S. John Paul II Homil. 242
MASS FOR VOCATIONS
Port Moresby Stadium (Papua New Guinea) Monday, 7 May 1984
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,
1. "You are my friends if you do what I command you . . . I have called you friends, for all that I heard from my Father I have made known to you" (Jn 15,14-15).
These words Christ spoke to his Apostles in the Upper Room, the night before his Passion. They are words of friendship and love for those he had called to follow him more closely, words of support and encouragement for those he had chosen to continue his work of salvation in obedience to the will of the Father.
Today the Church celebrates and lives these words of Christ in this evening's liturgy which I have the joy to offer with you in this Stadium of Port Moresby. I proclaim these words to you to whom Christ has made known what he heard from his Father - to you who have done what he commanded you. Today I offer these words to all who continue the work of the Apostles in Papua New Guinea: to the Bishops above all together with their priests, to the men and women religious and to the lay apostles of this country, especially the many zealous catechists.
2. At this moment, my thoughts turn in a particular way to the missionaries: to those who first brought Christ's message to these islands and to those who continue to serve here today. It is not possible to recount the whole story of the Gospel in Papua New Guinea, but I wish to pay homage to the sacred history of evangelization, and to mention some of those apostles who lived and died so that the sons and daughters of this place might know and love Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Saviour of the world.
The first attempt at evangelization was made by the Marists on the islands of Woodlark and Rooke in 1847. But they had to leave. Five years later another attempt was made there by the PIME missionaries. But after only three more years, they too were forced to abandon their missionar effort - not however before one of their number had given his life as a martyr for the faith: Blessed Giovanni Mazzucconi, who died at Woodlark in 1855 and who was recently beatified in Rome.
With the arrival of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart on the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel in 1882, a new era dawned, one of uninterrupted evangelization in what today is Papua New Guinea. Three missionaries, under the leadership of Father André Navarre, set foot on Matupit Island in the harbour of Rabaul, New Britain. With gratitude we remember the people of Nodup and their "big man" To Litur, who made the missionaries welcome in their midst, and gave them shelter and land to live on.
From these humble beginnings at Nodup, progressive evangelization went on at an unremitting pace through the zealous efforts of the missionaries and under the enlightened guidance of a number of saintly and dedicated Bishops. Among these, special recognition should be given to the Vicar Apostolic of New Britain, Bishop Louis Couppé.
In 1885, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart took charge of another area of missionary endeavour, this time along the coastal areas of New Guinea known as Papua, not far from where we are celebrating the Eucharist today. Here, on the fourth of July, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered to God for the first time on Papuan soil, an anniversary which is still remembered with special devotion. Among the apostolic labourers who providentially directed the growth of missionary activity along the Papuan coast and into its interior two holy Bishops deserve particular mention: Bishop Henry Verjus, who died at an early age after his health had been ruined by the privations and sacrifices of a heroic life; and Bishop Alain Guynot de Boismenu, who as the second Vicar Apostolic of New Guinea promoted the missionary cause for many years and left behind a shining example of holiness of life. I cannot fail to mention at this point that, from the very beginning, the work of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart was zealously assisted by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Later on they were joined by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Five courageous women of this latter Institute were subsequently to be numbered among the "Martyrs of Baining".
In 1896, the Society of the Divine Word, under the leadership of Father Eberhard Limbrock, opened up a third area of missionary endeavour, along the north-east coast of New Guinea. While their brother missionaries preached the Gospel in the coastal areas, Fathers William Ross and Ivo Schaefer were pioneers in bringing to the people of the mountain valleys the light of Christ the Lord. Thus what began very humbly at Tumleo Island near Aitape today embraces the two Archdioceses of Madang and Mount Hagen, together with eight suffragan Sees.
Three years later, the Marist Fathers took over a fourth area of missionary enterprise in the North Solomons. Settling down first on the Shortland Islands in 1899, they later moved the centre of their missionary activity to Kieta, Bougainville. Today the Diocese of Bougainville with its autochthonous Bishop gives ample testimony of the work done by the zealous missionaries.
Thus we see how, from these four different areas of missionary activity, today Papua New Guinea has four Metropolitan Sees with fourteen dioceses. God has greatly blessed this country and made fruitful the courageous efforts of the missionaries who came here at Christ's command with the message of salvation and fraternal love.
