It is our duty to preserve and communicate them, even when the tenor of the times becomes resistant and even hostile to that message (Evangelii Gaudium, 34-39). These essential aspects of the Church’s mission belong to the core of what we have received from the Lord. The innocent victim of abortion, children who die of hunger or from bombings, immigrants who drown in the search for a better tomorrow, the elderly or the sick who are considered a burden, the victims of terrorism, wars, violence and drug trafficking, the environment devastated by man’s predatory relationship with nature — at stake in all of this is the gift of God, of which we are noble stewards but not masters. The future freedom and dignity of our societies depends on how we face these challenges.
Ever present within each of them is life as gift and responsibility. I encourage you, then, my brothers, to confront the challenging issues of our time. I am well aware of the immense efforts you have made to welcome and integrate those immigrants who continue to look to America, like so many others before them, in the hope of enjoying its blessings of freedom and prosperity. I appreciate the unfailing commitment of the Church in America to the cause of life and that of the family, which is the primary reason for my present visit. I thank you most heartily for your generous solidarity with the Apostolic See and the support you give to the spread of the Gospel in many suffering areas of our world. My first word to you is one of thanksgiving to God for the power of the Gospel which has brought about remarkable growth of Christ’s Church in these lands and enabled its generous contribution, past and present, to American society and to the world. The words below are worth reflecting on as we look back at the pope’s visit with gratitude and look to the future with hope, striving to further the work of the new evangelization. This address, which was intended to encourage and challenge his brother bishops gathered in Washington, D.C., also calls to mind the Order’s own mission. Many of the Holy Father’s words resonated with Knights of Columbus and their families, beginning with a major address shortly after his arrival in the United States. visit, which was preceded by a four-day trip to Cuba.
This special issue of Columbia features excerpts of the pope’s numerous addresses, together with photos from throughout the U.S. 23-27, which culminated in Philadelphia with the closing Mass of the Eighth World Meeting of Families, included historic addresses in Spanish and English, large and small gatherings of the faithful, and the first canonization on U.S. The recent apostolic visit of Pope Francis to the United States Sept.
0 kommentar(er)
