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Ärende: Vatican Information Service (Press Release)
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                               VIS-Press releases

PLAN FOR PASTORAL CARE AND EVANGELIZATION IN SLOVAKIA

VATICAN CITY, JUN 15, 2007 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received
bishops from the Slovak Episcopal Conference, who recently completed their "ad
limina" visit.

In his talk to the prelates, the Holy Father said that through them he wished
to greet "the entire Slovak people, evangelized by Sts. Cyril and Methodius"
and later "compelled to undergo harsh sufferings and persecutions by the
totalitarian communist regime." He also recalled the strong ties to Slovakia of
John Paul II who on his third visit there in 2003 chose as his motto: "Faithful
to Christ, faithful to the Church."

This motto, said Pope Benedict, "continues to be a real apostolic and
missionary program, not only for the Church in Slovakia but for all the People
of God, burdened as they are, especially in Europe, with an insistent
ideological pressure that would like to see Christianity reduced to a merely
'private' dimension."

The Pope indicated that, from a religious and cultural point of view, Slovakia
is entering ever more deeply into "the dynamic typical of other European
countries of ancient Christian tradition, strongly characterized in our time by
a vast process of secularization. Christian communities, which maintained
ancient and deep-rooted Catholic religious practices, having come out of the
tunnel of persecution, now find themselves following the path of renewal
promoted by Vatican Council II."

"Slovakia and Poland, the two countries of Eastern Europe with the richest
heritage of Catholic tradition, are currently exposed to the risk of seeing
that heritage, which the communist regime did not manage to destroy, severely
affected by characteristic elements of Western society: consumerism, hedonism,
laicism, relativism, etc."

"In order to respond to the new pastoral requirements," the Pope told the
bishops, "you are currently drawing up a Plan for Pastoral Care and
Evangelization ... for the years 2007 to 2011. ... In this way you aim to
revive and renovate the evangelizing action" of Sts. Cyril and Methodius,
"using as your starting point ... the rediscovery of the tradition and of the
deep and living Christian roots of your people."

"This is a pastoral undertaking that aims to embrace all areas of society, ...
giving particular attention to the spiritual requirements of young people and
families. ... Quality formation in the field of education is extremely
important for the future of new generations and, in this area, a precious
contribution comes from Catholic schools which are very numerous in Slovakia."

The Pope recalled that the Slovak bishops could count "on the ministry of many
young priests," and highlighted the importance to education of "always
associating faith with life" in order "to form Christian consciences capable of
resisting the lure of consumerism."

"I have learned that Slovakia too is beginning to feel the crisis of marriage
and of birthrates, in the first place because of economic questions which lead
young engaged couples to delay their marriage. There is also a diminished
social estimation of the value of matrimony, to which must be added a fragility
of new generations, often afraid to assume ... lifelong commitments."

In this context, the Holy Father invited the Church "to intensify its prayers
and to continue to commit herself forcefully to support families in facing the
challenges of the present." He also expressed his joy at Slovakia's "well
structured administration of the Sacraments, associated with the pastoral care
of the family."

In conclusion, Benedict XVI praised "the abundant flowering of vocations to the
priesthood and consecrated life" since 1990, recalling that "the only seminary
to remain open under the dictatorship has now been joined by five others."
AL/.../SLOVAKIAVIS 070615 (610)

SUMMARY

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