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Skriven 2006-11-22 06:42:12 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service - Press Release
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                               VIS-Press releases

PROMOTE MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 2006 (VIS) - This morning, the Pope received the second
group of prelates from the German Bishops' Conference, at the end of their "ad
limina" visit.

Opening his talk to them, the Holy Father highlighted how, "the encounter with
the living Christ is always at the heart of our service, an encounter that
confers a decisive orientation upon our lives."

Proceeding with his address, Benedict XVI referred to the bishops' concern "for
an adequate development of pastoral structures to meet the present situation."
In this context he pointed out how, faced with falling numbers of priests and
of faithful attending Sunday Mass, various German dioceses are implementing
models for restructuring pastoral care, in which the image of the pastor "risks
being obscured."

I am sure, he told the prelates, "that you will give your approval only to
those structural reforms that are in full harmony with the Church's teaching on
the priesthood and with her juridical norms, ensuring that the implementation
of reforms does not diminish the power of attraction of the priestly ministry."

Referring to the question of lay participation in ecclesial structures, the
Holy Father recalled "the broad and open field of the lay apostolate ... and
its multiple tasks." These include, he said, announcing the Gospel, catechesis,
charity work, the media of social communication, and "social commitment for the
integral protection of human life and social justice."

The Pope then turned to consider the question of "announcing the faith to the
young people of our time," who live "in a secularized culture" in which God is
absent. It is important, he said, that, in the Church, acolytes "encounter God,
His Word, and the Sacrament of His presence, and that they learn to model their
lives on this basis." As for ecclesial movements, the Pope told the bishops
that "we must respect the specific nature of their charisms, and be happy that
shared forms of faith come into being in which the Word of God becomes life."

The Church's charitable activity must, said Pope Benedict "be kept apart from
the confusion of political interests, ... and used for the good of people." In
this field, he called for "close collaboration with bishops and with episcopal
conferences."

"The order of marriage as established at the creation," said the Holy Father,
"is becoming progressively obscured today." In the face of a materialist
culture, "it is difficult for young people to commit themselves to one another
definitively," to have children, "and to offer them that lasting space for
growth and maturity which only the family based upon marriage can provide."

In such as situation, he went on, "it is vitally important to help young people
to pronounce that definitive 'yes,' which does not contrast with freedom but,
rather, represents its greatest opportunity. In the patience of remaining
together for a lifetime, love achieves its true maturity. And in such an
environment of lifelong love, children also learn to live and to love."

Finally, the Pope turned to the question of ecumenism. "In Germany," he said,
"our efforts must be directed, above all towards Christians of Lutheran and
Reformed faith. ... Ecumenical commitment cannot be entirely fulfilled with
joint documents. It becomes visible and effective where Christians from
different Churches and ecclesial communities - in a social context that is ever
further removed from religion - profess, together and convincingly, the values
transmitted by the Christian faith, and emphasize them forcefully in their
political and social activities."
AL/.../GERMANY VIS 061120 (590)

SUMMARY

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