HOLY FATHER DOCUMENTS 2000
MAY, AUGUST
Fatima: Pray for Peace and Conversion of Sinners - May 14, 2000
Message for the 15th World Youth Day - August 15, 2000
Message for the 15th World Youth Day - August 15,
2000
Pope John Paul II, June 29, 1999
“The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14)
My dear young people:
1. Fifteen years ago, at the close of the Holy Year of the Redemption, I entrusted to you
a great wooden Cross, asking you to carry it across the world as a sign of the love which
the Lord Jesus has for mankind and to proclaim to everyone that only in Christ who died
and is risen is there salvation and redemption. Since that day, carried by generous hands
and hearts, the Cross has made a long, uninterrupted pilgrimage across the continents, to
demonstrate that the Cross walks with young people and young people walk with the Cross.
Around the “Holy Year Cross”, World Youth Days were born and developed as
meaningful “moments of rest” along your journey as young Christians; a constant,
pressing invitation to build life on the rock that is Christ. How can we fail to bless the
Lord for the countless fruits born in the hearts of individuals and in the whole Church
thanks to the World Youth Days, which in this last part of the century have marked the
journey of young believers towards the new millennium?
After spanning the continents, that Cross now returns to Rome bringing with it the prayers
and commitment of millions of young people who have recognized it as a simple and sacred
sign of God’s love for humanity. Because Rome, as you know, will host World Youth Day
of the Year 2000, in the heart of the Great Jubilee.
Dear young people, I invite you therefore to undertake with joy the pilgrimage to Rome for
this important ecclesial appointment, which will rightly be the “Youth Jubilee”.
Prepare to enter the Holy Door, knowing that to pass through it is to strengthen faith in
Him in order to live the new life which he has given to us (cfr Incarnationis Mysterium
8).
2. I chose as the theme for your 15th World Day the lapidary phrase with which Saint John
the Apostle describes the profound mystery of God made man: “The Word became flesh,
and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). What distinguishes the Christian faith from all other
religions, is the certainty that the man Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, the Word
made flesh, the second person of the Trinity who came into the world. “Such is the
joyous conviction of the Church from her beginning, whenever she sings 'the mystery of our
religion': 'He was manifested in the flesh'” (Catechism of the Catholic Church
463). God, the invisible one is alive and present in the person of Jesus, Son of Mary, the
Theotokos, Mother of God. Jesus of Nazareth is God with us, Emmanuel: he who knows Him
knows God, he who sees Him sees God, he who follows Him follows God, he who unites himself
with Him is united with God (cfr Jn 12:44-50). In Jesus, born in Bethlehem, God embraces
the human condition, making himself accessible, establishing a covenant with mankind.
On the eve of the new millennium, I make again to you my pressing appeal to open wide the
doors to Christ who “to those who received him, gave power to become children of
God” (Jn 1:12) To receive Jesus Christ means to accept from the Father the command to
live, loving Him and our brothers and sisters, showing solidarity to everyone, without
distinction; it means believing that in the history of humanity even though it is marked
by evil and suffering, the final word belongs to life and to love, because God came to
dwell among us, so we may dwell in Him.
By his incarnation Christ became poor to enrich us with his poverty, and he gave us
redemption, which is the fruit above all of the blood he shed on the Cross (cfr Catechism
of the Catholic Church 517). On Calvary, “ours were the sufferings he bore ... he was
pierced through for our faults” (Is 53: 4-5). The supreme sacrifice of his life,
freely given for our salvation, is the proof of God’s infinite love for us. Saint
John the Apostle writes: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so
that everyone that believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life” (Jn
3:16). He sent Him to share in every way, except sin, our human condition; he
“gave” him totally to men, despite their obstinate and homicidal rejection (cfr
Mt 21:33-39), to obtain, through his death, their reconciliation. “The God of
creation is revealed as the God of redemption, as the God who is 'faithful to himself' and
faithful to his love for man and the world which he revealed on the day of creation ...
how precious must man be in the eyes of the Creator, if he gained so great a
Redeemer” (Redemptor hominis 9.10)
Jesus went towards his death. He did not draw back from any of the consequences of his
being “with us”, Emmanuel. He took our place, ransoming us on the Cross from
evil and sin (cfr Evangelium vitae 50). Just as the Roman Centurion, seeing the manner in
which Jesus died, understood that he was the Son of God (cfr Mk 15:39) so we too, seeing
and contemplating the Crucified Lord, understand who God really is, as he reveals in Jesus
the depth of his love for mankind (cfr Redemptor hominis 9). “Passion” means a
passionate love, unconditioned self- giving: Christ’s passion is the summit of an
entire life “given” to his brothers and sisters to reveal the heart of the
Father. The Cross, which seems to rise up from the earth, in actual fact reaches down from
heaven, enfolding the universe in a divine embrace. The Cross reveals itself to be
“the centre, meaning and goal of all history and of every human life”
(Evangelium vitae 50).
