Pope Francis has urged Catholic Bishops of Zambia to continue working with political leaders for the common good.
Pope Francis met the 11 Catholic Bishops from all the Dioceses in Zambia on Monday, 17th November 2014 in the Vatican during their Ad Limina visit.
In the meeting, Pope Francis said with the death of President Michael Sata, Catholic Bishops in Zambia should continue working with political leaders for the common good.
“I invite you to continue working with political leaders for the common good. You should also deepen your prophetic witness in defense of the poor in order to uplift the lives of the weak,” He said.
The Pope has also said Catholic Bishops, as pastors of the flock, should not forget to seek out the weakest members of Zambian society, among who are the materially poor and those afflicted with HIV and AIDS.
The Pope further noted that for the great majority of the poor have a special openness to the faith and that they need God , Pastors must not fail to offer them God’s friendship, blessing, word, the celebration of the sacraments and a journey of growth and maturity in the faith.
“I encourage you to remain sensitive as shepherds to the spiritual and human needs of your closest co-workers. Never tire of being kind and firm fathers to your priests, helping them resist materialism and the standards of the world, while recognizing their just needs,” The Pope said.
The Holy father has also appealed to Catholic Bishops in Zambia to continue to seek a happy and fulfilling future in the Church and in society, despite great challenges which militate against stability in social and ecclesial life, in particular for families.
“When family life is endangered, then the life of faith is also put at risk. As you yourselves have recounted, many, especially the poor in their struggle for survival are led astray by empty promises in false teachings that seem to offer quick relief in times of desperation,” Pope Francis has said.
In his remarks to the Bishops of Zambia currently in Rome, the Pope further said that in difficult times like today, he is convinced that the weakening of family bonds is particularly serious because the family is the fundamental cell of society.
“Where we learn to live with others despite our differences and to belong to one another; it is also the place where parents pass on the faith to their children. Be solicitous whether in or out of season, by supporting the sanctuary of life because it is the family that the Church’s well-being in Zambia must grow and be fostered,” He appealed.
The Pope also implored the Catholic Church in Zambia to affirm Catholic couples in their desire for fidelity in conjugal life and yearning to provide a stable spiritual home for their children, helping them to nurture the life of virtue in the family.
And Pope Francis has urged the Catholic Bishops in Zambia to be close to young people as they seek to establish and articulate their identity in a disorienting age.
“Help young people to find their purpose in the challenge and joy of co-creation with God that is the vocation to married life, fulfilled in the blessing of children; or indeed in the celibate vocations to the sacred priesthood or religious life, which the Church has been given for the salvation of souls,” Pope Francis said.
“Encourage young Catholics by living lives of virtue to experience the liberating gift of chastity as adults. I pray that you will foster ever greater cooperation with Zambia’s networks of active Catholic youth, who can in turn lead many others into the Church’s family,” He continued.
Ad Liminavisit is the pilgrimage that Catholic Bishops take after every five years to the Vatican to present to the Pope the status of their dioceses and visit the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome as a sign of communion with the Apostles. This visit also aims to show Bishops are in unison with the Pope who is the Successor of St. Peter.
Source: ZEC Communication Office