PERTH, WA: May 16, 1991
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GUIDE CHURCH OVER FUTURE OF EUROPE AND TASK OF EVANGELISATION
Plea to Mary LISBON: The future of Europe and the task of evangelisation that lies ahead were on Pope John Paul's mind as he called on Mary to guide the Church ahead. Pope John Paul II thanked Mary for freeing Eastern Europeans from communist rule, protecting the Church against decades of communist repression and saving his life 10 years ago in an a.c,saKsination attempt. Mary also was entrusted with the tasks of helping the rebirth of a Christian Europe and orienting contemporary gener-
ations lost to religion toward God. Europe must find its Christian roots, otherwise it could fall to a new "theoretical and practical atheism which appears to want to build a new materialistic society", said the pope to the Portuguese bishops May 13. This form of atheism praises freedom but "tends to destroy the roots of human and Christian morals", he added later in the day ceremony a at entrusting church concerns to Mary's care. "In 1917 here in Fatima," said the Pope, "Our Lady, with motherly insistence,
invited the whole of humanity to conversion and prayer. After 75 years, there are many elements which have altered the European and world scenario . . . Fatima, lost in its usual silent attention to God, has
always continued to be a point of reference and a call to live the Gospel". From Cova da Iria Sanctuary, he continued, there emerges "a light full of hope which has a bearing on the facts characterising the end of this century". The pope encouraged the bishops to a greater missionary spirit and "to be bold in the evangelisation
of the European concurrently tinent, tempted by broad material and practical t ypes of atheism which seem to want to build a new materialistic civilisation". called the He bishops to commit t hemselves to the October Synod of E uropean Bishops and he stressed: "The Church of the third Millennium will be born of the reevangelisation which you are planning to undertake." These changes show "that new hopes are opening for many people oppressed by an atheistic ideology which impeded the
practice of the faith", he added. The pope told Christians to avoid gloom and doom assessments about "the disturbances which burn here and there" causing a subversion of values. Instead, Christians must take advantage of the changes occurring throughout the world to refurbish the Christian foundations of societies, he said in Lisbon. "This is not an old world which is ending, this is a new world which has begun," he said. "A new dawn seems to be surging in the sky of history, inviting
Always my mother, all the more so since May 13, 1981.
How the early outdoor Fatima shrine looked after the construction in 1926 of the basilica church (right).
We're raising the standard.
Before leaving Fatima the Holy Father addressed a prayer to Our Lady in which he entrusted to her once more the whole human family, just as he had done in St Peter's Basilica on March 25, 1984, in front of the same statue of Our Lady of Fatima. The following are parts of the Holy Father's prayer: "Monstra te esse Matrem!" "How many times have we invoked you? And today we are here to thank you because you have always listened to us. You have shown yourself a Mother; Mother of the Church, missionary on its earthly journey towards the awaited third Christian millennium; Mother of men, for your constant
Christians to be the light and salt of a world which has enormous need of Christ," he added. Finally, he referred to the synthesis of the "message which Our Lady does not cease to repeat from Fatima: to atone, to pray and to do penance". During the 900km trip that included the Azores and Madeira Pope John Paul was scheduled to speak 12 times including five Mass homilies, four speeches, two greetings and a prayer.
Over 500,000 candles flickered during
his vigil prayer to Our Lady. •
protection which has avoided irreparable disasters and destruction, and has favoured progress and modern social achievements; Mother of nations, for the unexpected changes which have restored the trust of peoples too long oppressed and humiliated; Mother of life, for the numerous signs with which you have accompanied us, defending us from evil and from the power of death; Mother of mine, always my Mother and most especially so on that May 13, 1981, on whichIfelt you by my side with your helping presence; Mother of every man who strugglesfor the hie which does not die; Mother of humanity redeemed by the Blood of Christ; Mother of perfect love, of hope and peace, Holy Mother of the Redeemer."
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