{"id":641,"date":"2014-11-21T14:14:00","date_gmt":"2014-11-21T14:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/2014\/11\/21\/zambia-work-with-politicians-for-common\/"},"modified":"2016-05-03T09:40:53","modified_gmt":"2016-05-03T09:40:53","slug":"zambia-work-with-politicians-for-common","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/2014\/11\/21\/zambia-work-with-politicians-for-common\/","title":{"rendered":"ZAMBIA: Pope Urges Catholic Bishops of Zambia to Work With Politicians for Common Good"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nPope Francis
\nhas urged Catholic Bishops of Zambia to continue working with political leaders
\nfor the common good.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nPope Francis
\nmet the 11 Catholic Bishops from all the Dioceses in Zambia on Monday, 17th
\nNovember 2014 in the Vatican during their Ad Limina visit.<\/em><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nIn the
\nmeeting, Pope Francis said with the death of President Michael Sata, Catholic
\nBishops in Zambia should continue working with political leaders for the common
\ngood.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n\u201cI invite
\nyou to continue working with political leaders for the common good. You should
\nalso deepen your prophetic witness in defense of the poor in order to uplift
\nthe lives of the weak,\u201d He said.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Pope has
\nalso said Catholic Bishops, as pastors of the flock, should not forget to seek
\nout the weakest members of Zambian society, among who are the materially poor
\nand those afflicted with HIV and AIDS.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Pope
\nfurther noted that for the great majority of the poor have a special openness
\nto the faith and that they need God , Pastors must not fail to offer them God\u2019s
\nfriendship, blessing, word, the celebration of the sacraments and a journey of
\ngrowth and maturity in the faith.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n\u201cI encourage
\nyou to remain sensitive as shepherds to the spiritual and human needs of your
\nclosest co-workers. Never tire of being kind and firm fathers to your priests,
\nhelping them resist materialism and the standards of the world, while
\nrecognizing their just needs,\u201d The Pope said.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Holy
\nfather has also appealed to Catholic Bishops in Zambia to continue to seek a
\nhappy and fulfilling future in the Church and in society, despite great
\nchallenges  which militate against
\nstability in social and ecclesial life, in particular for families.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n\u201cWhen family
\nlife is endangered, then the life of faith is also put at risk.  As you yourselves have recounted, many,
\nespecially the poor in their struggle for survival are led astray by empty
\npromises in false teachings that seem to offer quick relief in times of
\ndesperation,\u201d Pope Francis has said. <\/div>\n
\nIn his
\nremarks to the Bishops of Zambia currently in Rome, the Pope further said that
\nin difficult times like today, he is convinced that the weakening of family
\nbonds is particularly serious because the family is the fundamental cell of
\nsociety.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n\u201cWhere we
\nlearn to live with others despite our differences and to belong to one another;
\nit is also the place where parents pass on the faith to their children. Be
\nsolicitous whether in or out of season, by supporting the sanctuary of life
\nbecause it is the family that the Church\u2019s well-being in Zambia must grow and
\nbe fostered,\u201d He appealed.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Pope
\nalso implored the Catholic Church in Zambia to affirm Catholic couples in their
\ndesire for fidelity in conjugal life and yearning to provide a stable spiritual
\nhome for their children, helping them to nurture the life of virtue in the
\nfamily.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nAnd Pope
\nFrancis has urged the Catholic Bishops in Zambia to be close to young people as
\nthey seek to establish and articulate their identity in a disorienting age.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n\u201cHelp young
\npeople to find their purpose in the challenge and joy of co-creation with God
\nthat is the vocation to married life, fulfilled in the blessing of children; or
\nindeed in the celibate vocations to the sacred priesthood or religious life,
\nwhich the Church has been given for the salvation of souls,\u201d Pope Francis said.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n\u201cEncourage
\nyoung Catholics by living lives of virtue to experience the liberating gift of
\nchastity as adults.  I pray that you will
\nfoster ever greater cooperation with Zambia\u2019s networks of active Catholic
\nyouth, who can in turn lead many others into the Church\u2019s family,\u201d He
\ncontinued.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nAd Limina<\/em>
\nvisit is the pilgrimage that Catholic Bishops take after every five years to
\nthe Vatican to present to the Pope the status of their dioceses and visit the
\ntombs of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome as a sign of
\ncommunion with the Apostles. This visit
\nalso aims to show Bishops are in unison with the Pope who is the Successor of
\nSt. Peter.<\/div>\n
\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/div>\n
\nSource: ZEC Communication Office<\/i><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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