Events and Speeches
Highlights of the Papal Events & Speeches
Adapted from a column by Archbishop Rigali which appeared in the Feb. 5, 1999, edition of the St. Louis Review.
- At the Airport
- At the Youth Event
- The Papal Mass
- At Evening Prayer
In the Holy Father's speech at the Airport Arrival Ceremony where President Clinton welcomed him to the United States, the Pope purposefully proposed a striking parallel. He cited first the historic Dred Scott case heard here, and in which the U.S. Supreme Court "subsequently declared an entire class of human beings -- people of African descent -- outside the boundaries of the national community and the Constitution's protection." Then Pope John Paul asserted: "America faces a similar time of trial today. Today the conflict is between a culture that affirms, cherishes and celebrates the gift of life, and a culture that seeks to declare entire groups of human beings -- the unborn, the terminally ill, the handicapped, and others considered 'unuseful' -- to be outside the boundaries of legal protection." The Pope's hoped-for resolution is that "America will resist the culture of death and choose to stand steadfastly on the side of life." One crucial element of that latter choice is that "the nation continues to honor and revere the family as the basic unit of society.
Then in the evening of that first day -- during the You Are The Light Of The World youth event at the Kiel Center -- the Holy Father assured his "young friends": "each one of you belongs to Christ, and Christ belongs to you." The Pope spoke to them about freedom, which "is not the ability to do anything we want, whenever we want. Rather, freedom is the ability to live responsibly the truth of our relationship with God and with one another." And he stressed the crucial need for prayer in the lives of all. "Prayer enables us to meet God at the most profound level of our being," he said. "It connects us directly to God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit in a constant exchange of love."
On Wednesday morning, during the magnificent celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice in which more than 100,000 people participated, the Holy Father noted that: "St. Louis has been the Gateway to the West, but it also has been the gateway of great Christian witness and evangelical service." He cited diverse vocations and categories of the People of God, noting the numerous religious congregations which "have labored for the Gospel," the work of the lay apostolate, "the charitable activities of every kind (which) have been a vibrant part of Catholic life," the outstanding "Catholic health care services" and the Catholic schools (which) have proven to be of priceless value to generations of children." From "this immense heritage of holiness and service," the Pope challenged, "you must draw inspiration and strength for the new evangelization so urgently needed at the approach of the Third Christian Millennium."
Returning to the importance of the family, the Holy Father asserted that the new evangelization "must include a special emphasis on the family and the renewal of Christian marriage." More precisely, the new evangelization "must being a fuller appreciation of the family as the primary and most vital foundation of society, the first school of virtue and solidarity." This was underscored as the Pope proposed the provocative words: "As the family goes, so goes the nation."
Developing further the program for the new evangelization, Pope John Paul said that it "calls for followers of Christ who are unconditionally pro-life." And he renewed the appeal he had made most recently at Christmas "for a consensus to end the death penalty which is both cruel and unnecessary." The Pope also cited the need "to put an end to every form of racism, a plague which your bishops have called one of the most persistent and destructive evils of the nation." The Holy Father offered the assurance that: "In parishes and communities across this land holiness and Christian service will flourish if 'you come to know and believe in the love God has for you'" (cf. 1 Jn 4:16)
At the conclusion of the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Mass the Holy Father offered particular greetings and thanks. At that time he had a very special word for priests "who carry forward with love the daily pastoral care of God's people."
In his homily during the celebration of Evening Prayer, Pope John Paul affirmed that "from salvation history we learn that power is responsibility: it is service, not privilege. Its exercise is morally justifiable when it is used for the good of all, when it is sensitive to the needs of the poor and defenseless." The Holy Father proposed that "God has given us a moral law to guide us and protect us from falling back into the slavery of sin and falsehood." He added that: "The Ten Commandments are the charter of true freedom, for individuals as well as for society as a whole." The Pope concluded with the exhortation: "And so America: If you want peace, work for justice. If you want justice, defend life. If you want life, embrace the truth -- the truth revealed by God."
Before leaving the sanctuary of the Cathedral Basilica at the conclusion of Evening Prayer, the Holy Father spoke final words of appreciation and gratitude. He acknowledged the welcome "extended to me by my fellow Christians and by the members of other religious communities," and spoke of his visit to the people of St. Louis as a "moving experience." The Pope said he "would have wished to meet personally each one of the young people at the Kiel Center, and all the many other people at the Trans World Dome, and here in the Cathedral Basilica, as well as along the routes and at the Airport."
Pope John Paul added that: "In particular I wish to say thanks to the local Church of St. Louis. I am indebted to all the many dedicated people -- organizers, committee members and volunteers -- who have labored long and hard behind the scenes."