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| 2008 Papal Visit to the United States |
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in the United States of America,
The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
be with all of you! In just a few days from now, I shall begin my
apostolic visit to your beloved country. Before setting off, I would like
to offer you a heartfelt greeting and an invitation to prayer. As you
know, I shall only be able to visit two cities: Washington and New
York. The intention behind my visit, though, is to reach out spiritually
to all Catholics in the United States. At the same time, I earnestly
hope that my presence among you will be seen as a fraternal gesture
towards every ecclesial community, and a sign of friendship for
members of other religious traditions and all men and women of good
will. The risen Lord entrusted the Apostles and the Church with His
Gospel of love and peace, and His intention in doing so was that the
message should be passed on to all peoples.
At this point, I should like to add some words of thanks, because I am
conscious that many people have been working hard for a long time,
both in Church circles and in the public services, to prepare for my
journey. I am especially grateful to all who have been praying for the
success of the visit, since prayer is the most important element of all.
Dear friends, I say this because I am convinced that without the
power of prayer, without that intimate union with the Lord, our human
endeavors would achieve very little. Indeed this is what our faith
teaches us. It is God who saves us; he saves the world, and all of
history. He is the Shepherd of His people. I am coming, sent by
Jesus Christ, to bring you His word of life.
Together with your Bishops, I have chosen as the theme of my
journey three simple but essential words: “Christ our hope.”
Following in the footsteps of my venerable predecessors, Paul VI and
John Paul II, I shall come to United States of America as Pope for the
first time, to proclaim this great truth: Jesus Christ is hope for men
and women of every language, race, culture and social condition.
Yes, Christ is the face of God present among us. Through Him, our
lives reach fullness, and together, both as individuals and peoples,
we can become a family united by fraternal love, according to the
eternal plan of God the Father. I know how deeply rooted this
Gospel message is in your country. I am coming to share it with you,
in a series of celebrations and gatherings. I shall also bring the
message of Christian hope to the great Assembly of the United
Nations, to the representatives of all the peoples of the world.
Indeed, the world has greater need of hope than ever: hope for
peace, for justice, and for freedom, but this hope can never be
fulfilled without obedience to the law of God, which Christ brought to
fulfillment in the commandment to love one another. Do to others as
you would have them do to you, and avoid doing what you would not
want them to do. This “golden rule” is given in the Bible, but it is valid
for all people, including non-believers. It is the law written on the
human heart; on this we can all agree, so that when we come to
address other matters we can do so in a positive and constructive
manner for the entire human community.
Dirijo un cordial saludo a los católicos de lengua española y les
manifiesto mi cercanía espiritual, en particular a los jóvenes, a los
enfermos, a los ancianos y a los que pasan por dificultades o se
sienten más necesitados. Les expreso mi vivo deseo de poder estar
pronto con Ustedes en esa querida Nación. Mientras tanto, les
aliento a orar intensamente por los frutos pastorales de mi inminente
Viaje Apostólico y a mantener en alto la llama de la esperanza en
Cristo Resucitado.
[I cordially greet Spanish-speaking Catholics and manifest to you my
spiritual closeness, especially to the young, to the sick, the elderly
and those experiencing difficulties or who are most in need. I
express my great wish to be present with you in this dear nation. In
the meantime, I ask you to pray intensely for the pastoral fruits of my
imminent Apostolic Voyage and to keep high the call of hope in the
Risen Christ.]
Dear brothers and sisters, dear friends in the United States, I am
very much looking forward to being with you. I want you to know that,
even if my itinerary is short, with just a few engagements, my heart is
close to all of you, especially to the sick, the weak, and the lonely. I
thank you once again for your prayerful support of my mission. I
reach out to every one of you with affection, and I invoke upon you
the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Que la Virgen María les acompañe y proteja. Que Dios les bendiga.
May God bless you all.
The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
be with all of you! In just a few days from now, I shall begin my
apostolic visit to your beloved country. Before setting off, I would like
to offer you a heartfelt greeting and an invitation to prayer. As you
know, I shall only be able to visit two cities: Washington and New
York. The intention behind my visit, though, is to reach out spiritually
to all Catholics in the United States. At the same time, I earnestly
hope that my presence among you will be seen as a fraternal gesture
towards every ecclesial community, and a sign of friendship for
members of other religious traditions and all men and women of good
will. The risen Lord entrusted the Apostles and the Church with His
Gospel of love and peace, and His intention in doing so was that the
message should be passed on to all peoples.
