The Holy Father Is Coming As An Apostle of Christ’s Truth and Love
by Catholic Bishops of Ukraine
We are at the threshold of the third millennium and at the end of the Great Jubilee. On 6 January 2001 the Holy Father will conclude "the acceptable year of the Lord" (Lk 4:19) by closing the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica. At the conclusion of the Great Jubilee, we -- Bishops of both rites of the Catholic Church in Ukraine -- address you, dear brothers and sisters.
The Holy Year was important for our reconciliation with God and others. By coming to earth, Jesus Christ united himself with each individual in a special way and accepted mankind's lot to restore to us the lost participation in God's life. Created by the Father, mankind was redeemed by the Son, the Savior, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
"Rise and walk!" -- these were the words Jesus said to the paralytic, and they confirmed his divine power of absolution. These words show the fruits of the grace of the Holy Year. Through the Church's mediation, God gave us the chance to rise and experience the Father's merciful love, which reveals itself in our deliverance from slavery to sin by Jesus Christ, and our restoration to new life in the Holy Spirit.
The words "Rise and walk!" are the challenge for us. As the Holy Father John Paul II emphasized: "Everything ought to focus on the primary objective of the Jubilee: the strengthening of faith and of the witness of Christians. It is therefore necessary to inspire in all the faithful a true longing for holiness, a deep desire for conversion and personal renewal in a context of ever more intense prayer and of solidarity with one's neighbour, especially the most needy" (Tertio millennio adveniente, n. 42).
"Therefore, so that there may be a renewed commitment to Christian witness in the world of the next millennium, let faith be refreshed, let hope increase and let charity exert itself still more" (Incarnationis mysterium, n. 11).
Having before our eyes the Gospel episode of the healing of the paralytic and accepting the Holy Father's message, we must go on and "make holiness perfect" (2 Cor 7:1). St Paul assures us that "he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion" (Phil 1:6).
The coming year will be an exceptional one in the history of the Catholic Church in Ukraine. In June 2001 we win welcome the Holy Father John Paul II, who will come as a pilgrim to Ukraine not only for Catholics and Christians, but for all people of good will.
Since the first year of his Pontificate, the Slav Pope had been longing to visit the land of St Volodymyr and its capital, Kiev, and to go on pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom, where the famous icon of the Mother of God "Orans" -- "Immovable Wall" -- is found.
The Holy Father will visit independent Ukraine and stand on the banks of the Dnieper to pray: "O great God, One in the Trinity, I entrust to you the heritage of faith of the Slav nations; preserve and bless this work of yours!" (Slavorum Apostoli, n. 30).
We are sure that Catholics and all people are waiting for the Holy Father's visit with great respect and longing, so that he, as the messenger of Christ's love and peace, may bring God's blessing to all, for every Apostolic Visit of the Holy Father bears abundant fruit. Everyone knows the Pope's concern for man, his rights and the rights of all peoples. He comes in the name of the Lord; he wants to pray with Christians and desires to meet people of good will. The pilgrimage of the Apostle of Christ's Truth and Love brings peace and hope to every place, teaches us to overcome evil with good and to walk the path of harmony and reconciliation.
The Holy Father comes to Ukraine with the Good News that was proclaimed here over 1,000 years ago. He comes to "confirm the Christians of today in their faith in God who has revealed himself in Christ, sustain their hope which reaches out in expectation of eternal life, and rekindle their charity in active service to their brothers and sisters" (Tertio millennio adveniente, n. 31).
Pope John Paul II is the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of St Peter the Apostle, the foundation on which Jesus Christ built his Church: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it" (Mt 16:18). At the Last Supper, Jesus promised Peter: "I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren" (Lk 22:32).
After Jesus Christ's resurrection, Peter and the disciples, deeply experiencing this event, began to preach the Gospel and to spread the Church as a community of Christ's disciples among the nations of the world. St Peter confirmed the Gospel message by dying as a "martyr in Rome, where his tomb is found. The mission of strengthening the brethren in faith and unity has been continued by the successive Bishops of Rome. Peter's ministry continues without interruption to our day. That is why the Holy Father is called the Successor of St Peter in the apostolic ministry.
While waiting for the visit of the Holy Father, the Head of the Church and Successor of Peter, let us look at this great event with faith. The religious and moral character of each Apostolic Visit of the Holy Father is very important for strengthening our faith. We will have an opportunity to express our fidelity to the Holy Father, our gratitude for his presence and for his concern for the Slav peoples. We hope that the Pope of Slavic descent can become the bond of unity for all confessors of the Christian faith of different traditions.
The Holy Father's visit to Ukraine is a great gift and grace of Providence, and our country will benefit from this visit.
The Holy Father is a tireless promoter of truth and justice, of moral and social order, of respect for human life from conception to natural death, of respect for human rights, of care and concern for the needy, the poor and those at risk. We hope that not only Christians but all people of good will will be united and will welcome with open hearts the Apostle of that unity of faith which existed 1,000 years ago when Kievan Rus' was baptized.
Let us pray that God will give good health, to the Holy Father, and let us pray for all the Ukrainian people and their authorities. Let us beseech God through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin to recognize the grace of his gifts in these special days of pilgrimage of Peter's Successor. Let these days become a time of divine visitation, a time of peace, joy and faith. We open our hearts and minds to the Word of God and to God's actions.
We extend our pastoral hands over you and bless all the faithful: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Lviv, 13 December 2000.
The Catholic Bishops of Ukraine of the Eastern and Western Tradition
© L'Osservatore Romano, Editorial and Management Offices, Via del Pellegrino, 00120, Vatican City, Europe, Telephone 39/6/698.99.390.
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