To the Representatives of Missionary and Aid Agencies (15 June 1984)

On Friday, 15 June 1984, the Holy Father addressed the Representatives of Missionary and Aid Agencies in Einsiedeln. He encouraged them to live as brothers in the Christian community. “The fraternal solidarity of Christians is directed above all towards those who hunger and thirst for meaning in life, bread and justice, for human dignity and for the redeeming mercy of God.”

Dear brothers and sisters!

During my pastoral visit to Switzerland, I would also like to meet representatives of the Swiss missionary forces and the church's aid organizations. The self-sacrificing commitment of Swiss Catholics to the church's mission and their numerous fundraising campaigns for people in need, especially in third world countries, are a special honor and distinction for the Catholic Church in this country.

1. Through the various missionary and relief organizations, the faithful and all those who work here try to carry out the service of love in your country and in the world, following the example of the Lord, through preaching and diaconal work. These tasks belong to the nature of the Church. All people have a right to have the Good News of Christ proclaimed to them and to experience his kindness to humanity. The mission of the Church is directed towards the whole person, towards his temporal and eternal salvation. It is realized in the comprehensive care for the salvation of man in the religious, spiritual-personal and material spheres. The fraternal solidarity of Christians is directed above all towards those who hunger and thirst for meaning in life, bread and justice, for human dignity and for the redeeming mercy of God. The co-responsible and sacrificial commitment of believers in your missionary and relief works thus corresponds to the spirit of the Lord, who said of himself: "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it to the full" ( John 10:10).

There can be no Christian community without living brotherhood among and for one another. This is why St. Paul admonishes us: "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" ( Gal 6:2). In view of the constantly growing world population, the worldwide proclamation of the faith and increased inter-church aid are a particular imperative of the hour. The enormous number of poor, hungry, refugees and those who long for more justice and freedom is a challenge for us Christians not only to provide benevolent help, but also to study the causes of the needs more comprehensively and to eliminate them. The rich nations in particular have a special responsibility in this regard. Whoever is among the wealthy should consider the "social mortgage" that calls for generous private, church and state aid.

2. I am aware of the numerous institutions and organizations in your country that are generously committed to increasing the awareness of the believers' shared responsibility for the proclamation of the faith and solidarity with their brothers and sisters in need in the world. I would like to mention here, on behalf of all of them, the religious orders and congregations active in mission and diaconal work, the Swiss Catholic Mission Council, the Pontifical Missionary Societies Missio, the Caritas Association, the Lenten Offering of the Swiss Catholics. The Roman Catholic Central Conference also deserves special mention, thanks to whose prudent work more and more regular church tax revenues can be used.

During this pastoral visit, it is particularly important to me to sincerely thank the bishops, all those responsible and involved, as well as all the faithful in Switzerland who are prepared to make sacrifices for this active testimony of Christian charity in mission and social work in the name of the Church. May the spirit of fraternal sharing in the community of the Church continue to grow and deepen so that Christ's redeeming message of salvation is proclaimed and lived with ever greater credibility. May Christ the Lord strengthen you in this with my special Apostolic Blessing.

© Copyright 1984 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana