Departure for the Pastoral Visit to Paris and Lisieux (30 May 1980)

On 30 May 1980, the Holy Father, preparing to fly to France from Fiumicino Airport in Rome, spoke of his desire to go to Lisieux, “a blessed place, towards which Christianity and especially the Missions turn their admiring gaze, because of Saint Teresa,” and also to meet with Representatives of UNESCO, whose institutional task is to promote the development and defense of the dignity of man.

1. As I prepare to leave Vatican City and the beloved soil of Italy once again, bound for France, I am pleased to welcome, Your Eminences, distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, and Representatives of the Italian Government, your cordial expression of affection and encouragement, which is also a certificate of inner participation in the intentions which inspire the intentions of today's apostolic pilgrimage.

For your presence, in which I see a happy omen for the successful outcome of the commitment over the next few days, I wish to express my sincere and deep gratitude.

Bishop of Rome and Successor of the Apostle Peter, by divine design I was entrusted with the mission of being an instrument and sign of the unity of faith and communion between the various local Churches, confirming them in their adherence to Christ and the Gospel. This task is given to me to carry out mainly in Rome, a city of the spirit, where my brothers in the episcopate often gather to meet the Vicar of Christ; however, the modern possibilities of easy communication make it increasingly normal for the Pope to reach out and meet the Bishops and the People of God on the spot.

2. France, a country of glorious tradition, is one of the great nations which have been marked by the Christian faith since the dawn of their history and, after the fall of the Roman Empire, was the first national community of the Church: "Fille aînée de l'Église".

Over the centuries, it has offered a particular contribution to the Catholic Church, through the enlightened and heroic testimony of its Saints, the vigor of doctrine of its Teachers, and the apostolic courage of its Missionaries. Even today, because of its intelligent dynamism, it occupies a place of great importance in the universal Church.

It is my intention to go to Lourdes in July next year, on the occasion of the announced International Eucharistic Congress, but a pastoral visit to the heart of that nation has already seemed opportune. It is such an intent to inform my stay in the Capital, which ideally sums up the values, perspectives and anxieties of all French people; moreover, impelled by the same solicitude, I will also go to Lisieux, a blessed place, towards which Christianity and especially the Missions turn their admiring gaze, because of Saint Teresa, who with her message placed herself at the centre, in the heart - according to her expression - of the Church, and of the missionary Church.

3. My visit also has another important objective: UNESCO. I have been invited for some time to meet the illustrious representatives of that body, in their own headquarters, on the occasion of the 9th session of the Executive Council.

I am happy about this meeting, because the true culture that UNESCO has the institutional task of promoting throughout the world assumes primary importance for the development and defense of the dignity of man, who is not only a subject of education - in this field too the work that remains to be done is truly remarkable - but is called above all to develop the potential of his spiritual knowledge to perfection, in order to correspond to God's plans for the world and for history, within the framework of that peaceful and supportive progress which we all hope for.

I therefore leave the historic banks of the Tiber for the majestic ones of the Seine, and already this evening I will find myself immersed in the evocative and solemn atmosphere of Notre-Dame. I entrust to Mary, Lady of France and Castellane of Italy, the hope that my visit will consolidate the faith of the children of that great homeland and encourage their courage to bear witness. With these thoughts, I leave you with my cordial best wishes and blessings.
 

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