“One man has died for all” (2 Cor 5:14): Christ “gave himself up in our
place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2). Behind the death of
Jesus there is a plan of love, which the faith of the Church calls the “mystery of
the redemption”: the whole of humanity is redeemed, that is, set free from the
slavery of sin and led into the kingdom of God. Christ is Lord of heaven and earth.
Whoever listens to his word and believes in the Father, who sent him, has eternal life
(cfr Jn 5:25). He is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn
1:29.36), the high priest who, having suffered like us, is able to share our infirmity
(cfr Heb 4:14 ) and “made perfect” through the painful experience of the Cross,
becomes “for all who obey him, the source of eternal salvation” (Heb 5:9).
3. Dear young people, faced with these great mysteries, learn to lift your hearts in an
attitude of contemplation. Stop and look with wonder at the infant Mary brought into the
world, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger: the infant is God himself who
has come among us. Look at Jesus of Nazareth, received by some and scorned by others,
despised and rejected: He is the Saviour of all. Adore Christ, our Redeemer, who ransoms
us and frees us from sin and death: He is the living God, the source of Life.
Contemplate and reflect! God created us to share in his very own life; he calls us to be
his children, living members of the mystical Body of Christ, luminous temple of the Spirit
of Love. He calls us to be his: he wants us all to be saints. Dear young people, may it be
your holy ambition to be holy, as He is holy.
You will ask me: but is it possible today to be saints? If we had to rely only on human
strength, the undertaking would be truly impossible. You are well aware, in fact, of your
successes and your failures; you are aware of the heavy burdens weighing on man, the many
dangers which threaten him and the consequences caused by his sins. At times we may be
gripped by discouragement and even come to think that it is impossible to change anything
either in the world or in ourselves.
Although the journey is difficult, we can do everything in the One who is our Redeemer.
Turn then to no one, except Jesus. Do not look elsewhere for that which only He can give
you, because “of all the names in the world given to men this is the only one by
which we can be saved” (Acts 4:12). With Christ, saintliness - the divine plan for
every baptized person - becomes possible. Rely on Him; believe in the invincible power of
the Gospel and place faith as the foundation of your hope. Jesus walks with you, he renews
your heart and strengthens you with the vigour of his Spirit.
Young people of every continent, do not be afraid to be the saints of the new millennium!
Be contemplative, love prayer; be coherent with your faith and generous in the service of
your brothers and sisters, be active members of the Church and builders of peace. To
succeed in this demanding project of life, continue to listen to His Word, draw strength
from the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Penance. The Lord wants you to be
intrepid apostles of his Gospel and builders of a new humanity. In fact, how could you say
you believe in God made man without taking a firm position against all that destroys the
human person and the family? If you believe that Christ has revealed the Father’s
love for every person, you cannot fail to strive to contribute to the building of a new
world, founded on the power of love and forgiveness, on the struggle against injustice and
all physical, moral and spiritual distress, on the orientation of politics, economy,
culture and technology to the service of man and his integral development.
4. I sincerely wish that the Jubilee, now at the door, may be an opportune time for
courageous spiritual renewal and an exceptional celebration of God’s love for
humanity. From the whole Church may there rise up “a hymn of praise and thanksgiving
to the Father, who in his incomparable love granted us in Christ to be 'fellow citizens
with the saints and members of the household of God'” (Incarnationis Mysterium 6).
May we draw comfort from the certainty expressed by Saint Paul the Apostle: If God did not
spare his only Son but gave him for us, how can he fail to give us everything with him?
Who can separate us from the love of Christ? In every event of life, including death, we
can be more than winners, by virtue of the One who loved us to the Cross (cfr Rom 8:
31-37).
The mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God and that of the Redemption he worked for
all men, constitute the central message of our faith. The Church proclaims this down
through the centuries, walking “amidst the misunderstandings and persecutions of the
world and the consolations of God” (S. Augustine De Civ. Dei 18, 51, 2; PL 41,614)
and she entrusts it to her children as a precious treasure to be safeguarded and shared.
You too, dear young people, are the receivers and the trustees of this heritage:
“This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. And we are proud to profess it,
in Jesus Christ Our Lord” (Roman Pontifical, Rite of Confirmation). We will proclaim
it together on the occasion of the next World Youth Day, in which I hope very many of you
will take part. Rome is a “city- shrine” where the memory of the Apostles Peter
and Paul and other martyrs remind pilgrims of the vocation of every baptized person.
Before the world, in August next year, we will repeat the profession of faith made by
Saint Peter the Apostle: “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal
life” (Jn 6:68) because “you are the Christ the Son of the Living God!” (Mt
16:16).
Also to you boys and girls who will be adults in the next century, is entrusted the
“Book of Life”, which on Christmas Eve this year the Pope, the first to cross
the threshold of the Holy Door, will show to the Church and to the world as the wellspring
of life and hope for the third millennium (Incarnationis Mysterium 8).
May it become your most precious treasure: in the careful study and generous acceptance of
the Word of the Lord, you will find nourishment and strength for your daily life, you will
find motivation for tireless commitment to the building of a civilization of love.
5. Let us now turn our eyes to the Virgin Mother of God, of whom the city of Rome
treasures one of the earliest and most honoured monuments which the devotion of the
Christian people
has dedicated to her: the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
The Incarnation of the Word and the Redemption of mankind are closely linked with the
Annunciation when God revealed to Mary his plan and found in her, a young person like
yourselves, a heart totally open to the action of his love. For centuries Christian
devotion has recalled every day, with the recitation of the Angelus Domini, God’s
entrance into the history of man. May this prayer become your daily meditated prayer.
Mary is the dawn which precedes the rising of the Sun of justice, Christ our Redeemer.
With her “yes” at the Annunciation, as she opened herself completely to
Father’s plan, she welcomed and made possible the incarnation of the Son. The first
disciple, with her discreet presence she accompanied Jesus all the way to Calvary and
sustained the hope of the Apostles as they waited for the Resurrection and Pentecost. In
the life of the Church she continues to be mystically the one who precedes the Lord’s
coming. To Mary, who fulfills without interruption her ministry as Mother of the Church
and of each Christian, I entrust with confidence the preparation of the 15th World Youth
Day. May Most Holy Mary teach you, dear young people, how to discern the will of the
heavenly Father in your life. May she obtain for you the strength and the wisdom to speak
to God and to speak about God. Through her example may she encourage you to be in the new
millennium announcers of hope, love and peace.
Looking forward to meeting many of you in Rome next year, “I commend you to God, and
to the word of his grace that has power to build you up and to give you your inheritance
among all the sanctified” (Acts 20:32), while, gladly and with great affection, I
bless all of you, with your families and your loved ones.
From the Vatican, June 29th 1999, solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
Joannes Paulus P.P. II
Courtesy of Catholic Information Network (CIN)
Fatima: Pray for Peace and Conversion of Sinners
Holy Father, John Paul II, Regina Caeli Message, May 14, 2000
The pilgrimage to Fátima was an opportunity to thank Mary for her protection and to renew
God's call through her for prayer and penance At the General Audience of Wednesday, 17
May, the Holy Father spoke about his recent pilgrimage to Fátima, Portugal, where he
celebrated Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary and beatified Francisco and
Jacinta Marto, two of the three shepherd children to whom Our Lady appeared in
1917. The Pope stressed that his pilgrimage to Fátima was an opportunity to
thank the Blessed Virgin for her protection throughout his Pontificate, and he
urged the faithful to pray and do penance for world peace
and the conversion of sinners. Here is a translation of his catechesis, which was given in
Italian.
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
1. Today I would like to reflect with you on my pilgrimage to Fátima, which the Lord
enabled me to make on Friday and Saturday of last week. I still feel the emotions I
experienced then. I can see the immense crowd gathered in front of the shrine on Friday
evening when I arrived, and especially on Saturday morning for the beatification of the
two little shepherds Francisco and Jacinta. A crowd exuberant with joy and, at the same
time, capable of spending moments in absolute silence and intense recollection.
