SUMMARY:
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The Pope arrives in Albania, example of fruitful co-existence between
people of different beliefs
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The living Church in the Land of the Eagles: thank you for your
fidelity
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To the young: yes to acceptance and solidarity
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The
Pope arrives in Albania, example of fruitful co-existence between
people of different beliefs
Vatican
City, 21 September 2014 (VIS) – This morning Pope Francis began his
visit to Tirana, Albania – his fourth apostolic trip and the second
by a pontiff to the “Land of the Eagles”. The first was by John
Paul II in 1993, two years after the fall of the dictatorship and
following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy
See and the Republic of Albania. On that occasion, the Pope
celebrated Mass in the Cathedral of Scutari, which had been
transformed into a sports centre under the communist regime, and he
blessed the first stone for the reconstruction of the Shrine to Our
Lady of Good Counsel, built in 1895 and demolished in 1967. In Tirana
in recent years both the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of the
Jesuit Fathers and the Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection of
Christ have been rebuilt.
The
Holy Father, who departed from Rome's Fiumicino airport at 7.30 a.m.,
arrived in Tirana at 9 a.m. and was received at the aerodrome
dedicated to Mother Teresa by representatives of the religious and
civil authorities, including the apostolic nuncio in Albania,
Archbishop Ramiro Moliner Ingles, and the Albanian prime minister Edi
Rama. He proceeded by car to the presidential palace of Tirana, where
the welcome ceremony took place, and he was greeted by the Albanian
president, Bujar Nishani. Following a brief discussion, the president
accompanied the Pope to the Salon Scanderberg for a meeting with the
authorities, the diplomatic corps, and some of the country's
religious leaders.
In
his address to those present, the full text of which is published
below, the Holy Father spoke about Albania's path to recovering civil
liberties and religious freedom, warning of the exploitation of
differences between religions and praising the peaceful co-existence
and collaboration between those of different religious beliefs in
Albania.
“I
am very happy to be here with you, in this noble land of Albania, a
land of heroes who sacrificed their lives for the independence of the
nation, and a land of martyrs, who witnessed to their faith in
difficult times of persecution. I am grateful for the invitation to
visit your country, called 'the Land of the Eagles', and for your
warm welcome.
“Almost
a quarter of a century has passed since Albania re-embarked upon the
arduous but rewarding path of freedom. This experience has allowed
Albanian society to take up the process of material and spiritual
reconstruction, to foster an increase of enthusiasm and initiatives,
and to create a spirit of cooperation and exchange with countries of
the Balkans, the Mediterranean, Europe and indeed with the rest of
the world. This rediscovered freedom has helped you look to the
future with trust and hope, establishing new projects and renewing
friendly relations with countries both near and far.
“Respect
for human rights, among which religious freedom and freedom of
expression stand out, is the preliminary condition for a country’s
social and economic development. When the dignity of the human person
is respected and his or her rights recognised and guaranteed,
creativity and interdependence thrive, and the potential of the human
personality is unleashed through actions that further the common
good.
“There
is a rather beautiful characteristic of Albania, one which is given
great care and attention, and which gives me great joy: I am
referring to the peaceful coexistence and collaboration that exists
among followers of different religions. The climate of respect and
mutual trust between Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims is a precious
gift to the country. This is especially the case in these times where
an authentic religious spirit is being perverted and where religious
differences are being distorted and exploited. This creates dangerous
circumstances which lead to conflict and violence, rather than being
an occasion for open and respectful dialogue, and for a collective
reflection on what it means to believe in God and to follow his laws.
“Let
no one use God as a 'shield' while planning and carrying out acts of
violence and oppression! May no one use religion as a pretext for
actions against human dignity and against the fundamental rights of
every man and woman, above all, the right to life and the right of
everyone to religious freedom!
“What
the experience in Albania shows, rather, is that a peaceful and
fruitful coexistence between persons and communities of believers of
different religions is not only desirable, but possible and
realistic. The peaceful coexistence of different religious
communities is, in fact, an inestimable benefit to peace and to
harmonious human advancement. This is something of value which needs
to be protected and nurtured each day, by providing an education
which respects differences and particular identities, so that
dialogue and cooperation for the good of all may be promoted and
strengthened by mutual understanding and esteem. It is a gift which
we need to implore from God in prayer. May Albania always continue to
walk this path, offering an inspiring example to other countries.
