Return from France (2 June 1980)

On Monday, 2 June 1980, the Holy Father returned to the Fiumicino Airport in Rome, where he thanked Minister Sarti for his courteous greeting and spoke of high points in his Apostolic Journey to France.

I warmly thank you, Minister Adolfo Sarti, for the courteous expressions of greeting and homage that you, on behalf of the Italian Government, wished to address to me as you set foot again on Italian soil. At the end of this apostolic journey, which took me beyond the Alps to the noble and beloved French nation, which has acquired countless merits over the centuries before the Church and history, among the many feelings that urge in my soul, I mainly feel that I must express that of the most sincere thanks.

To God, first of all, for the gift that has granted me to make this desired pilgrimage, in a spirit of obedience to that mandate to strengthen the brethren, which the Lord Jesus Christ has entrusted to me, calling me to the supreme responsibility of Pastor of the universal Church, in See of Peter.

2. I thank once again Mr. President Giscard d'Estaing and the other French political, civil and military authorities, and, in particular, my venerable brothers in the episcopate for the affectionate welcome: together with them I express my gratitude to all the priests , men and women religious, seminarians, workers and Catholic associations, to whom I respectively had the pleasure of addressing my exhortation word. And I still think of all those faithful who in Paris and Lisieux gave me so many spontaneous demonstrations of devotion and affection, and, what is more important, of lively and heartfelt participation in the liturgical celebrations of the divine Word and the Eucharist.

It is not possible at this moment to summarize, not even fleetingly, the most significant moments that I had the opportunity to experience in Paris, in the great metropolis with ancient Christian traditions, and in Lisieux, the admired city of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, the small and great Saint, who never ceases to speak of God to the hearts of the men and women of our time, so thirsty for spiritual values. It was an extremely consoling encounter with the People of God who are in France, who responded with a great act of faith to the Pope's visit.

3. I then also had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of UNESCO, to greet the qualified Representatives of the various Nations and to open my mind to them on the varied and vast subject concerning the commitment to ever more adequate cultural promotion, dwelling above all on the Christian sense of culture itself. And I am sincerely grateful to the Director General, Mr. Amadou Mahtar M'Bow, and to all the personalities I was able to meet there, for the cordial welcome.

The service of the Church and of man expands ever more and asks the Pope to be present wherever the demands of faith and the affirmation of true human values ​​call him. It is to confirm this Christian faith and to promote these values ​​that the Pope sets out along the paths of the world.

And now, returning to my Roman See, I am particularly pleased to greet the Cardinals and other ecclesiastical personalities present here; and as I renew the expression of my gratitude to the Minister, I offer my respectful greetings to all the Italian political, civil and military Authorities, to the Representative of the Municipal Administration of Rome, as well as to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps and to all who have come here to bring me the cordial welcome back.

May the Lord reward you for so much courtesy and fill you with chosen heavenly graces.
 

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