3. With the marvellous and praiseworthy efforts of all these missionaries and of many others before our eyes, the words of the first reading of today's liturgy come to our mind: "Forgetting what lies behind" (including their families, friends and country of origin), they were "straining forward to what lies ahead", pressing on towards the goal (cf. Phil Ph 3,13-14): the building up of the Kingdom of the living God, the Church of Jesus Christ, among their brothers and sisters on these faraway islands of what is today Papua New Guinea. For the sake of the Gospel they "suffered the loss of all things", in order to "gain Christ" (Ibid. 3, 8) and to gain for him new members of God's Kingdom - who like themselves were redeemed through his Cross and Resurrection.
It is my heartfelt wish today to offer praise and thanksgiving to the living God, together with you, beloved brothers and sisters, for this wonderful divine call which has already borne plentiful fruit in this land. Te Deum Laudamus!
The Church, living among new peoples and nations, gradually grows towards maturity as indigenous sons and daughters take up and respond to the divine call of the Gospel, not only by faithfully living the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation but also by embracing the evangelical vocations to the ministerial priesthood and consecrated life.
244 4. The Church as the Body of Christ increases in this land with her own life, with her own distinctive gifts of nature and grace, yet sharing in the unity of the universal Church. It is my fervent prayer that the Church in Papua New Guinea, as she continues to grow and mature, may experience a great flowering of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Would that an ever increasing number of your sons and daughters might attentively listen to and willingly accept those words of Christ which speak of a special personal choice by God, of an apostolic fruitfulness: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide" (Jn 15,16). It is God's plan that the priests and religious should serve the Christian families, and that the Christian families in their turn should provide the proper conditions of faith in which young people can hear God's call.
The missionary Church in this country realized the importance of fostering vocations. In this, the establishment of Catechists' and Teacher Training Schools proved providential for vocations in the various regions. The result of these efforts was seen when Louis Vangeke, the first priest of this country, ordained in 1937, was ordained a Bishop by Pope Paul VI in Sydney, Australia, in 1970.
Great efforts were required to establish minor seminaries. The first one was set up at Vunapope, New Britain, in 1937, and the second a year later at Alexishafen near Madang. Other initiatives followed these, and particular mention should be made of the valiant work of seminary formation during the difficult years of the Second World War.
Today you are blessed with the Regional Major Seminary of Bomana, which prepares for the priesthood young men coming from all the local Churches. These seminarians give us great hope for the future of the Church in Papua New Guinea. As they increase in number, the Church is truly coming into her own. Today, four sons of this country are serving as Bishops in your midst.
I thank God that many women of Papua New Guinea have accepted his call to the religious life. As early as 1912 the first local Congregation of Sisters was founded: the Daughters of Mary Immaculate. And six years later the Handmaids of the Lord were begun here in Papua. In addition, many young women have joined the missionary Congregations and have served both at home and abroad. There have also been vocations to the religious brotherhood, and despite various difficulties, they are not lacking in Papua New Guinea today. I pray that by God's grace their numbers will grow.
5. Today, we gather in this Stadium to bear witness to the fact that the Church of Christ is a living temple filled with men and women of this land. On this historic occasion, we lift up our hearts in an ardent prayer for more priestly and religious vocations, so that the work of evangelization can be carried on. They are so necessary for the life and continued growth of the Church in Papua New Guinea, necessary for the well-being of the whole People of God. As Jesus said: "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest" (Mt 9,37-38).
Let us make this prayer, beloved people of Papua New Guinea, in the name of Christ, knowing that whatever we ask the Father in his name, he will give it to us (cf. Io Jn 15,16). Let us make this prayer with confidence and love. Let us make this prayer for the glory of the most Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
HOLY MASS FOR EVANGELIZATION
Mount Hagen (Papua New Guinea) Tuesday, 8 May 1984
1. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all"[1].
I greet you, people of the Highlands and citizens of Papua New Guinea. I great y?u as members of many different tribes, with different customs and languages.