“Mr
President, after a winter of isolation and persecution, the
springtime of freedom has finally come. By means of free elections
and new institutional structures, a democratic pluralism has been
consolidated which is now favouring economic activity. Many people,
especially at the beginning, chose to emigrate in search of work and
a better standard of living, and in their own way contributed to the
advancement of Albanian society. Many others rediscovered reasons for
staying in their homeland, wanting to build it up from within. The
efforts and sacrifices of all have improved the life of the nation in
general.
“The
Catholic Church, for her part, has resumed a normal existence,
re-establishing her hierarchy and rejoining the threads of a long
tradition. Places of worship have been built or rebuilt. Among these,
the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Counsel at Scutari holds a special
place. Similarly, schools and centres of education and healthcare
have been established for use by all citizens. The presence of the
Church and her activities are therefore rightly seen as a service,
not only to the Catholic community, but rather to the whole nation.
“Blessed
Mother Teresa, together with the martyrs who witnessed to their faith
– to whom we pray and offer our appreciation – most certainly are
rejoicing in heaven because of the work of men and women of good will
who contribute to the flourishing of civil society and the Church in
Albania.
“Today,
however, new challenges arise which must be faced. In a world that
tends toward economic and cultural globalization, every effort must
be made to ensure that growth and development are put at the service
of all and not just limited parts of the population. Furthermore,
such development will only be authentic if it is sustainable and
just, that is, if it has the rights of the poor and respect for the
environment close to heart. Alongside the globalisation of the
markets there must also be a corresponding globalisation of
solidarity; together with economic growth there must be a greater
respect for creation; alongside the rights of individuals, there must
be the guaranteed rights of those who are a bridge between the
individual and the state, the family being the first and foremost of
such institutions. Today Albania is able to face these challenges in
an atmosphere of freedom and stability, two realities which must be
strengthened and which form the basis of hope for the future”.
“I
offer my heartfelt thanks to each of you for your gracious welcome,
and, like Saint John Paul II in April 1993, I invoke upon Albania the
protection of Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, entrusting to her the
hopes of the entire Albanian people. May God abundantly pour out his
grace and blessing upon Albania”.
Following
his address the Pope continued to Mother Teresa Square where he
celebrated Holy Mass.
The
living Church in the Land of the Eagles: thank you for your fidelity
Vatican
City, 21 September 2014 (VIS) – Thousands of faithful participated
in the Holy Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Latin and Albanian at
11 a.m. in Mother Teresa Square. The liturgical readings reflected
aspects of Albania's history. The first, from the Book of Exodus,
told how “I bore you on eagle's wings”, whereas the epistle was
St. Paul's letter to the Romans in which the apostle tells how he
preached in Illyria, which at that time included the current
territory of Albania.
However,
in his homily the Holy Father commented on the passage from the
Gospel of St. Luke, which includes the phrase “Peace be to this
house” and which narrates how Jesus, after naming the twelve
apostles, convokes another seventy-two disciples and sends them to
proclaim the Kingdom of God to peoples and cities.
“He
comes to bring the love of God to the world and he wishes to share it
by means of communion and fraternity”, said Pope Francis. “To
this end he immediately forms a community of disciples, a missionary
community, and he trains them how to 'go out' on mission. The method
is both clear and simple: the disciples visit homes and their
preaching begins with a greeting which is charged with meaning:
'Peace be to this house!'. It is not only a greeting, but also a
gift: the gift of peace. Being here with you today, dear brothers and
sisters of Albania, in this square dedicated to a humble and great
daughter of this land, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, I wish to
repeat to you this greeting: May peace be in your homes. May peace
reign in your hearts. Peace in your country. Peace”.
“In
the mission of the seventy-two disciples we see a reflection of the
Christian community’s missionary experience in every age: the risen
and living Lord sends not only the Twelve, but the entire Church; he
sends each of the baptised to announce the Gospel to all peoples.
