Evangelize as St. Paul to the ends of the earth

VATICAN CITY, MAY 5, 2001 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II travelled from the apostolic nunciature to the Sport Palace, situated in Athens' Olympic center, where he concelebrated Mass with the five Catholic bishops of Greece and the cardinals and bishops in his entourage.

In his homily to the 18,000 faithful gathered in the athletic center the Pope said: "To be here in Athens and to recall the life and work of Paul is to be invited to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth, to put before our contemporaries the salvation wrought by Christ, showing them the ways of holiness and of an upright moral life which is the response to the Lord's call. The Gospel is universal good news which all peoples can understand."

"It is important to create opportunities for dialogue with our contemporaries," the Holy Father continued, "using the example of St. Paul and the first communities, especially where the future of man and mankind is at stake. In this way, decisions will not be guided only by political or economic interests unaware of the dignity of persons and the obligations deriving from that dignity. ... I encourage you to be present in the world."

After recalling that St. Paul was also "the defender of unity," John Paul II affirmed that: "Passion for the unity of the Church must be a mark of all Christ's disciples. 'Unhappily, as we cross the threshold of the new millennium, we take with us the sad heritage of the past...there is still a long way to go'. But that must not discourage us; our love of the Lord impels us to be evermore involved in work for unity. In order to take new steps in this direction, it is important to 'start afresh from Christ'."

In conclusion the Holy Father asked the Virgin Mary to "watch over the path that we must now walk in order to move towards full unity with our brethren of the East and in order to fulfil with one another, in openness and enthusiasm, the mission that Christ has entrusted to His Church."

At the end of the Mass the Pope went to Athens' international airport for his departure for Damascus, Syria.

PV-GREECE/MASS/ATHENS VIS 20010505 (380)
5. mai 2001