"I ask the Christians and all the population of the Country to open paths of reconciliation, so that the ethnical and social differences, lived in mutual respect and love, will become a shared asset, not grounds for division”. This is the appeal made by Benedict XVI as he received in audience the bishops of the Bishops Conference of the Congo in Rome this morning. "Your Bishops Conference highlighted the Pope never stops to reawaken the consciences and strengthen the wills, thus making a specific and effective contribution to the establishment of peace and reconciliation in the Country”. In addition, the Pontiff highlighted "the urgency of developing a genuine missionary dynamism within the local Churches", because "the Church cannot do without this primordial mission", that is, "to become more and more faithful and reliable witnesses of Christ". Then, the Pope spoke of the "living ecclesial communities" as examples of a "pastoral of closeness" that acts as "a powerful wall against any cults”. In this respect, the Pope invited the Congolese Bishops to "take special care of the initial and ongoing Christian training of the devotees, so that they will become perfectly aware of the Christian mystery and will live rooted in the reading of the Holy Writs and in sacramental life". (continued)