Through the ages, the message of peace brought by Jesus’ messengers
has not always been accepted; at times, the doors have been closed to
them. In the recent past, the doors of your country were also closed,
locked by the chains of prohibitions and prescriptions of a system
which denied God and impeded religious freedom. Those who were afraid
of the truth did everything they could to banish God from the hearts
of men and women and to exclude Christ and the Church from the
history of your country, even though it was one of the first to
receive the light of the Gospel”.
Pope
Francis went on to recall the “decades of atrocious suffering and
harsh persecutions against Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims”,
affirming that “Albania was a land of martyrs: many bishops,
priests, men and women religious, lay faithful, and ministers of
worship of other religions paid for their fidelity with their lives.
Demonstrations of great courage and constancy in the profession of
the faith are not lacking. How many Christians did not succumb when
threatened, but persevered without wavering on the path they had
undertaken! I stand spiritually at that wall of the cemetery of
Scutari, a symbolic place of the martyrdom of Catholics before the
firing squads, and with profound emotion I place the flower of my
prayer and of my grateful and undying remembrance. The Lord was close
to you, dear brothers and sisters, to sustain you; he led you and
consoled you and in the end he has raised you up on eagle’s wings
as he did for the ancient people of Israel. The eagle, depicted on
your nation’s flag, calls to mind hope, and the need to always
place your trust in God, who does not lead us astray and who is ever
at our side, especially in moments of difficulty.
“The
doors of Albania have now been reopened and a season of new
missionary vitality is growing for all of the members of the people
of God: each baptised person has his or her role to fulfil in the
Church and in society. Each one must experience the call to dedicate
themselves generously to the announcing of the Gospel and to the
witness of charity; called to strengthen the bonds of solidarity so
as to create more just and fraternal living conditions for all”.
Today,
the Pontiff exclaimed, “I have come to give thanks to you for your
witness and to encourage you to cultivate hope among yourselves and
within your hearts. Do not forget the eagle. The eagle does not
forget the nest, but flies high. It flies high! I have come to
encourage you to involve the young generations; to nourish yourselves
assiduously on the Word of God, opening your hearts to Christ: to the
Gospel, to the encounter with God and the encounter among you, which
is already taking place. Through this encounter of yours, you offer
an example to all Europe”.
“To
the living Church in this land of Albania, I say 'thank you' for your
example of fidelity”, he concluded. “Do not forget the nest, your
distant history; do not forget the wounds inflicted, but do not seek
to avenge them. Go ahead, working with hope for a great future. So
many of your sons and daughters have suffered for Christ, even to the
point of sacrificing their lives. May their witness sustain your
steps today and tomorrow as you journey along the path of love, the
path of freedom, and above all, the path of justice and of peace”.
To
the young: yes to acceptance and solidarity
Vatican
City, 21 September 2014 (VIS) – Before the end of this Sunday's
liturgy, Francis greeted those present from Albania and other
neighbouring countries to thank them for their presence and for their
witness of faith, and addressed the young in particular. “They say
that Albania is the youngest country in Europe”, he commented,
smiling, and invited them to “confirm [their] existence in Jesus
Christ”.
“He
who builds on Christ builds on rock, because He is always faithful,
even if we sometimes lack faith”, continued the Holy Father. “Jesus
knows us better than anyone else; when we sin, He does not condemn us
but rather says to us, 'Go and sin no more'. Dear young people, you
are the new generation of Albania, the future of your homeland. With
the power of the Gospel and the example of your antecedents and the
martyrs, know how to say 'No' to the idolatry of money, 'No' to the
false freedom of individualism, 'No' to addiction and to violence;
say 'Yes' to a culture of encounter and of solidarity, 'Yes' to the
beauty that is inseparable from the good and the true; 'Yes' to a
life lived with great enthusiasm and at the same time faithful in
little things. In this way, you will build a better Albania and a
better world”.
Before
the Angelus prayer, the Pope invoked the Virgin Mary, venerated in
Albania above all as “Our Lady of Good Counsel”. “I stand
before her, spiritually, at her Shrine in Scutari, so dear to you,
and to her I entrust the entire Church in Albania and all the people
of this country, especially families, children and the elderly, who
are the living memory of the people. May Our Lady guide you to walk
together with God towards the hope that never disappoints”.
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