L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO

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THIRTY-NINTH YEAR
UNICUIQUE SUUM NON PRAEVALEBUNT
N. 43 (1966) - 25 October 2006
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ANGELUS: WORLD MISSION SUNDAY, 22 OCTOBER

Mission for all: proclaiming that ‘God is love’

On Sunday, 22 October, the Holy
Father addressed the faithful gathered
in St Peter's Square. The following is
a translation of his Angelus Reflec-
tion, given in Italian.
‘Witnesses of the Risen Jesus, Hope of the World’
Dear Brothers and Sisters, The Holy
Today, we celebrate the 80th World Father travels
Mission Sunday. It was established by
Pope Pius XI, who gave a strong im- to Verona,
pulse to the missions ad gentes, and in Italy, to
the Jubilee of 1925 promoted a
grandiose exhibition which later became celebrate Holy
the current Ethnological-Missionary Col- Mass and
lection of the Vatican Museums.
This year, in the customary Message deliver the
for the occasion, I have proposed the Keynote
theme, “Charity, soul of the mission”. In
effect, if the mission is not inspired by Address
love, it is reduced to a philanthropic to members
and social activity. of the
For Christians, however, the words of
St Paul are valid: “The love of Christ im- Fourth
pels us” (II Cor. 5:14). The charity that National
moved the Father to send his Son into
the world, and moved the Son to offer Ecclesial
himself for us even to death on the Convention
Cross, that same charity has been
poured out by the Holy Spirit in the on the theme,
hearts of believers. ‘Witnesses of
Every baptized person, as a vine unit-
ed to the branch, can therefore cooper- the Risen
ate in the mission of Jesus, which can Jesus, Hope of
be summarized thus: to bring to every
person the good news that “God is love” the World’.
and, precisely for this reason, wants to
save the world.
For complete
The mission arises from the heart: coverage of
when one stops to pray before a Cruci-
fix with his glance fixed on that pierced
the Pope's
side, he cannot but experience within Address to
himself the joy of knowing that he is convention
loved and the desire to love and to
make himself an instrument of mercy participants as
and reconciliation. well as his
This is what happened about 800
years ago to the young Francis of Assisi Homily for
in the little church of San Damiano, Mass, see
which was then dilapidated. From the
height of the Cross, now preserved in pages 6-9.
the Basilica of St Clare, Francis heard
Jesus tell him: “Go, repair my house mate is the news that comes from Iraq I invite you, moreover, to join me in speaking pilgrims and visitors present
which, as you see, is all in ruins”. on the very grave situation of insecurity prayer to the Almighty, that he may for this Angelus. Today is Mission
That “house” was first of all his own and cruel violence to which many inno- grant the faith and courage needed by Sunday: a day of reflection on the call
life, which needed repair through au- cent people are exposed simply because religious and political leaders, local and to spread the Good News to all peo-
thentic conversion; it was the Church, they are Shiites, Sunnis or Christians. worldwide, to support those people on ples.
not the one made of stones but living I perceive the profound concern that the path to rebuilding their homeland, Let us support with our recognition
persons, always needing purification; it seeking a mutual equilibrium in recipro-
was all of humanity, in whom God loves pervades €the Christian community and and our prayers the men and women
I €want €to €assure €them €that €I €am cal respect, with the awareness that the who leave home and family to preach
to dwell. multiplicity of their components is an
The mission always initiates from a close to them, as I am to all the victims, the Gospel. And may our own faith in
and I pray for strength and consolation integral part of their wealth. Christ be renewed!
heart transformed by the love of God,
as the countless stories of saints and for all. I am happy to greet all the English- I wish you all a blessed Sunday!
martyrs witness, who in different ways
have spent their life at the service of the
Gospel. To€Anti-Defamation€League PAGE€2
The mission, therefore, is a workshop
where there is room for all: for those
who commit themselves to bringing the Pope€John€Paul€I:€The€film PAGE€2
Kingdom of God into their own family;
for those who live their professional life
with a Christian spirit; for those who ‘Ad€limina’:€Zambia PAGE€3
are totally consecrated to the Lord; for
those who follow Jesus, the Good Shep-
herd, in the ordained ministry to the New€ambassador:€Slovenia PAGE€4
People of God; for those who in a spe-
cific way go to announce Christ to those
who still do not know him. U.N.€intervention PAGE€10
May Mary Most Holy help us to live
with renewed ardour, each one in the
situation in which Providence has At the GENERAL AUDIENCE on Wednesday, 18 Oc-
placed him, the joy and courage of the tober, the Holy Father continued to reflect on the
mission. Church's Apostolic Ministry for those gathered in St
After the Angelus the Pope said: Peter's Square by speaking of the Apostles Judas Is-
I am happy to send a cordial greeting Hindus celebrate ‘Diwali’, cariot and Matthias. The betrayer and his replace-
to the Muslims of the entire world who the feast of light. For a ment teach us many life lessons, including to make
are celebrating in these days the conclu- sure that our own witness as followers of Jesus is al-
sion of the month of the Ramadan fast. Vatican message for the ways clear and spotless.
I wish all serenity and peace! occasion, see page 10. PAGE 11
In dramatic contrast to this joyful cli-