At 11:10am today, the Holy Father received in audience the Bishops from the Episcopal Conference of Lithuania, on the occasion of their visit ad Limina Apostolorum.
Dear brothers in the Episcopate,
I welcome you with joy on the occasion of your visit ad limina Apostolorum; I cordially greet each one of you and the particular Churches that the Lord has confided to your pastoral guidance.
You have come to Rome with your youth, but also with your heroism. In fact, among you there are a few young confreres, but above all, there are some Prelates who have witnessed a sad period of persecution. Thank you for your witness to Jesus Christ and for your service to the holy people of God!
Lithuania has always had Pastors who are close to their flock and in solidarity with it. Throughout the history of the nation, they have eagerly accompanied their people not only in the journey of faith and dealing with material difficulties, but also in the civil and cultural construction of a society, which finds its historical substructure and identity in the strength of the Gospel and in love for the Holy Mother of God. You are heirs of this history, of this patrimony of pastoral charity, and it is evident in the enthusiasm of your actions, the communion which enlivens you and in your perseverance in pursuing the goals that the Spirit points out to you.
Dear brothers, I know of your apostolic labours. If for a prolonged period, the Church in your country has been oppressed by regimes founded on ideologies contrary to the dignity and freedom of humanity, today you must also face other dangers such as secularism and relativism. To do this, along with an untiring proclamation of the Gospel and of Christian values, we must not forget constructive dialogue with all peoples, even with those who do not belong to the Church and those who have been distanced from religious experience. Be careful to ensure that Christian communities are always places of welcome, of open and constructive dialogue, stimuli for all of society in the search for the common good.
I also know of your unceasing commitment and concern for the clergy that God has confided to you. Don't forget that above everything else, we need to pray that the Lord will give us generous priests, capable of sacrifice and dedication. And also committed laity, who are capable of taking on their responsibility within the ecclesial community and of making valued Christian contributions to civil society. The Lord will give these to you if you pray for this grace and if you encourage them to be present, with the strength of adult faith in civic, cultural, political and social endeavours.
As you know, the entire Church is committed at this time to a journey of reflection on the family, on its beauty, on its value, and on the challenges which it is called to face in our times. I encourage you also, as Pastors, to give your contributions to this great work of discernment, and above all be attentive to the pastoral care of families, so that married couples may know the closeness of the Christian community and find help to not conform themselves to this world but to constantly be renewed in the spirit of the gospel (cf Rom 12:2). In fact, your country too, which has now entered fully into the European Union, is exposed to ideologies which may introduce elements capable of destabilizing families, the result of a misunderstood sense of personal freedom. Age old Lithuanian traditions will help you to respond to this challenge, according to faith and reason.
I wish to ask you to pay particular attention to vocations to priesthood and to consecrated life. May the Church in Lithuania never tire of continually praying for vocations! I urge you also to care for these with adequate training, both initial and permanent formation of priests, of consecrated persons and of seminarians, paying particular attention to the spiritual and moral life, including education about evangelical poverty and the proper care of material goods according to the principles of the social doctrine of the Church. Love your priests, seek always to be available when they need you, and don't always wait for them to come looking for you, don't leave them alone to face their trials. Also for catechists, pay particular attention to them, sharing with them by your personal witness the joy of evangelizing.
Finally, I urge you to be attentive to the poor. Even in Lithuania, despite the current rate of economic development, there are many who are in need, unemployed, sick, abandoned. Be close to them. And don't forget those, above all among the young, who for various reasons must leave the country and seek a new path elsewhere. Their growing numbers and their needs require attention and pastoral care on the part of the Episcopal Conference, in order that they may maintain the faith and the Lithuanian religious traditions.
Dear brothers, I thank you for your visit. Take with you my cordial greeting to your particular Churches and to all your fellow citizens. May the Virgin Mary, especially venerated in your nation as the Gate of Dawn at Vilnius, and at Siluva as well as many other parts of the country, intercede for the Church in Lithuania: protecting with her mantle your priests, your religious men and women, and all the faithful. May she obtain for every community the fullness of the Lord's grace. I assure you of my prayer for you and I willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing upon you all.
Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the meeting with bishops from Lithuania
Dear brothers in the Episcopate,
I welcome you with joy on the occasion of your visit ad limina Apostolorum; I cordially greet each one of you and the particular Churches that the Lord has confided to your pastoral guidance.
You have come to Rome with your youth, but also with your heroism. In fact, among you there are a few young confreres, but above all, there are some Prelates who have witnessed a sad period of persecution. Thank you for your witness to Jesus Christ and for your service to the holy people of God!
Lithuania has always had Pastors who are close to their flock and in solidarity with it. Throughout the history of the nation, they have eagerly accompanied their people not only in the journey of faith and dealing with material difficulties, but also in the civil and cultural construction of a society, which finds its historical substructure and identity in the strength of the Gospel and in love for the Holy Mother of God. You are heirs of this history, of this patrimony of pastoral charity, and it is evident in the enthusiasm of your actions, the communion which enlivens you and in your perseverance in pursuing the goals that the Spirit points out to you.
Dear brothers, I know of your apostolic labours. If for a prolonged period, the Church in your country has been oppressed by regimes founded on ideologies contrary to the dignity and freedom of humanity, today you must also face other dangers such as secularism and relativism. To do this, along with an untiring proclamation of the Gospel and of Christian values, we must not forget constructive dialogue with all peoples, even with those who do not belong to the Church and those who have been distanced from religious experience. Be careful to ensure that Christian communities are always places of welcome, of open and constructive dialogue, stimuli for all of society in the search for the common good.
I also know of your unceasing commitment and concern for the clergy that God has confided to you. Don't forget that above everything else, we need to pray that the Lord will give us generous priests, capable of sacrifice and dedication. And also committed laity, who are capable of taking on their responsibility within the ecclesial community and of making valued Christian contributions to civil society. The Lord will give these to you if you pray for this grace and if you encourage them to be present, with the strength of adult faith in civic, cultural, political and social endeavours.
As you know, the entire Church is committed at this time to a journey of reflection on the family, on its beauty, on its value, and on the challenges which it is called to face in our times. I encourage you also, as Pastors, to give your contributions to this great work of discernment, and above all be attentive to the pastoral care of families, so that married couples may know the closeness of the Christian community and find help to not conform themselves to this world but to constantly be renewed in the spirit of the gospel (cf Rom 12:2). In fact, your country too, which has now entered fully into the European Union, is exposed to ideologies which may introduce elements capable of destabilizing families, the result of a misunderstood sense of personal freedom. Age old Lithuanian traditions will help you to respond to this challenge, according to faith and reason.
I wish to ask you to pay particular attention to vocations to priesthood and to consecrated life. May the Church in Lithuania never tire of continually praying for vocations! I urge you also to care for these with adequate training, both initial and permanent formation of priests, of consecrated persons and of seminarians, paying particular attention to the spiritual and moral life, including education about evangelical poverty and the proper care of material goods according to the principles of the social doctrine of the Church. Love your priests, seek always to be available when they need you, and don't always wait for them to come looking for you, don't leave them alone to face their trials. Also for catechists, pay particular attention to them, sharing with them by your personal witness the joy of evangelizing.
Finally, I urge you to be attentive to the poor. Even in Lithuania, despite the current rate of economic development, there are many who are in need, unemployed, sick, abandoned. Be close to them. And don't forget those, above all among the young, who for various reasons must leave the country and seek a new path elsewhere. Their growing numbers and their needs require attention and pastoral care on the part of the Episcopal Conference, in order that they may maintain the faith and the Lithuanian religious traditions.
Dear brothers, I thank you for your visit. Take with you my cordial greeting to your particular Churches and to all your fellow citizens. May the Virgin Mary, especially venerated in your nation as the Gate of Dawn at Vilnius, and at Siluva as well as many other parts of the country, intercede for the Church in Lithuania: protecting with her mantle your priests, your religious men and women, and all the faithful. May she obtain for every community the fullness of the Lord's grace. I assure you of my prayer for you and I willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing upon you all.
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