I greet you, sons and daughters of the Church, and in particular you, the faithful of Mount Hagen, who are dedicated in a special way to the Most Holy Trinity. By partaking in the one bread which is the Eucharist, the Body of Christ, y?u have grown into one people of God, which is the Mystical Body of Christ, his holy Church.
The Church in Papua New Guinea, a hundred years after its beginning, solemnly celebrates today its unity with the universal Church through the presence of the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Saint Peter.
2. The history of evangelization in your country and the growth of the Church here reveals to us the great and wonderful works that the Lord has done in your midst. Let us look for just a moment at that part of the history of salvation which has taken place here in your land.
After earlier attempts at evangelization were unable to be sustained, an uninterrupted missionary enterprise came into being near the end of the last century. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart brought the Gospel to New Britain and to the southern coastal region of New Guinea Island. A few years later, the Divine Word Fathers began to evangelize on the north-east coast of New Guinea Island, and the Marists started missionary efforts on Bougainville Island.
From these original mission areas, five Vicariates Apostolic eventually emerged : Rabaul, Papua, East New Guinea, Central New Guinea and the North Solomons. These in turn had grown to fifteen in number when, in 1966, the hierarchy was established in Papua New Guinea, in recognition of the maturity already attained by the local Church. Today there are four Metropolitan Sees with fourteen Dioceses :
? Rabaul, with the suffragan Dioceses of Bougainville and Bavieng ;
? Port Moresby, with the suffragan Dioceses of Alotau-Sideia, Bereina, Daru and Kerema ;
? Madang, with the suffragan Dioceses of Aitape, Lae, Vanimo and Wewak ;
? Mount Hagen, with the suffragan Dioceses of Goroka, Bundiawa, Mendi and Wabag.
The Church has indeed put down her roots everywhere among the beloved people of this country : from your many smaller islands to the larger island of New Guinea.
In union with the entire ecclesial community living in Papua New Guinea, all of us today offer praise and thanks together to the Most Holy Trinity because God's eternal plan of revelation and salvation has been realized among the People of God in this country—that eternal plan of which Saint Paul writes in his Letter to the Ephesians.
246 3. At the appointed time, the divine mystery revealed in Jesus Christ was made kn?wn to the sons and daughters of Papua New Guinea, the mystery which was first revealed by the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and prophets, particularly on the day of Pentecost.
Through the missionary service of the Church, the sons and daughters of this country have become "fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel"[2].
All those who contributed and those who are still contributing to this ecclesial service of evangelization—I am speaking of the missionaries and their collaborators, both living and dead—are giving thanks today to the Most Holy Trinity, because to them "this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things"[3].
At this celebration of the Eucharist, we approach our heavenly Father, placing our hope and trust "in Christ Jesus our Lord, in wh?m we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in him"[4].
We recall how Christ prayed for his disciples the day before his redemptive Passion and death : "Holy Father, keep them in your name, whom you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one"[5].
"Sanctify them in the truth ; y?ur word is truth. As y?u sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrated myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth"[6].
This is how Christ prayed to the Father the day before he died. And he prayed not only for the Apostles who were with him in the Upper Room, but also for all those who would believe in him through their word[7].
He prayed for those who brought the light of the Gospel here to Papua New Guinea.
He prayed for those who have accepted the Good News proclaimed in his name during the past hundred years.
He prayed for those who profess their faith in him and are handing on his Gospel to others.
In his priestly prayer, Jesus prayed for all who would believe in him until the end of time. He embraced all people and all nations in that prayer, just as he embraced them in the Redemption that was accomplished through his Cross and Resurrection.
247 5. Together with you today I wish to give thanks and praise to the Most Holy Trinity because the people of Papua New Guinea belong to God. They are a people redeemed by the precious Blood of Jesus Christ. I give thanks because you belong to the community of Christ's Church, because you are one in union with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, just as Christ in his priestly prayer prayed that y?? would be : "That they may all be one ; even as y?u, Father, are in me, and I in y?u, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that y?u have sent me ... and have loved them even as y?u have loved me"[8].
I pray that this divine love will be ever more revealed in y?u and among y?u; that it will lead you safely into the future; that it will enable y?u to walk through this life here on earth—and what a beautiful earth you do have around you—never losing sight of eternal life and eternal communion with God.
