Visit to the parish of Saints Fabián and Venancio 1-14-1990

St. John Paul II

Rome, January 14, 1990 *

“The world opens up,
looks for a more Christian human dimension
and waits for the answer of the truth that is Christ ”

The meeting of Holy Father was festive with the numerous representatives of the Neocatechumenal Communities of the parish. Festive, above all, by the presence of children who, as usual, underline the dimension of “Family” as an important moment of the community that runs through the Neocatechumenal Way.

After a few words of the presentation led by Giuseppe, one of the catechists of the community, the Holy Father has led the following speech:

“I wish the year 1990 as a new year for your Way. Certainly the previous year, 1989, has left us with many surprising things, especially in Europe. Many environments, many countries have opened up, but all of that is just a challenge. This world that opens, that breaks with a less Christian tradition and less human, looking for the Christian and more human, she waits, along with her populations, the Word of Truth, the Word of the Gospel, the Word of Communion with Christ. At the same time we are here in the West.

Yesterday I spoke to the Ambassadors accredited to the Holy See and told them that this moment is a challenge for Western European countries, because they must re-embrace the true values, seek again the Christian roots of their identity and walk towards Christ. In this way, you, dear ones, also have a challenge, a challenge before you.

I wish you this new year to be a new year for your Way, fruitful with the grace of the Lord, with the light of the Holy Spirit and with the presence of the Virgin and Mother.”

(*) Cfr. «L‘Osservatore Romano», 19 January 1990.