The Holy Father in Naples: We cannot lack in spiritual and material support of the missions

Oct 21, 2007 / 14:56 pm

At the conclusion of Holy Mass celebrated in the Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples, the Holy Father addressed a few words to the faithful before the recitation of the Angelus. He exhorted them to continue materially and spiritually supporting the missions.

He first greeted the delegation united in Naples from various parts of the world for the International Meeting for Peace, orgainized by the Community of Saint Egidio, which had as its theme: “For a world without violence – Religion and culture in dialogue.”

The Holy Father asked for prayers for this meeting, but especially for the World Missionary Day, which had as its theme “All the churches for all the world.” 

Benedict XVI commented: “Every particular Church is co-responsible for the evangelization of all humanity, and this cooperation between the Churches was increased by Pope Pius XII with the Encyclical Fidei donum (the Gift of Faith), 50 years ago.”

Regarding the reliance of the missions on the support of those faithful who remain at home, the Pontiff stated: “Let us not be lacking in our spiritual and material support for those who work on the frontier of the missions: priests, religious, and laypeople, who often find grave difficulties, and even persecutions.”

Concluding his words before the angelus the Holy Father said: “We entrust these prayer intentions to Mary Most Holy, who in the month of October we love to invoke with the title with which she is invoked in the nearby Sanctuary of Popei: Queen of the Holy Rosary.”