In this way, "the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God"[9] will be fully realized and become visible in the life of each one of y?u and in the whole of humanity—that eternal design which the Father "has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord"[10].
[1] 2 Cor 13:13.
[2] Eph 3:6.
[3] Ibid. 3:8-9.
[4] Ibid. 3:11-12.
[5] Jn 17:11.
[6] Ibid. 17:17-19.
[7] Cf. ibid. 17:20.
[8] Jn 17:21. 23.
[10] Ibid. 3:11.
MASS FOR THE SICK
Saint Joseph Church - Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) Tuesday, 8 May 1984
1. May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ fill your hearts! I welcome this opportunity to be with you who bear the burden of sickness and pain, and to encourage you to unite your sufferings with the sufferings of Christ.
When Jesus charged his Apostles to "preach the Gospel to the whole creation" (Marc.16, 15), he promised that certain signs would accompany their work. "In my name", he said, "they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues... they will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover" (Ibid. 16, 17.18). These words of our Saviour reveal to us how care for the sick is closely linked to the preaching of the Gospel and forms an important part of the Church's mission in the world.
It is not surprising, then, that the missionaries who came to Papua New Guinea not only brought the Good News of salvation but also cared for the sick. Indeed their loving compassion for those who were suffering made a very deep impression on your ancestors. Seeing this example of charity and faith, they made the missionaries welcome among them and opened the doors of their hearts to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. With similar sentiments I come to you today. I come to tell you of my love for you in Christ, and to assure you of the pastoral concern of the whole Church. The Church, like Jesus her Redeemer, desires always to be close to those who suffer. She lifts them up to the Lord in prayer. She offers them consolation and hope. She helps them to find meaning in their fear and pain by teaching them that suffering is not a punishment from God, nor something caused by witchcraft or evil spirits. Rather, the Church points to Christ who, by his Cross and Resurrection, has redeemed all human suffering and has thus given meaning to this mystery of human existence.
The Church offers grace and strength through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Following the ritual described by Saint James, the priest who administers this Sacrament prays over the sick person "anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord" (Iac. 5, 14). In this way, the Lord in his love and mercy helps the sick person with the grace of the Holy Spirit; he frees him from sin, saves him and raises him up. This sacrament of the Church is a comforting, uplifting and sanctifying experience for the sick; it is a personal encounter with Christ the Redeemer and healer of humanity.
3. Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to know how important you are in the Church, for you fulfil an irreplaceable role in her mission of salvation. When you bear your suffering in union with our saving Lord, as Saint Paul says, you "complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church" (Col 1,24). By uniting your sufferings with the Sacrifice of Christ, you help others to share in Christ's Redemption. You cooperate with Christ in bringing his salvation to Papua New Guinea and to the world.
As you try to live the mystery of suffering in union with Christ, be men and women of prayer. Saint James says: "Pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects" (Iac. 5, 16). Try in a special way to encourage and support your brothers and sisters who are suffering. Let your own pain borne out of love for Christ develop in you a heart of compassion and mercy. May our heavenly Father "supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Ph 4,19). And may the love of Jesus be always in your hearts.
MASS IN HONOUR OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Honiara (Solomon Islands) Wednesday, 9 May 1984
"When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman" (Ga 4,4).
1. Today's first reading speaks of the fullness of time. This refers to the fulfilment of the history of humanity in the eternal plan of the Most Holy Trinity. The Letter to the Galatians tells us about this plan and what its fulfilment consists in. First, God's own Son comes into the world to make it possible for us to be adopted as God's children; we are no longer slaves but children. Secondly, in the power of the Holy Spirit that God has sent into our hearts, we can cry out, "Abba! Father!". We can call God our Father. And finally, together with the only-begotten Son of God we too become his children and heirs. When the time had fully come, all people were given the possibility of sharing intimately in the life of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
2. The proclamation of this "fullness of time" is called evangelization; it is the handing on of the Good News of Salvation. And for nearly a century and a half, this fullness of time has been proclaimed here in Solomon Islands.
Although the Spanish, accompanied by Franciscan missionaries, came to Point Cruz in 1568, the history of evangelization did not really begin until 1845. The first missionaries to be sent were Marists under the leadership of Bishop Epalle. Despite their zeal and courage, the mission had to be abandoned two years later, but not before Bishop Epalle and several others had given their lives for the faith.
