“Special attention” to the family, faith in children and youth”, active role in the process leading to a future constitution of Europe: these are some of the “priorities” indicated by the Pope to the Italian Church, in the message issued on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Italian Episcopal Conference. Confirming his “affection, support and spiritual closeness” to the Italian bishops, gathered in the Vatican for their 49th general Assembly, John Paul II exhorts them, in particular, to continue to “dedicate special attention to the family and to the welcome and defence of life” and always to have “great faith in children and youth”. “Promoting authentic Christian vocations”, in particular “to the priesthood and to the consecrated life” and continuing to be “credible witnesses of solidarity and generous peacemakers”, in a world “ever more interdependent and riven by profound and tenacious divisions”: these are some of the other tasks entrusted by the Pope to the Italian bishops who are also urged to make their own specific contribution to the process of constructing the “common European home”, by entering “into a particularly important phase, in view of the definition of Europe’s institutional profiles and its enlargement to the nations of central and eastern Europe”. “Italy emphasized John Paul II , by virtue of its history, culture, its current Christian vitality, may truly play a major role in ensuring that the Europe that is being built does not lose its own spiritual roots, but on the contrary finds in the living faith of Christians the inspiration and stimulus of its own journey towards the future”.