My heart is filled with gratitude: for the third time, on 13 May, the anniversary of
the first apparition of Our Lady in the Cova da Iria, Providence enabled me to go on
pilgrimage to the feet of the Blessed Virgin, to the place where she appeared to the three
little shepherds, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, from May to October 1917. Lucia is still
alive and once again I had the joy of meeting her.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Bishop of Fátima and to all the Bishops of Portugal
for preparing this visit and for their warm welcome.
I also renew my greetings and gratitude to the President, the Prime Minister and the other
Portuguese authorities for the attention they showed me and for all they did to ensure the
success of this apostolic pilgrimage.
The little shepherds heroically lived the Christian virtues
2. In Fátima, as in Lourdes, the Blessed Virgin chose to give her message to
children: Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia. They received it so faithfully that they
deserved not only to be recognized as credible witnesses of the apparitions, but also to
become themselves an example of evangelical life.
Lucia, their cousin who was slightly older and is still alive, has given significant
descriptions of the two new blesseds. Francisco was a good, thoughtful child with a
contemplative soul, whereas Jacinta was lively, somewhat sensitive but very sweet and
loving. Their parents taught them to pray, and the Lord himself drew them more closely to
himself through the appearance of an angel who, holding a chalice and a host in his hands,
taught them to unite themselves with the Eucharistic sacrifice in reparation for sins.
This experience prepared them for the subsequent meetings with Our Lady, who invited them
to pray fervently and to offer sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. With the two
shepherd children of Fátima, the Church has beatified two very young people because,
although they were not martyrs, they showed that they lived the Christian virtues to a
heroic degree despite their young age. The heroism of children, but true heroism.
Their holiness does not depend on the apparitions but on their fidelity and commitment in
responding to the extraordinary gift they received from the Lord and from Mary most holy.
After their encounter with the angel and with the beautiful Lady, they recited the Rosary
many times a day, offering frequent penances for the end of the war and for the souls most
in need of divine mercy, and they felt an intense desire to "console" the Hearts
of Jesus and Mary. The little shepherds also had to endure the great pressures of those
who with force and terrible threats tried to make them deny everything and reveal the
secrets they had received. But they encouraged one another, trusting in the Lord and in
the help of "that Lady", of whom Francisco said: "She is our
friend". Because of their fidelity to God, they are a shining example to children and
adults of how to comply in a simple and generous way with the transforming action of
divine grace.
3. My pilgrimage to Fátima was also an opportunity to thank Mary for what she wished to
communicate to the Church through these children and for the protection she has given me
throughout my Pontificate: a thanks which I wanted to renew to her symbolically with
the gift of the precious episcopal ring that Cardinal Wyszynski gave me a few days after
my election to the See of Peter.
Since the time seemed right to me, I thought it appropriate to make public the content of
the so-called third part of the secret. I am happy to have been able to pray in the Chapel
of the Apparitions, built on the spot where the "Lady shining with light"
appeared several times to the three children and spoke to them. I gave thanks for all that
God's mercy has wrought in the 20th century through the motherly intercession of Mary. In
the light of the apparitions of Fátima, the events of this tormented historical period
become remarkably eloquent. It is not difficult, then, to have a better understanding of
all the mercy God has shown to the Church and to humanity through Mary. We can only thank
him for the courageous witness of the many heralds of Christ who remained faithful to him,
even to the sacrifice of their lives. Here I would also like to recall the children and
adults, the men and women who, following the instructions of the Blessed Virgin at
Fátima, have offered prayers and sacrifices everyday, especially through penance and the
recitation of the Holy Rosary. I would like to remember them all and give thanks to God.
God's appeal through Our Lady is still timely
4. A message of conversion and hope has spread from Fátima throughout the world, a
message which, in conformity with Christian revelation, is deeply rooted in history. It
invites believers, on the basis of their lived experiences, to pray fervently for peace in
the world and to do penance so that hearts may be opened to
conversion. This is the trto our generation particularly tried by events of the past.
God's appeal to us through the Blessed Virgin still retains all its timeliness today.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us receive the light that comes from Fátima: let us
be guided by Mary. May her Immaculate Heart be our refuge and the way that leads us to
Christ. May the blessed shepherd children intercede for the Church, so that she can
continue courageously on her earthly pilgrimage and proclaim the Gospel of salvation with
constant fidelity to all mankind!