The next major programme of evangelization was carried out by Anglican missionaries coming from New Zealand. By their sustained efforts to preach the Gospel and to set up Christian schools, the message of Christ began to take root in the hearts of the people. Various missionary endeavours followed not long after, including those made by members of the South Seas Evangelical Mission, the Methodist Church, the Seventh Day Adventists and others. All of these sought not only to make Christ better known but also to work for the health and education of the people.
The Catholic Church renewed her missionary efforts here at the very end of the nineteenth century. Once again it was the Marists who took up the work, and in 1904 they were joined by the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary, who quickly established convents at all the mission stations.
The work of evangelization in Solomon Islands has been greatly assisted by the untiring and very capable leadership of the Bishops who have been appointed to serve here. Bishop Bertreux, the first Vicar Apostolic in the "South Solomons", was chosen to oversee the early expansion of the missionary efforts and made the first attempts at training local catechists and lay leaders. His successor, Bishop Raucaz, carried on this work with no less fervour. Among other achievements, he encouraged the founding of the first local Congregation of women religious, the Daughters of Mary Immaculate.
Bishop Aubin, who succeeded Bishop Raucaz, witnessed the tragic suffering and devastation caused by World War II. During this time most missionaries were either killed or forced to winthdraw. After the war, however, with the help of many new missionaries, the Bishop supervised the rapid growth of the Church in the territory. He directed the establishment of various institutions, including a number of Catholic schools and, in particular, the first central school, which was placed under the direction of Marist Teaching Brothers. In 1958 Bishop Stuyvenberg succeeded Bishop Aubin, and he has worked until the present time to carry on the task of evangelization. During this time, the Dominicans, both men and women, have accepted the missionary work of the Western Solomons under the pastoral leadership of Bishop Crowford. Native vocations have begun to appear, and the training of catechists and lay leaders has been greatly aided with the opening of the Apostolic Centre near Honiara.
250 Through all of this, one can clearly see God's providence fulfilling his eternal plan of salvation.
3. In today's Gospel, we hear the words with which Elizabeth greeted the Mother of our Saviour at the time of the Visitation: "Blessed is she who believed that there would be fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord" (Lc 1,45).
I wish to repeat these words to all those in Solomon Islands who have accepted Christ through faith: "Blessed are they who have believed". From this faith has been born a new community of the People of God, the Church. Of its nature this community is visible; it is based on the word of God and lives by the Sacraments.
One enters the community of the Church through the life-giving waters of Baptism, which puts an end to sin and brings the gift of grace and communion with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In the Sacrament of Confirmation, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit who is given to us in abundance as God's gift. He comes to enkindle in us a more zealous love of God and neighbour, and to strengthen us for the faithful daily living of our faith. The Eucharist is the source and centre of all our Christian life. In the Eucharistic celebration, we share in the Sacrifice of the Cross which brought about the Redemption of the world. And it is to the Eucharistic Sacrifice that all the many activities of the Church are directed, so that ever greater glory and praise may be given to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
4. The Church in Solomon Islands, which lives in communion with the Catholic Church throughout the world, is flourishing. Your zealous missionaries continue to work hand-in-hand with the indigenous peoples of this country. You are endowed with clergy and religious who, through lives of special dedication and service, seek to build up the community of believers in faith, hope and charity. I am pleased that among them are to be found an increasing number of native-born priests, brothers and sisters, and I pray that priestly and religious vocations will flourish abundantly. The lay people, too, play an irreplaceable role in the Church's life and mission. I wish to offer a particular word of commendation to your catechists who help to hand on the message of salvation and to your Christian families which are so important for a sound and dynamic Christian community.
