Farewell Ceremony (17 June 1984)
ShareOn Sunday, 17 June 1984, the Holy Father made his departure from Switzerland at the Sion Airport. In his departing speech, the Pope thanked the authorities and his brothers in the episcopate and spoke of the lasting memories he would take with him.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
1. Here I am at the end of the exciting journey that the Lord has given me to make through Switzerland for six days, and at an intense pace of varied encounters. These different stages were necessary to make contact with a country that brings together, in a very flexible unity, such diverse traditions.
I am here with my dear Brothers in the Episcopate who have accompanied me throughout this journey, and I reiterate to them and their collaborators my gratitude for their diligent contribution to the preparation and running of the whole thing. I thank the priests of Sion and the other Catholics present here, and through them I thank the entire Catholic community of Switzerland; it is essentially this community that I wished to meet during this pastoral visit. I also greet with gratitude the other Christian communities who have agreed to dialogue and pray with the Bishop of Rome.
But I also turn to the civil authorities, Mr. President of the Confederation and the Federal Councillors, who have been kind enough to come here to take leave of me. I have happy memories of our meeting in Lohn. And I greet with gratitude all the local authorities, in particular Mr. President of the Valais Government, the State Councillors, the President of the Valais Grand Council, the Prefect, the President, the Ladies and Gentlemen Municipal Councillors of the city of Sion, the President of the Bourgeoisie of Sion. At the various levels, you have been kind enough to do everything possible to facilitate my pastoral mission to your compatriots. I am thinking, among others, of all those who participated in the order and security service, which they carried out with the efficiency, discipline and friendliness that traditionally honour Switzerland: I am thinking of those who, military or civilian, ensured the multiple transports, in a way that was so well organised and pleasant for me. They also allowed me to admire your marvellous landscapes from above. I would not like to forget, in my thanks, any of those who participated generously, often in a hidden way, in the preparation and organisation of the journeys, in the installations, decoration, etc. I know that for this you have formed effective diocesan committees working in close liaison with the civil services of the Cantons, and I would like to mention the Central Committee in particular.
I also thank the Authorities of the other Cantons who everywhere came to welcome me in a very courteous manner. Moreover, at this moment, I am not only thinking of these multiple practical services; I consider that it is also part of my pastoral mission to meet the men and women who have the noble mission of the common good of their country; and I am always happy, with full respect for their own skills, to listen to them, to express my esteem and my wishes for their demanding tasks.
Finally, through you, I greet and thank all the Swiss people whose kind, trusting and, I might say, warm welcome I have appreciated everywhere.
2. So I leave this country today, my mind and heart filled with lasting memories. I could evoke your landscapes that are always so endearing, the majesty of the mountains and glaciers, the shimmering lakes and peaceful rivers, the greenery of the meadows and the scent of flowers as summer approaches. I think even more of the people I met in Lugano, Fribourg, Flüeli, Einsiedeln, Lucerne, and Sion. Many came from other Cantons that, unfortunately, we could not visit. We prayed and sang together; together, we opened ourselves to the joy of knowing ourselves to be children of God and of the Church; we looked at and prayed to those who preceded us in faith and holiness: Saint Maurice, Saint Meinrad, Saint Nicholas of Flue, Saint Peter Canisius, Saint Charles Borromeo. We have strengthened ourselves in our vocation as bishops, priests, religious men and women, lay people, strengthening our identity, in order to better fulfil our specific role in the Church; we have not forgotten the serious problems of the contemporary world; we were in communion with those who struggle and suffer. And, among the citizens of this country, we have been happy to meet large groups of foreigners from all continents, to whom Switzerland knows how to give hospitality, whether they are tourists, immigrant workers or refugees.
3. With all my heart, I express my fervent wishes for this country, which occupies a somewhat privileged place at the heart of Europe, a situation that can be a sign of a vocation of welcome and peace. Switzerland loves peace and has learned to make diverse cultures and convictions coexist, in respect and democracy, by balancing the distinct currents in an active complementarity that goes beyond simple compromise.
I hope that this wisdom and this philanthropy will set a precedent in our world so prone to aggression and compartmentalization, that they will be constantly deepened and that they will always include respect for life in all its forms, concern for justice, bonds of fraternity with those around us, sympathy, generosity and love towards all those who, throughout the world, suffer from lack of bread, affection, consideration and freedom. For Christians, it is charity - true charity - that animates all these human behaviors.
4. And I also address more particularly fervent wishes to my Catholic brothers, to the priests, to the men and women religious, to the various ecclesial movements, to the families, to all the baptized and confirmed, and to those who seek the truth. Despite the temptations of secularization or religious indifference, I met a people of believers, who were happy to express their faith around the Successor of Peter and the other bishops. Do not be afraid, dear friends. God is greater than our hesitant hearts. Open the doors to the Redeemer who stands in your midst. Open your hearts to the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. May he strengthen your faith! May he animate your prayer without which faith cannot remain faithful! May he make you understand and love the Church, of which you are members! May he inspire in you a fraternal love among yourselves! May he keep you united with the universal Church!
My prayer will be nourished by what I have seen and heard in all those I have met. How could I forget Switzerland, when some of your compatriots are traditionally the guardians of my house in Rome! Pray also for me, that the Lord may grant me, despite my limitations, to carry out everywhere the ministry that he has entrusted to me in the wake of Peter, to profess the faith, serve unity and strengthen my brothers. Praise be to Jesus Christ! May he bless you by filling you all with his peace and joy!
Im Augenblick des Abschieds aus eurem geschätzten Land danke ich Gott für die Gnadentage dieses Pastoralbesuches und allen Schweizer Bürgern für die mir gewährte herzliche Gastfreundschaft. Möge die geistliche Gemeinschaft, die uns hier in religiöser Besinnung und gemeinsamem Gotteslob so eng miteinander verbunden hat, die se Stunde der äußeren Trennung überdauern und für alle reiche Frucht broughten. Der hl. Bruder Klaus erhalte euch Frieden und Eintracht en euren Familien und Gemeinden!
First of all, I wish to salute you and all of you in the Italian language.
When it comes to the testimony of the federation offered to you by your friend, it is important to know that the Signore has created new energy of good will, benedica as long as it is necessary for the benefit of the people and the company, and so that it is dedicated to its construction. The Church comes Corpo mystico di Cristo and comes Popolo di Dio in cammino.
Today we live in constant economic, social, cultural, moral and spiritual progress, all of which we can continue to live in a climate of freedom, trust and pace.
© Copyright 1984 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
