Pope
Francis meets Bishops of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis, this morning, received in audience
the Bishops of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau, on the
occasion of their "ad limina" visit. The Holy Father pointed out that
in these African countries often Christians are a minority and yet offer a
generous and courageous witness to the Gospel. He urged the Bishops to work for
a constructive dialogue with Moslems
When Pope Francis met the Bishops of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape
Verde and Guinea-Bissau, he said the visit was an opportunity for him and for
the Bishops to strengthen the bonds of love between the particular Churches and
the Church of Rome. This is contained in a speech that the Pope handed out to
the Bishops at the end of the visit.
In the speech, Pope
Francis quotes from his Apostolic Exhortation known as “Evangelii Gaudium”
(Number 259) and encourages the Bishops to continue to support each other in
ministry as Spirit-filled evangelizers because the Holy Spirit would also
continue to unite and grant them the courage to proclaim the newness of the
Gospel with boldness in every time and place. Pope Francis, however, told the
Bishops that he understood the complexities of their regional conference in
terms of language, geography, culture and history.
The Holy Father also
spoke of the need for the laity, in the dioceses, to receive a solid doctrinal
and spiritual formation if they are to bear witness to Christ in the
environment of their communities. The Gospel must imbue society with the
principles of the Gospel. Faith should not be marginalized in public life.
Pope Francis
also turns to the issue of the Family ministry - as highlighted in the
recent Synod of Bishops. He advised the Bishops to continue paying attention to
Family ministry because the family is the basic cell of society and the Church.
It is in the family that the basics of the faith are taught.
With regard to
priestly formation, Pope Francis told the Bishops, “Priestly formation is
decisive for the future. Your countries experience very different situations,
but the primacy of quality above quantity should always be important. I invite
you to be close to your priests, especially those who are young, to ensure that
after their ordination they continue with their formation, persevere in their
life of prayer and are able to count on a spiritual guide. The Holy Father
said.
Lastly, the Holy
Father, told the Bishops that while the Moslems are a strong majority, the
Church must engage in constructive dialogue with Moslems. “More
generally, it seems to me that it is important not to hesitate to occupy space
that is essentially yours in civil society. I know that you work tirelessly for
peace and reconciliation, especially in Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. I am happy
about this. Maintain good relations with the political authorities in order to
promote the official acknowledgement of Church structures. This will be useful
in facilitating the work of evangelisation. Some of you, such as the Bishops of
Cape Verde, already benefit from the existence of a framework agreement between
the state of Cape Verde and the Holy See. Even where the Church is in a
minority or is completely at the margins of civil life, she is appreciated and
recognised for her important contribution in the fields of human development,
healthcare and education.
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