The entire apostolic life of the Church is directed towards reconciliation: the reconciliation of man with God, and the reconciliation of people with one another. For this reason the Sacrament of Penance is vitally important, because in this intimate encounter with Jesus Christ, who is our forgiving Lord, our sins are forgiven and we are once again united with God. Penance also helps us to overcome the barriers which divide people from one another, and to build up a society of harmony and peace. With infinite love for those who are ill, the Lord renews his gift of reconciliation also in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. To husbands and wives Christ has given the Sacrament of Marriage. By this great Sacrament, Christian couples are made one in Christ and receive the grace to live in lifelong love and fidelity, and to bring up their children in a reconciled and loving home. The Sacrament of Holy Orders, too, serves the cause of reconciliation, for, as deacons, priests and Bishops srtive to give a shepherd's care to those entrusted to them, they break down walls of ignorance and sin and strengthen the unity of the local Church.
5. For all the work of evangelization and reconciliation which has taken place in Solomon Islands, the Bishop of Rome wishes today to sing with you the song of thanksgiving which came from the lips of the Mother of God when the "fullness of time" was accomplished in her.
In union with the Virgin Mary, we magnify you, O Lord, and our souls rejoice in God our Saviour, for you have looked with kindness upon the humble beginning of the missionary efforts in Solomon Islands.
You who are mighty have done great things for those who dwell here, and holy is your name.
Your mercy is on those who fear you, from generation to generation. Even when this country was devastated by the horrors of the Second World War, you did not abandon them, but you showed the strength of your arm, exalted the lowly, and filled the hungry with good things. You made the Church flourish again in Solomon Islands, for you have remembered your mercy and continued to pour it out upon generation after generation.
On merciful God, your eternal plan of salvation is one of justice and love. You send your Holy Spirit into our hearts that we may cry out "Abba! Father!". For all your works we give you thanks. In the company of Mary and all the Saints, we sing your praises. We bless your name for ever, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
251 Je sais qu'en ces Iles Salomon sont présents aujourd'hui de nombreux fidèles de langue française, venus de plusieurs îles du Pacifique, en particulier du diocèse de Nouméa. Je les remercie de leur visite et je les salue avec joie. Chers Frères et Soeurs, au-delà de la diversité des races, des intérêts et des tensions qui peuvent surgir, vous avez été appelés à partager le même don du Seigneur, en accueillant l'Evangile et en recevant le baptême. Vous avez été incorpores au même Christ, mort et ressuscite pour nous tous. Vous avez reçu le même Esprit Saint, l'Esprit de sainteté et d'amour. Et cet Esprit, qui demeure en vous, vous incite à entrer dans une relation toujours plus vivante avec Dieu, par la prière, à avoir faim et soif de la justice, à construire des communautés humaines et chrétiennes où règnent, de façon inséparable, l'équité, la paix, l'amour fraternel. Tel est le témoignage que vous compatriotes attendent des chrétiens authentiques. Vous contribuerez à sauvegarder le respect des cultures, les droits des personnes et aussi le bien commun de chaque pays. Demeurez unis autour de vos Evêques. Et comprenez que, malgré votre grande dispersion en ce vaste Océan, vous êtes unis dans l'Eglise universelle ou le Successeur de Pierre a la mission de confirmer ses Frères dans la foi et de les rassembler autour de l'Unique Pasteur, le Seigneur Jésus-Christ. En son nom, je vous bénis de grand coeur, vous et tous ceux que vous représentez.
Act of entrustment to Mary
On this day as we gather in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us turn to her with love and confidence:
O holy Mother of God, I, John Paul II, entrust to you the sons and daughters of the Church in Solomon Islands. They are the brothers and sisters of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who have been redeemed by the merits of his Precious Blood and evangelized by his grace.
O loving Mother of our Saviour, I entrust to you the families, the mothers and fathers and children of this land, and especially the sick, the suffering and the aged. Intercede for them with your Son, the source of all life.
O Mary, Queen of Peace, I entrust to you this nation of Solomon Islands and all the men and women dwelling here. I ask you to assist them in their problems and to sustain them in their hopes. Be for all of them a Mother of Perpetual Help. Offer them all to the Father, imploring his merciful kindness and the gifts of unity and peace, through Jesus, the Eternal Word who became your Son. Obtain eternal rest for their beloved dead and for all those who died in battle on their soil during the Second World War.
O Mary, Virgin and Mother, ask the Holy Spirit to bring to completion in the hearts of the Solomon Islanders the work that was begun through the preaching of the word of Jesus, to whom be glory and praise, with the Father and the same Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.