|
.c The Associated Press
Excerpts from the official Vatican translation of Pope John Paul II's homily
and his remarks at a leprosy center delivered in Spanish on Saturday:
The pope's comments at the leprosy center:
"I am
aware of the great efforts being made in Cuba in the field of health care,
despite the economic constraints which the country is enduring.''
"Suffering is not only physical. There is also suffering of the soul,
such as we see in those who are isolated, persecuted, imprisoned for various
offenses or for reasons of conscience, for ideas which though dissident are
nonetheless peaceful. These prisoners of conscience suffer an isolation and a
penalty for something for which their own conscience does not condemn them. What
they want is to participate actively in life with the opportunity to speak their
mind with respect and tolerance. I encourage efforts to re-insert prisoners into
society. This is a gesture of high humanity and a seed of reconcilation, a
gesture which honors the authority promoting it and strengthens social harmony
in the country.
"Pastoral work in the field of health care and prison ministry must be
given the opportunity to perform its mission of service to the infirm, the
imprisoned and their families.
The pope's comments in his homily:
"Lay Catholics ... have the duty and the right to participate in public
debate on the basis of equality and in an attitude of dialogue and
reconciliation. Likewise, the good of a nation must be promoted and achieved by
its citizens themselves through peaceful and gradual means. In this way each
person, enjoying freedom of expression, being free to undertake initiatives and
make proposals within civil society, and enjoying appropriate freedom of
association, will be able to cooperate effectively in the pursuit of the common
good.''
"The church, immersed in civil society, does not seek any type of
political power in order to carry out her mission; she wishes only to be the
fruitful seed of everyone's good by her presence in the structures of society.
... Christ charged her to bring his message to all peoples, and for this she
needs sufficient freedom and adequate means.''
"The church is called to bear witness to Christ by taking courageous
and prophetic stands in the face of the corruption of political or economic
power.''
"The evangelizing efforts being carried out in different places, for
example the missions in districts and towns which have no churches, must be
sustained and promoted so that they may increase and serve not only Catholics
but the whole Cuban people.''
"Antonio Maceo, the great patriot of (eastern Cuba), said: 'He who
loves not God loves not his country.'''
"The Church calls everyone to make faith a reality in their lives, as
the best path ... for attaining true freedom, which includes the recognition of
human rights and social justice.''
"I wish to send my greetings also to all of Cuba's children who, in
whatever part of the world, venerate Our Lady of Charity ... asking her, Loving
Mother of all, to unite her children once more through reconciliation and
brotherhood.''
AP-NY-01-24-98 2049EST |