Departure From Brazil (11 July 1980)

On 11 July 1980, the Holy Father addressed the Brazilian people, as, on departing from Manaus, he came to the end his Apostolic Journey.

Dear Brazilian friends,,
my brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Much to my regret, the time has come to say goodbye.

Before leaving Brazilian soil, I want to express my profound gratitude to everyone: to his Excellency the President of the Republic, to the Episcopate of Brazil, to the members of the government, to all the authorities, to those responsible for the destinies of this great nation.

Impossible to name, even only generically, all the people and groups with whom I have had contact in these blessed days and, on the other hand, I would not like to forget anyone. My cordial thanks go to all the people of this country and to each of the Brazilians: to the Catholic faithful and to the non-Catholics; to all men and women, born or rooted in this land, whatever their ethnic origin, from the first inhabitants of the "Terra de Santa Cruz", the Indians of Brazil, to the last to settle in this hospitable homeland; finally, to all those whom I have had the pleasure of seeing and greeting personally and also to those who have followed me through the marvelous audiovisual media in recent days. Thank you all, thank you very much! I would like my thanks to go particularly to all those who in one way or another have participated in the preparation and carrying out of my pastoral visit, I realize very well how great this task has been and how heavy the work has been. . I have no other way of expressing all my gratitude than by remembrance in my prayers, imploring that God himself reward each and every one without exception: both the representatives of the authorities and of the administration and the institutions of the Church and finally the entire community of the nation Brazilian.

2. My stay in Brazil has allowed me to enrich my knowledge of the Portuguese language with some words and expressions. I have learned, for example, that "those who leave take away their nostalgia". I must confess that I am already hearing what this proverb means. But, with the nostalgia of Brazil, I also carry in my heart an immense joy and the most grateful satisfaction, for all that I have had the opportunity to see, communicate and experience with you, in these days of my stay among you.

Short stay, but sufficient for an intense and incisive human and religious experience, which will remain as the cement of a deep friendship.

Praise God for everything and everyone! And since "every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above" (Jas 1:17), I adore and "thank God whom I serve" (cf. 2 Tim 1:3) for the many joys and consolations that his infinite goodness wanted to offer me during this pastoral journey.

3. I carry with me, in my eyes and in my heart, many images of life and beauty, which have impressed me in this dynamic country full of promise, and the last and most impressive will be the prodigious images of these rivers and forests of the Amazonia. However, even more than the images of countless wonders, the work of both nature and man, it is the image of this Brazilian man that I carry with me. Of the concrete and historical man who at this moment is the protagonist of an important hour for the country.

When on 22 October 1978 I solemnly began my ministry in the see of Saint Peter, I addressed everyone with a fervent exhortation: "Open the doors to Christ, open your hearts completely to Christ".

I would open the doors to Christ today when, after 12 days of my pilgrimage through Brazilian lands, the time has come to take leave of you. My heart is filled with gratitude precisely because you have opened the doors to him who, as the successor of Saint Peter, has come to fulfill his ministry among you, the service of the Gospel. God reward all of you who have welcomed this ministry of mine. The Gospel is the word of truth. It is true that this word confronts us with needs, remember that these needs are always dictated by love for man and, precisely because of the good of man himself, all service, the ministry of the Church always seeks to contribute so that human life also here on earth becomes ever more worthy of man.

It is for this reason that the word of the Gospel always has the good of all societies and all nations as its goal. How I would like my apostolic service on Brazilian soil to contribute to the good of all your great national society, to strengthen it and make it ever more the common homeland for all those men who have lived here for generations and generations, from the very beginning, and of all those others who, over time, found conditions of life and existence here. Please God that in this homeland a great community is established in which fraternity, love, justice and peace reign.

This was the purpose of my ministry among you.

4. May I confide a wish to you? May your doors, which have opened for me with love and trust, remain wide open for Christ. It will be my fullest joy. In the redemptive power of the cross, in the life-giving energy of the Eucharist, and in the indefectible protection of Mary, Mother of the Church, may the initiative of the journey which is at its end remain. My hope is based on the cross, the Eucharist and Our Lady that the seed of salvation that I have tried to sow here will sprout, grow and bear fruit of love, fraternity and Christian life.

I have full confidence that, through authentic and total evangelization, the good news of the Father's love, manifested in his Son Jesus, calling men to eternal life, with the continuous action of the Holy Spirit will penetrate the hearts of the masses [brasil .“massas”], since salvation is also “ferment”, destined to “leave all the dough” [brasil.: “massa”] of the beloved people of Brazil.

After these intense days of faith and human warmth, and also of heat!... I am leaving Brazil, but you Brazilians will continue to be very present in my prayers. I will always ask God that the great Christian principles, which have always been rooted in you, and above all the sense of God and human solidarity, continue to distinguish Brazil's fidelity to itself and to its historical identity.

Many thanks to all! I wish you all the best for prosperity! May God reward you, and bless Brazil, under the continued protection of Our Lady Aparecida!

I said it was time to say goodbye. No: I'm just saying, goodbye. And, thinking about it, I say: see you soon! Soon! Soon! If God wills!...

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