Do we know who we are?

Pope Benedict XVI will pay a pastoral visit to the Czech Republic next September. The details of the visit are yet to be officially defined. However, reportedly the Pope will visit Prague, Brno, the “Moravian Metropolis” and the site of Stara Boleslav, the Marian pilgrimage destination where the Country’s Patron Saint Wenceslas is venerated. In view of this event, the Czech Bishops’ Conference drew up a Pastoral Letter that was read on April 19 in churches across the Country. In the Letter, the Bishops call upon the faithful to participate not only in the planning initiatives but also to focus on their spiritual preparation in view of the Papal visit. Ample excerpts of the Letter follow. A great privilege. “The Holy Father is going to visit our country on 26th-28th September this year. It’s a great privilege for our nation and a reason for special joy to us, Catholic Christians. Our father is coming to us. The Church community in the Czech Republic is a spiritual family, and naturally, this family shall prepare to meet the Pope. We often hear about identity and its crisis, that man is doomed to lose himself. People and nations are afraid of losing their identity; on the other hand, they discover their inability to provide a clearly and exact response to questions such as: “Who am I?” or “What’s my role in society?” These questions are not easy for us. However, if we fail to answer them, our Christian self-consciousness and strength, as well as our place within the society will cease to exist. This is why the trinity of theological virtues – faith, hope, and Christian love – was chosen as the principal theme of the papal journey. These three virtues are the cornerstones of our Christian identity. If we are not sure who we are and what is our mission, we will only timidly explain and defend Christianity as a form of personal weakness, asking others to tolerate this shortcoming of ours. But such an attitude is distant from the task we have: to proclaim the Good News and be witnesses of God’s Truth”. A civilization of love. “Bearing witness of God in this world is the basis of our Christian life. This stance is also expressed in the motto and logo of the papal visit. It is “The Love of Christ is our strength”. We do not want to impose ourselves by force, we do not struggle to gain dominance over others. Rather, we respect the freedom of every person, but we are strong and firm, longing to win through the power of love. The latest Popes defined our culture and tradition as a “civilization of love”. In our efforts we are the bearers of the culture founded by Ss. Cyril and Methodius as well as of the St. Wenceslas’ tradition. We are citizens of our country, the Czech Republic, and at the same time we are Christians”. Giving hope. “What is most needed in the current situation? Hope. Do we hear the silent call of those man who lead a righteous life but feel helpless in the face of the destructive wave of evil? Do we hear cry of people, fallen to pleasures and greed, who make their best to cast aside the terrible idea that their lives are worthless? What is our answer? Let us give them hope by assuring them that it is not impossible to achieve goodness and gain true joy here and now, and by telling them that they needn’t be afraid of the future but they can enter it bravely”. Speaking to others. “The current wave of despair is growing, because love is withering away. People often seek for love desperately, long for it but don’t have it. They don’t have it because they corrupted it and replaced with perishable body pleasure. However, true love is the devoted care of others and it rises from overcoming indifference. Do we know what people around us need? Let us ask them – not out of curiosity, but for a true concern, motivated by the will to help them. Let us overcome our laziness, convenience, selfishness, shyness and the fear of being rejected. Let us talk to others. In order to find the necessary courage and strength, we must firmly rely on our faith in God and proclaim it with all our lives, through every word and act”.