At 11 a.m. Saturday, at the Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palac,e the Holy Father Benedict XVI met with the prelates of the French bishops' conference (2nd group - representing the ecclesiastical provinces of Lille, Reims, Paris, Besançon and Dijon; the dioceses of Strasbourg and Metz; the Military Ordinariate and the Ordinariate of Oriental Catholics living in France) whom he received earlier in the week in separate audiences on their visit
. The following is the text of the Pope's address to them:
Dear Cardinal
and dear Brothers in the Episcopate:
I thank you, Eminence, for your words. I too keep a vivid memory of my visit to France in 2088 which allowed intense moments of faith and a meeting with the world of culture.
In my message to your assembly in Lourdes last March, I recalled that "The Second Vatican Council was and remains an authentic sign of God for our time". It is particularly true in the area of dialog between the Church and the world, this world with which she lives and within which she acts]/G] (cf. Gaudium et spes, n. 40, §1),, and upon which she wishes to spread the light that radiates from divine life (idem, §2).
As you know, the more the Church is ware of her being and her mission, the more she is able to love this world, to bring upon it a trusting look, inspired by that of Jesus, without yielding to the temptation of discouragement or withdrawal. And "the Church, in fulfilling herown mission, already takes part in the work of civilization and pushes it" (ibid, No. 59,4), the Council says.
Your nation is rich with a long Christian history which cannot be ignored nor diminished, and which bears eloquent witness to this truth which still configures her singular calling today. Not only the faithful of her dioceses, but those of the entire world, expect much, never doubt it, of the Church in France.
As pastors, we are, of course, conscious of our limitations, but trusting in the power of Christ, we also know that we must once again be the 'heralds of the faith' (Lumen gentium, n. 50), who must, along with the priests and the faithful, bear witness to the message of Christ "in such a way that all the earthly activities of the faithful may be bathed in the light of Christ" (Gaudium et spes, n. 43, § 5).
The Year of Faith allows us to grow in confidence in the intrinsic power and richness of the evangelical message. How many times have we taken note that it is the words of faith, the simple and direct words that are laden with the sap of the divine Word which best touch hearts and spirits, and bring the most decisive light?
Therefore do not be afraid of speaking with a most apostolic vigor of the mystery of man, and to tirelessly deploy the richnesses of the Christian faith. It has words and realities, fundamental beliefs and ways of reasoning, that alone can bring the hope that the world thirst for.
In all the important debates in society, the voice of the Church must make itself be heard relentlessly and with determination. She does so with respect for the French tradition regarding the distinction between the spheres of competence of the Church and that of the State.
Precisely in this context, the harmony that exists between faith and reason gives you a particular assurance: the message of Christ and his Church not only bears a religious identity which demands to be respected as such; it also carries a wisdom which correctly allows responding concretely to questions of the present that are urgent and sometimes distressing.
In continuing to exercise, as you do, the prophetic dimension of your episcopal ministry, you bring to these debates the indispensable word of truth which frees and opens hearts to hope. These words, I am convinced, are expected from you. The truth will always be welcomed favorably when it is presented with charity, not as the fruit of our own reflections, but above all, as the word that God wishes to address to every man.
In this respect, I am reminded of the meeting that I had at the College des Bernardins. France can pride itself in counting among her sons and daughters many intellectuals of a high level some of whom regard the Church with benevolence and respect. Believers or not, they are aware of tehe immense challenges of our time, in which the Christian message is an irreplaceable point of reference.
Other intellectual or philosophical traditions may run dry, but the Church finds within her divine mission the assurance and the courage to preach, opportunely or not, a universal call to salvation, the greatness of the divne plan for mankind, the responsibility of man, his dignity and his freedom - and despite the wounds of sin - his capacity to discern in his conscience what is true and good, and his openness to divine grace.
At the College des Bernardins, I wished to remind you that the monastic way, totally oriented towards the quest for God, emerged as a source of renewal and progress for culture. The religious communities, especially the monastic ones, that I know well in your country, can count on your esteem and your attentive care, respecting the charisms proper to each one.
