Pope Addresses Asian Bishops on Persecution

Pope Benedict XVI receives Central Asian bishops and urges them to follow the example of the early Christian communities.

VATICAN CITY (AsiaNews) - In the struggle against violence, terrorism extremism and fundamentalism "the power of the law can never become unjust or limit the free exercise of religion." Evangelisation and religious freedom are recurring issues in the life of the small Catholic communities of Central Asia "that still exist despite the severe pressures suffered during the years of the atheist communist regime." These matters were at the heart of Benedict XVI's address to the bishops and ordinaries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan whom he received in the Vatican on their quinquennial "ad limina Apostolorum" visit.

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In central Asia, the Pope said, there are few Catholics, but that should not be discouraging. "Look at the first communities of disciples of the Lord. However small they were, they did not look inward. Pushed by the love of Christ they did not hesitate from taking on the burden of the poor and meeting the sick, joyfully announcing the Gospel to everyone, bearing witness to it."

On the one hand, today this means keeping existing traditions alive; on the other "[p]atiently and courageously, seek[ing] new forms and methods of apostolate [. . .] in accordance with today's needs, bearing in mind the language and culture of the faithful entrusted to you care."

Evangelisation and building strong christian communities are thus the first concern the Pope urges on Central Asian bishops.

"All this appears even more necessary to face the challenges that today's globalised society poses to the coherent practice of the Christian life, including in your lands. I should like to mention that, in addition to the aforementioned difficulties, there are worrying phenomena everywhere in the world that endanger peace and security. I am referring in particular to the blight of violence and terrorism, the spread of extremism and fundamentalism. We need to contrast this scourge with legislative means. However, the force of law must never itself become iniquity, nor can the free exercise of religion be limited, because freely to profess one's faith is a fundamental and universally-recognised human right."

"I think that it is useful to reiterate that the Church does not impose but freely proposes the Catholic faith, well aware that conversion is the mysterious fruit of the action of the Holy Spirit. Faith is a gift and a work of God, and hence excludes any form of proselytism that forces, allures or entices people by trickery to embrace it (cf Ad gentes, n. 13). A person may open to the faith after mature and responsible reflection, and must be able freely to realise that intimate aspiration. This benefits not only the individual, but all society, because the faithful observance of divine precepts helps to build a more just and united form of coexistence."

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