At 11:00am this morning (5:00am EST) in the Consistory Hall at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the members of the Shabbaz Bhatti Mission Association.
Dear brothers and sisters!
I offer you my cordial welcome and, through you, I wish to extend my greetings to all Christians in Pakistan, especially those who are living in the most difficult of situations.
I thank Mister Paul Bhatti for his words of greeting. I render homage to the memory of his dear brother Shabbaz, and I am happy to know that today, he is loved and esteemed by everyone in Pakistan and that his sacrifice has borne the fruit of hope. The words of Jesus also held true for him: If a grain of wheat, does not fall into the ground and die, it remains a single grain, but if it dies, it produces much fruit (Jn 12:24). The fruit of dialogue, understanding, reconciliation; the fruit of fortitude, of courage, of meekness.
And one of the fruits of the sufferings of Christians is the multiplication of groups and associations - like yours - that extend bridges of fraternity across the world, overcoming differences in language, culture and sometimes even in religion. Bridges of fraternity, first of all among the Churches and ecclesial communities themselves, which the Spirit motivates more and more to walk together in the service of peace and justice. Bridges of fraternity and dialogue with other believers, to foster relationships of respect and mutual trust.
Your appeal to solidarity has found a prompt and generous response in Italy, especially in the Triveneto, involving Pastors and communities, and I am happy and grateful for this. I encourage you to continue with this evangelical style that combines firmness and meekness, to assure the victims of false accusations and, at the same time, carry out concrete signs of the fight against poverty and modern slavery.
I hope that, supported by prayer and by the active solidarity of many, you can extend your actions to all areas of Pakistan where Christians and other minorities are more present and, unfortunately, also discriminated against and subjected to abuses and violence. May your hallmark always be one that shines in the testimony of Shahbaz Bhatti and of many other martyrs of our time, namely their humble and courageous faith in the Lord Jesus and the ability to place love where there is only hatred. This - we know - is not our work but rather the work of the Spirit, and therefore I ask the Virgin Mary to keep you always open and docile to the Paraclete.
I thank you for the gift of this visit. I accompany you with my prayer and my blessing, which I ask you to extend to all people who you encounter in your service in Pakistan, saying to them: The Pope is thinking about Pakistan. And I ask you please to pray for me.
(Original text in Italian)
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
offered to members of the
Shabbaz Bhatti Mission Association
Dear brothers and sisters!
I offer you my cordial welcome and, through you, I wish to extend my greetings to all Christians in Pakistan, especially those who are living in the most difficult of situations.
I thank Mister Paul Bhatti for his words of greeting. I render homage to the memory of his dear brother Shabbaz, and I am happy to know that today, he is loved and esteemed by everyone in Pakistan and that his sacrifice has borne the fruit of hope. The words of Jesus also held true for him: If a grain of wheat, does not fall into the ground and die, it remains a single grain, but if it dies, it produces much fruit (Jn 12:24). The fruit of dialogue, understanding, reconciliation; the fruit of fortitude, of courage, of meekness.
And one of the fruits of the sufferings of Christians is the multiplication of groups and associations - like yours - that extend bridges of fraternity across the world, overcoming differences in language, culture and sometimes even in religion. Bridges of fraternity, first of all among the Churches and ecclesial communities themselves, which the Spirit motivates more and more to walk together in the service of peace and justice. Bridges of fraternity and dialogue with other believers, to foster relationships of respect and mutual trust.
Your appeal to solidarity has found a prompt and generous response in Italy, especially in the Triveneto, involving Pastors and communities, and I am happy and grateful for this. I encourage you to continue with this evangelical style that combines firmness and meekness, to assure the victims of false accusations and, at the same time, carry out concrete signs of the fight against poverty and modern slavery.
I hope that, supported by prayer and by the active solidarity of many, you can extend your actions to all areas of Pakistan where Christians and other minorities are more present and, unfortunately, also discriminated against and subjected to abuses and violence. May your hallmark always be one that shines in the testimony of Shahbaz Bhatti and of many other martyrs of our time, namely their humble and courageous faith in the Lord Jesus and the ability to place love where there is only hatred. This - we know - is not our work but rather the work of the Spirit, and therefore I ask the Virgin Mary to keep you always open and docile to the Paraclete.
I thank you for the gift of this visit. I accompany you with my prayer and my blessing, which I ask you to extend to all people who you encounter in your service in Pakistan, saying to them: The Pope is thinking about Pakistan. And I ask you please to pray for me.
(Original text in Italian)
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