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Skriven 2006-04-05 07:19:16 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service - Press Release
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                The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                          Vatican Information Service.
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                               VIS-Press releases

THE ROAD TO PEACE IS LONG AND DIFFICULT, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE

VATICAN CITY, APR 3, 2006 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, the Pope received
prelates from the Episcopal Conference of the Ivory Coast, who have just
completed their "ad limina" visit. Having studied the reports presented by the
bishops concerning the situation in their country, the Holy Father assured them
of his prayers that their nation "may find unity and peace in true fraternity
among all her citizens."

"The crisis your country has been through," Benedict XVI went on, "highlighted
the divisions that constitute such a deep wound in relations between the
various components of society." The resulting violence "dealt a harsh blow to
trust between people and the stability of the country, leaving much suffering
in its wake. ... In order to recreate true peace, there must be generous
forgiveness and true reconciliation among the individuals and groups affected.
... They must begin a courageous dialogue, examining ... the causes that gave
rise to the conflict."

"The road to peace," Benedict XVI went on, "is long and difficult, but it is
never impossible, and Catholics must take their place in this shared endeavor,
because building a world of reconciliation is never something foreign to them."

In order to achieve this aim "it is necessary, in the first place, to restore
confidence among Christ's followers, despite their differences of opinion. ...
Faced with political or ethnic tensions in diocesan churches, bishops, priests
and consecrated people must be models of fraternity and charity for everyone,
contributing through word and deed to the construction of a unified and
reconciled society."

In this context, the Pope told the bishops that the initial and permanent
formation of priests must be their primary concern, encouraging them to ensure
that priests had "an intense spiritual life," and to "favor unity and fraternal
life among them."

With reference to "the urgent need for the formation of the laity," which the
bishops had mentioned in their reports, the Holy Father said: "A deepening of
the faith is truly necessary in order to resist the return of ancient practices
or the lure of sects, and above all as a testimony to Christian hope in a
complicated world of new and grave problems." In this context "the faithful,
especially those involved in the intellectual, political or economic spheres,
will find in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church a fundamental
tool for formation and evangelization."

"For the Church to be an ever clearer sign of what she truly is, and more
adapted to her mission, attention must be given to the inculturation of the
faith," said the Holy Father. "This process, which is so important for
announcing the Gospel to all cultures, must not compromise the specificity and
integrity of the faith, rather it must help Christians to understand and
experience the gospel message in their own cultures, abandoning practices that
run counter to their baptismal promises."

"The weight of traditional mentality," the Pope went on, "is often an obstacle
to the acceptance of the Gospel," and among the many questions facing the
faithful that of "commitment to the Sacrament of marriage is one of the most
important. Polygamy or de facto cohabitation with no kind of religious
celebration often constitute great obstacles." Therefore, "it is necessary to
continue tirelessly in efforts to ensure that people, especially the young,
accept that for Christians marriage is a way to sanctity."

The Pope concluded his address by recognizing the growth of ecclesial movements
in the dioceses of the Ivory Coast. They "contribute to providing a renewed
missionary drive in Christian communities," he said, and encouraged them to
entrust themselves to the generosity of Christ, "remaining always rooted in His
Church."

"Nonetheless," he added, "these movements must be subject to enlightened and
constant discernment by bishops, in order to guarantee the ecclesiality of
their activities and to maintain authentic communion with the universal and
diocesan Church."
AL/.../IVORY COAST VIS 060403 (660)

SUMMARY

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