to collude with dishonesty.” Quoting the Bishops themselves, he said “corruption is theft from the poor… hurts the most vulnerable… harms the whole community… destroys our trust.”

Concluding his remarks, Pope Francis said, “Now is the time to rekindle the precious gift of faith so as to renew your dedicated service to God’s people! May the saints of Africa sustain you by their intercession. May Our Lady of Africa be always at your side, and may she guide you as you share in the teaching, sanctifying and governing mission of Christ.”

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