Meeting with the President of the Austrian Republic (11 September 1983)

On Sunday, 11 September 1983, the Holy Father met with the President of the Austrian Republic in the Hofburg Palace, Vienna. In his speech, the Pope said that, although the vocation of the Church is religious and spiritual, not political, "precisely by virtue of the Gospel entrusted to her, the Church, as the Second Vatican Council confirms, also proclaims 'human rights and admits and greatly appreciates the dynamism of today's times, which promotes these rights everywhere'" (Gaudium et Spes  41).

Your Excellency Mr President
Mr Chancellor
Ladies and Gentlemen

1. It is an honor and a particular joy for me to meet today with the President, with members of the federal government and with representatives of Austrian political and cultural life. I have had personal knowledge and ties of friendship with Austria for many years .

Already in the first days after my election to the Chair of Peter I received a cordial invitation to visit your country. Now this visit has become a reality. For this I express my gratitude to you, Mr President, but in a particular way I am grateful to you for today's meeting and for the noble words of your greeting.

I would also like to thank the Federal Government and all the Authorities of this city and the whole of Austria for everything they did, as my visit could not have been better prepared and organized, nor for the cordial welcome I found. In you, the highest and most competent representatives of your country, I greet all those who have responsibility for the well-being and destiny of your people. I confirm to you my admiration for the history, cultural richness and great esteem that have always, in the past and present, distinguished Austria in the community of peoples. With particular gratitude, I recall at this moment the deep and millennia-old bond between the Austrian people and Christianity and the friendly relations that have existed for a long time between your country and the Holy See.

It has been a long time since a Pope came to visit Vienna. I thank God that the circumstances of my current pastoral visit are different from those 200 years ago, when Pius VI came to your capital. At that time there were serious reasons for concern for the unity of the Church and its autonomy in Austria. Today, the life of the Church can develop freely , the same "Katholikentag" is in itself an obvious sign of this. It was a joy for me to have been able to participate in it. It was a splendid way of announcing Christ's message to the people of this country, an act of lived hope that can give hope to so many others.

2. The mission that the Church must carry out in the world by virtue of its vocation is a religious and spiritual task, not a political one. But precisely by virtue of the Gospel entrusted to her, the Church, as the Second Vatican Council confirms, also proclaims "human rights and admits and greatly appreciates the dynamism of today's times, which promotes these rights everywhere" ( Gaudium et Spes , 41). It expresses satisfaction and recognition if States, such as the Republic of Austria, for its democratic order and the fraternal feeling of its citizens, place themselves at the service of human rights.

Here we must not only think about the good order of public life and the efforts to protect fundamental human rights in the country itself, but also about the willingness to welcome people from other countries who have been deprived of their religious freedom, the freedom to express their opinion and esteem for human dignity itself. Austria has always generously offered asylum to these people. In this way, this country gives the personal freedom of man the respect that is due as an inalienable right of the human person.

Therefore, your country deserves a particular word of recognition and encouragement for the way it feels about its European and international duties . As in the past, so today Austria often has the duty to build a bridge between peoples. It has always been committed to making its contribution to ensuring peace and understanding between Nations and the bloc of powers beyond its own borders, in the awareness of Europe's common commitments and its responsibility in the community of peoples; It will be necessary to continue this commitment in a decisive way and to keep these goals in our sights in an increasingly clear way.

Thus, the request for international justice for many years has already led to countless initiatives to support the development of the poorest regions of the world. I am happy that the help of the Church has also made a great contribution. Despite this, the difference between rich and poor continues to increase. This fact must induce everyone, in the State and the Church, to even greater efforts, which can also foresee profound transformations in the economic order of the world. The same goes for the desire to reach international understanding and ensure world peace. Precisely in this regard, your Country has a particular opportunity to make an even more intense commitment to human and cultural transformations and to encourage meetings and dialogue between Nations even more effectively.

3. In this commitment for the good of men and peoples, States find an always valid ally in the Catholic Church. The Church feels called, by virtue of its apostolic mandate , to contribute to the service of man also in public life. And this especially in a country in which many citizens profess to be Catholic and which in its history and culture has been so strongly imbued with the Christian spirit.

The Church is not a political institution. It does not have technological and economic-political skills and does not even assert itself through a policy of force. It respects the responsibility of the State without interfering in its political duties. In this way, it acquires greater authority when it fights for true freedom, for the inalienable rights of the human person, for their dignity and divine vocation. In the name of true freedom and human dignity, the Church is above all called to guarantee the maintenance of moral conscience and justifiable moral behavior towards it , and this not only in individual life but also in social life. This is why the Church always has the spiritual duty to commit itself in such a decisive way to collaboration with States, also in favor of the current needs of man, for justice and peace, for a coexistence worthy of man and for an effective defense of the moral order in the family and society. This concrete service is all the more urgent at a time when the growing disregard for fundamental human values ​​shakes the foundations of the social order and threatens man himself in his most intimate dignity. Also, the modern pluralist State cannot renounce ethical standards in legislation and public life without the well-being of the individual and the community suffering serious harm. This is especially true when it comes to protecting essential goods such as human life in all its phases. The Church expresses solidarity and recognition to all those responsible who commit themselves with it, out of personal conviction, in defending fundamental moral values ​​within today's society, and who transmit this commitment to young people as a duty.

Your Excellency Mr. President, I can expressly state, with great esteem, that Your Excellency has always been committed to this direction with great sincerity and vigor, from the moment you assumed this position full of responsibility. For this and for all Your care in generously supporting the work of the Church and the Holy See in public life, I express my sincere gratitude to You.

4. In conclusion, dear Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me a more personal observation. You, who are gathered here, were appointed by the Austrian people, through free and democratic elections, to your political office and your social duties derive from this appointment . You have a great responsibility towards this country and its position in the world. The most difficult burden of politics requires the commitment of all your strength, of your entire person. Those of you who have the gift of grace and faith will know that for this reason one can and must ask for God's help: I ​​hope that all of you may be given the spiritual and moral strength to live up to the great expectations that society and especially society youth address politicians today.

I am grateful to Your Excellency, Mr President, and to you, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, because you respect the Christian vision and dialogue with the Church according to your personal convictions. I hope that you also take this into account when carrying out your activity, which is loaded with responsibility, for the well-being of your people.

I invoke upon you, upon "so praised, so tried and so beloved Austria" (National Anthem), and upon all its inhabitants the lasting protection and blessing of the Omnipotent and Merciful God.

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