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Pontiff speaks on ministry to prisoners
I am confident that your Congress will provide an opportunity to
share your experiences of the mysterious countenance of Christ shining
through the faces of the imprisoned. I encourage you in your efforts
to show that face to the world as you promote greater respect for
the dignity of the detained. Finally, I pray that your Congress
will be an occasion for you yourselves to appreciate anew how, in
attending to the needs of the imprisoned, your own eyes are opened
to the marvels God does for you each day.
Pope Benedict XVI gave this address to the participants in the 12th
world congress of the International Commission of Catholic Pastoral
Care held in Castel Gandolfo, Italy on September 6, 2007.
Below is a copy of this message as translated by Zenit.
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ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE
TWELFTH WORLD CONGRESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF CATHOLIC
PRISON PASTORAL CARE
Castel Gandolfo
Thursday, 6 September 2007
Dear Friends,
I am pleased to welcome you as you gather in Rome for the Twelfth
World Congress of the International Commission of Catholic Prison
Pastoral Care. I thank your President, Doctor Christian Kuhn, for
the kind words expressed on behalf of the Executive Board of the
Commission.
The theme of your Congress this year, “Discovering the Face
of Christ in Every Prisoner” (Mt 25:36), aptly portrays your
ministry as a vivid encounter with the Lord. Indeed, in Christ the
“love of God and love of neighbour have become one”,
so that “in the least of the brethren we find Jesus himself,
and in him…God” ("Deus Caritas Est," 15).
Your ministry requires much patience and perseverance. Not infrequently
there are disappointments and frustrations. Strengthening the bonds
that unite you with your bishops will enable you to find the support
and guidance you need to raise awareness of your vital mission.
Indeed, this ministry within the local Christian community will
encourage others to join you in performing corporal works of mercy,
thus enriching the ecclesial life of the diocese. Likewise, it will
help to draw those whom you serve into the heart of the universal
Church, especially through their regular participation in the celebration
of the sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist (cf. "Sacramentum
Caritatis," 59).
Prisoners easily can be overwhelmed by feelings of isolation, shame
and rejection that threaten to shatter their hopes and aspirations
for the future. Within this context, chaplains and their collaborators
are called to be heralds of God’s infinite compassion and
forgiveness. In cooperation with civil authorities, they are entrusted
with the weighty task of helping the incarcerated rediscover a sense
of purpose so that, with God’s grace, they can reform their
lives, be reconciled with their families and friends, and, insofar
as possible, assume the responsibilities and duties which will enable
them to conduct upright and honest lives within society.
Judicial and penal institutions play a fundamental role in protecting
citizens and safeguarding the common good (cf. Catechism of the
Catholic Church, 2266). At the same time, they are to aid in rebuilding
“social relationships disrupted by the criminal act committed”
(cf. "Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church,"
403). By their very nature, therefore, these institutions must contribute
to the rehabilitation of offenders, facilitating their transition
from despair to hope and from unreliability to dependability. When
conditions within jails and prisons are not conducive to the process
of regaining a sense of a worth and accepting its related duties,
these institutions fail to achieve one of their essential ends.
Public authorities must be ever vigilant in this task, eschewing
any means of punishment or correction that either undermine or debase
the human dignity of prisoners. In this regard, I reiterate that
the prohibition against torture “cannot be contravened under
any circumstances” (Ibid., 404).
I am confident that your Congress will provide an opportunity to
share your experiences of the mysterious countenance of Christ shining
through the faces of the imprisoned. I encourage you in your efforts
to show that face to the world as you promote greater respect for
the dignity of the detained. Finally, I pray that your Congress
will be an occasion for you yourselves to appreciate anew how, in
attending to the needs of the imprisoned, your own eyes are opened
to the marvels God does for you each day (cf. "Deus Caritas
Est," 18).
With these sentiments I extend my heartfelt wishes to you and all
the participants in the Congress for the success of your meeting
and willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing to you and your loved
ones.
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“Jesus’
Baptism”