To the Families, Upper Volta (10 May 1980)

On Saturday, 10 May 1980, the Holy Father, preparing to depart from Ouagadougou, spoke to the families of Upper Volta.

1. Here is already the hour of departure, the end of this all-too-brief stay among you, in your country of Upper Volta, now even dearer to my heart. If it is necessary to leave it, know that you will all remain present in my thoughts, those whom I met and those who were unable to come. To these, dear sons and daughters of Upper Volta, you will know how to transmit the encouragement and wishes of the Pope, who asks the Lord Jesus to bless you all, even in the most remote of your villages, in the most humble of your houses.

2. And here is the last instruction that I leave you. It sums up the message that I wanted to convey during this trip to the countries of Africa, so well prepared to understand it by their rich tradition of the sense of family and the sense of welcome. For this I take up the teaching of Saint Peter, the first Pope, the one to whom the Lord entrusted his Church and of whom I am today the successor among you. He reminded the faithful: become “the spiritual house” of God, because you are “the people whom he has acquired”[ 1 ].

Along the same lines, the Second Vatican Council recalled many times that the Church is the house of God in which his family dwells[ 2 ] and that all men have to become aware that they form a single family, and that are all called to be part of the family of God[ 3 ]. And this truth is the basis of the mission, that is to say of the effort to make known to all men salvation, God's love for us and his demands[ 4 ] .

So I say to you: faithfully follow the guidelines given by your bishops, my brothers in the episcopate, so that your communities may be ever more, here, in Upper Volta, the family of God. May your ways of living be inspired by this profound truth. And I will indicate three points.

First of all, those who are truly part of the family are not afraid to put themselves at the service of their Father: therefore be concerned about vocations. Young people, be generous and generous to answer the call of God if he asks you to follow him in chastity, poverty and service, to make his family grow thanks to your efforts. I think particularly also of the catechists, whose devotion is so necessary for the progress of the Gospel. Parents, be generous in encouraging and supporting the vocations necessary for the life of the Church in Upper Volta, and first of all by your example of Christian life.

Then, the one who is part of the family of God also desires that all discover the same happiness. In your turn, be the missionaries of your own country by being witnesses of God's love for all its inhabitants.

Finally, for the same reason, because they want to be witnesses of God's love for his family, the Catholics of Upper Volta must always be active and loyal members of their national community which also forms a large family. . Your people are indeed divided between various religious beliefs, traditional, Muslim and Christian. This situation, which is for you one more call for exemplary conduct, should not prevent, and I know does not prevent, good neighborly relations such as the collaboration of all in the service of local and national development, always with mutual and reciprocal respect.

This is why I am happy to greet once again all the people of Upper Volta, whose moving and warm welcome I so appreciated. I sincerely thank His Excellency the President of the Republic and all the civil authorities for the delicate way in which they made this unforgettable meeting possible. I thank all the members of the Press, for the dissemination they have given to my words, and all those who have made and will echo my voice. And finally I thank all the people of Volta without exception, and all their brothers from Togo, who joined them. To all those who came, at the cost of so much trouble and fatigue, I know it, I say: thank you.

If I am obliged to go away, you know very well that Our Lord does not leave you, that he always remains with you. In his name, I again bless you wholeheartedly.

 [ 1 ] Cfr. 1 Peter . 2, 5. 9.

 [ 2 ] Cfr. Lumen Gentium , 6.

 [ 3 ] Cfr. ibid . 51.

 [ 4 ] Cfr. Ad Gentes , 1.

© Copyright 1980 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

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