"Over the last few years, your country has had to live to the pace of tragic conflicts that have left deep scars in the peoples’ memory. During this tragedy, which affected above all the eastern part of your country, you have denounced with vibrant messages the violence that took place by asking the responsible parties to prove to be ensible and brave, so that the peoples could go back to living in peace and safety": with these words, at the beginning of his address, Pope Benedict XVI spoke this morning to the bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who are in Rome for the visit ad limina. The Pope recalled the recent celebration, last year, of the tenth anniversary of the publication of the Apostolic Post-Synodal Exhortation "Ecclesia in Africa", by John Paul II. Such anniversary was commemorated while added Benedict XVI "some dioceses celebrate the hundredth anniversary of their evangelisation". In the rest of his speech, Benedict XVI stressed in particular the importance of "ongoing education for the people in charge of the local communities" (priests, friars, catechists and laymen) and recalled that some of them gave proof of "heroic" behaviour. Then, he urged the clergy "to achieve excellence in spiritual life" and also asked for "high-quality training for future priests".
