Pope conveys thoughts for Chile
on the 2nd centenary of its independence
in receiving the new ambassador
06 OCT 2010 (RV) - Pope Benedict XVI said on Thursday that he “carries the people of Chile in his heart”, especially the victims of a recent earthquake as well as the 33 miners trapped since August in a collapsed mine.
The Holy Father said this in his greeting to the new Chilean Ambassador to the Holy See Fernando Zegers Santa Cruz.
In his address the Pope said, "From the outset I wanted to express my closeness to the people of Chile and, through the visit of my Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, I sent my comfort and hope to victims, their families and the many affected, who are always present in my prayers”.
In February this year an 8.8 magnitude earthquake shook the South American nation triggering a tsunami which devastated several coastal towns, killing over 500 people and leaving thousands homeless.
The Pope goes on to say that neither does he forget the fate of the 33 minors trapped in a collapsed mine in the remote region of Atacama since August last, adding that he “fervently prays for them and their loved ones”...
Here is a full translation of the Holy Father's words to the new ambassador:
Mr. Ambassador:
It is my pleasure to receive Your Excellency for this solemn act of presenting the letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Chile to the Holy See.
I express my most cordial welcome, as well as my gratitude for the words of greeting you conveyed from the President of the Republic, Sebastián Piñera Echenique, and his Government.
Your presence in the Holy See mreminds me vividly of your country which I carry in my hearat, although it is geographically quite far from here, and particularly after the terrible earthquake that it endured recently.
From the outset, I wished to show my closeness to the Chilean people, and through the visit there by my Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, I sought to extend comfort and hope to the victims, their families and all those who suffered damages, all of whom I remember in my prayers.
Nor do I forget the miners in Atacama abd their dear ones, for whom I pray fervently.
In this regard, I wish to highlight and appreciate the unity of the Chilean people in the face of disaster, their generous and fraternal response to the suffering of others, as well as the immense efforts being undertaken by the Catholic Church in Chile, many of whose communities were sorely tried themselves by the earthquake, to aid those who are most in need.
Your Excellency is starting your mission at the Holy See precisely in the year when Chile celebrates the bicentennial of her independence, which gives me the occasion to highlight once more the role of the Church in the most significant events of your country, and in the consolidation of her national identity that is profoundly marked by Catholic sentiment.
The fruits of the Gospel in your blessed land are too numerous. Abundant fruits of holiness, of charity, of human promotion, of the constant search for peace and coexistence.
In this sense, I wish to recall the celebration last year of the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship with your sister nation Argentina which, through Pontifical mediation, put an end to conflict in the southern hemisphere..
This historic accord will remain for future generations a luminous example of the immense good that peace brings with it, as well as the importance of preserving and promoting those moral and religious values that constitute the most intimate fabric of a nation's soul.
One cannot attempt to explain the triumph of the yearning for peace, concord and understanding if one does not take into account the depth to which the seed of the Gospel has rooted itself in the heart of Chileans.
In this sense, it is important, the more so in present circumstances having to do with facing so many challenges that threaten your own cultural identity, to promote, especially among the younger generations, a healthy pride, a renewed appreciation and revaluation of their faith, their history, their culture, their traditions and their artistic wealth, and all that constitutes the best and richest spiritual and human patrimony of Chile.
In this context, I wish to underscore that, although Church and State are independent and autnomous in their respective fields, both are called on to a loyal and respectful collaboration in order to serve their respective personal and social callings (cf. Gaudium et spes, 76).
In fulfilling her specific mission of announcing the Good News of jesus Christ, the Church seeks to respond to the expecttations and questions of men, relying as well on the ethical and anthropological values and principles that are inscribed in the nature of the human being.
When the Church raises her voice on the great challenges and problems of the day, like wars, hunger, the extreme poverty of so many people, the defense of human life from its conception to its natural end, or the promotion of a family founded on matrimony between a man and a woman, and that has primary responsibility for the education of children, it is not acting for any special interest or for principles that can only be perceived by those who profess a certain religious faith.
Respecting the rules of democratic coexistence, it does so for the good of all society and in the name of values that every person with right reasoning can share ( cf. Address to the President of the Italian Republic, Nov. 20, 2006).
In this respect, the Chilean people know well that the Church in that nation collaborates sincerely and effectively, and wishes to continue doing so, in everything that contributes to the common good, to just progress. and to the peaceful and harmonious coexistence of all those who live in your beautiful land.
Mr. Ambassador, before concluding this meeting, I extend to you my best wishes for the fulfillment of your high mission, even as I assure you of cordial reception and accessibility on the part of my collaborators.
With these sentiments, I invoke from the heart upon you, Your Escellency, your family and the other members of your diplomatic mission, and on all of the beloved Chilean people and their leaders, through the intercession of the Virgin of Carmel, the abundance of divine blessings.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 08/10/2010 11:26]