At this point, I should like to add some words of thanks, because I am
conscious that many people have been working hard for a long time,
both in Church circles and in the public services, to prepare for my
journey. I am especially grateful to all who have been praying for the
success of the visit, since prayer is the most important element of all.
Dear friends, I say this because I am convinced that without the
power of prayer, without that intimate union with the Lord, our human
endeavors would achieve very little. Indeed this is what our faith
teaches us. It is God who saves us; he saves the world, and all of
history. He is the Shepherd of His people. I am coming, sent by
Jesus Christ, to bring you His word of life.
Together with your Bishops, I have chosen as the theme of my
journey three simple but essential words: “Christ our hope.”
Following in the footsteps of my venerable predecessors, Paul VI and
John Paul II, I shall come to United States of America as Pope for the
first time, to proclaim this great truth: Jesus Christ is hope for men
and women of every language, race, culture and social condition.
Yes, Christ is the face of God present among us. Through Him, our
lives reach fullness, and together, both as individuals and peoples,
we can become a family united by fraternal love, according to the
eternal plan of God the Father. I know how deeply rooted this
Gospel message is in your country. I am coming to share it with you,
in a series of celebrations and gatherings. I shall also bring the
message of Christian hope to the great Assembly of the United
Nations, to the representatives of all the peoples of the world.
Indeed, the world has greater need of hope than ever: hope for
peace, for justice, and for freedom, but this hope can never be
fulfilled without obedience to the law of God, which Christ brought to
fulfillment in the commandment to love one another. Do to others as
you would have them do to you, and avoid doing what you would not
want them to do. This “golden rule” is given in the Bible, but it is valid
for all people, including non-believers. It is the law written on the
human heart; on this we can all agree, so that when we come to
address other matters we can do so in a positive and constructive
manner for the entire human community.
Dirijo un cordial saludo a los católicos de lengua española y les
manifiesto mi cercanía espiritual, en particular a los jóvenes, a los
enfermos, a los ancianos y a los que pasan por dificultades o se
sienten más necesitados. Les expreso mi vivo deseo de poder estar
pronto con Ustedes en esa querida Nación. Mientras tanto, les
aliento a orar intensamente por los frutos pastorales de mi inminente
Viaje Apostólico y a mantener en alto la llama de la esperanza en
Cristo Resucitado.
[I cordially greet Spanish-speaking Catholics and manifest to you my
spiritual closeness, especially to the young, to the sick, the elderly
and those experiencing difficulties or who are most in need. I
express my great wish to be present with you in this dear nation. In
the meantime, I ask you to pray intensely for the pastoral fruits of my
imminent Apostolic Voyage and to keep high the call of hope in the
Risen Christ.]
Dear brothers and sisters, dear friends in the United States, I am
very much looking forward to being with you. I want you to know that,
even if my itinerary is short, with just a few engagements, my heart is
close to all of you, especially to the sick, the weak, and the lonely. I
thank you once again for your prayerful support of my mission. I
reach out to every one of you with affection, and I invoke upon you
the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Que la Virgen María les acompañe y proteja. Que Dios les bendiga.
May God bless you all.
| This site created and maintained by the St. Thomas More Catholic Community. Last updated 04-12-2008 |
| The Message from the Holy Father to the People of the United States |
Lord, source of
eternal life and truth,
give to Your
shepherd, Pope
Benedict, a
spirit of courage and
right judgment, a spirit
of knowledge and
love.
By governing with
fidelity those
entrusted to his care,
may he, as
successor to the
apostle Peter and
Vicar of Christ, build
Your Church
into a sacrament of
unity, love, and
peace for all the
world.
We ask this through
our Lord Jesus
Christ, Your
Son,Who lives and
reigns with
You and the Holy
Spirit, one God,
forever and ever.
Amen.
eternal life and truth,
give to Your
shepherd, Pope
Benedict, a
spirit of courage and
right judgment, a spirit
of knowledge and
love.
By governing with
fidelity those
entrusted to his care,
may he, as
successor to the
apostle Peter and
Vicar of Christ, build
Your Church
into a sacrament of
unity, love, and
peace for all the
world.
We ask this through
our Lord Jesus
Christ, Your
Son,Who lives and
reigns with
You and the Holy
Spirit, one God,
forever and ever.
Amen.
| Prayer for the Holy Father |
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