Religious life, which exclusively serves teh work of God, to which none other can be preferred (cf. The Rule of St. Benedict), is a treasure in your dioceses. They bring a radical witness to the way in which Christian existence, precisely because it is entirely a following of Christ, fully realizes the human calling to a happy life. All of society, and not just the Church, is greatly enriched by this witness. Offered in humility, gentleness and silence, it brings, so to say, the proof that there is more to man than man himself.
As the Council recals, the liturgical action of the Church also plays a part in its contribution to the work of civilization (cf. Gaudium et spes n. 58, 4). Liturgy is, in fact, the celebration of the central event in human history, Christ's redeeming sacrifice. Through liturgy, the Church bears witness to God's love for man, she bears witness that the life of man has a meaning, and that he is called by vocation to take part in the glorious life of the Trinity.
Mankind needs this witness. It has need to perceive, through liturgical celebrations, the consciousness that the Church has of the Lordship of God and the dignity of man. She has the right to be able to discern, beyond the limitations that her riotes and ceremonies always have, that Christ "is present in the sacrifice of the Mass, and in the person of the minister" (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 7).
Knowing the care with which you seek to surround your liturgical celebrations, I encourage you to cultivate the art of celebration, helping your priests in this way, and to work ceaselessly for the liturgical formation of seminarians and the faithful.
Respect for established norms expresses love and fidelity to the faith of the Church, to the treasure of grace that she safeguards and transmits. The beauty of liturgical celebrations, much more than innovations and subjective accommodations, constitutes a lasting and efficient means of evangelization.
Your concern is great today for the transmission of the faith to the younger generations. Numerous families in your country continue to assure this. I bless and encourage with all my heart the initiatives you are taking to support these families, for surrounding them with your concern, for favoring their taking responsibility in the educational domain.
The responsibility of parents in this field is a valuable asset, that the Church defends and promotes as much as an inalienable and capital dimension of the common good for all of society, as an exigency demanded by the dignity of the person and the family.
You also know that challenges are not lacking in this field: that it has to do with the difficulty linked to the transmission of received faith - familial as well as social - of faith that is personally taken on at the threshold of adulthood; and also of the difficulty in a break in this transmission with the succession of many generations that have been alienated from the living faith.
There is also the enormous challenge of living in a society which does not always share in the teachings of Christ, which sometimes seeks to ridicule and marginalize the Church in its desire to confine it only to the private sphere.
In order to meet these immense challenges, the Church needs credible witnesses. Christian witness rooted in Christ and lived consistently and authentically, takes many forms, without preconceived schemes. It is born and renews itself ceaselessly under the action of the Holy Spirit. To support this witness, the Catechism of the Catholic Church is a very useful tool because it manifests the power and teh beauty of the faith. I encourage you to make it widely known, especially during this year when we celebrate the 20th anniversary of its publication.
In the positions you hold, you also render witness through your devotion, simplicity of life, your pastoral solicitude, and above all, by the union among yourselves and with the Successor of Peter. Aware of the power of example, you will find the words and the gestures to encourage the faithful to embody this 'unity of life'.
They must feel that their faith commits them, that is is a liberation and not a burden, that consistency in living this faith is a source of joy and fruitfulness (cf. Exhort. apost. Christifideles laici, n. 17). This is true just as much for their attachment and fidelity to the moral teaching of the Church, as, for instance, for the courage to make known their Christian convictions, without arrogance but with respect in the various circles where they move.
Those among them who are engaged in public life have a special responsibility in this regard. With the bishops, they must be attentive to projected civil laws which threaten the protection of marriage between men and women, the safeguarding of life from conception to death, and the proper orientation of bioethics in fidelity to the documents of the Magisterium.
It is more than ever necessary that many Christians take the road of service to the common good, especially in deepening the application of the Church's social doctrine.
You can count on my prayers that your efforts in this area shall bear abundant fruit. Finally, I invoke the benediction of the Lord on you, your priests and eacons, your religious and other consecrated persons working in your dioceses, and on your faithful. May God be with you always. Thank you.