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Pope Benedict XVI- Apostolic Journey to the Holy Land |
"Innocent Children Deserve a
Safe Haven"
Address at Caritas Baby Hospital
H.H. Benedict XVI
Bethlehem, Israel
May 13, 2009
Dear Friends,
I affectionately greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ "who
died, was raised from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of
God to intercede for us" (cf. Rom 8:34). May your faith in his
Resurrection and his promise of new life through Baptism fill your
hearts with joy in this Easter season!
I am grateful for the warm welcome extended to me on your behalf by
Father Michael Schweiger, President of the Kinderhilfe Association,
Mr. Ernesto Langensand, who is completing his term as Chief
Administrator of the Caritas Baby Hospital, and Mother Erika Nobs,
Superior of this local community of the Elizabettine Franciscan
Sisters of Padua. I also cordially greet Archbishop Robert Zollitsch
and Bishop Kurt Koch, representing respectively the German and Swiss
Episcopal Conferences, which have advanced the mission of Caritas
Baby Hospital by their generous financial assistance.
God has blessed me with this opportunity to express my appreciation
to the administrators, physicians, nurses and staff of Caritas Baby
Hospital for the invaluable service they have offered -- and
continue to offer -- to children in the Bethlehem region and
throughout Palestine for over fifty years. Father Ernst Schnydrig
founded this facility upon the conviction that innocent children
deserve a safe haven from all that can harm them in times and places
of conflict. Thanks to the dedication of Children's Relief
Bethlehem, this institution has remained a quiet oasis for the most
vulnerable, and has shone as a beacon of hope that love can prevail
over hatred and peace over violence.
To the young patients and the members of their families who benefit
from your care, I wish simply to say: "the Pope is with you"! Today
he is with you in person, but he spiritually accompanies you each
and every day in his thoughts and prayers, asking the Almighty to
watch over you with his tender care.
Father Schnydrig described this place as "one of the smaller bridges
built for peace". Now, having grown from fourteen cots to eighty
beds, and caring for the needs of thousands of children each year,
this bridge is no longer small! It brings together people of
different origins, languages and religions, in the name of the Reign
of God, the Kingdom of Peace (cf. Rom 14:17). I heartily encourage
you to persevere in your mission of showing charity to all the sick,
the poor and the weak.
On this Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, I would like to conclude by
invoking Mary's intercession as I impart my Apostolic Blessing to
the children and all of you. Let us pray:
Mary, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Mother of the Redeemer:
we join the many generations who have called you "Blessed". Listen
to your children as we call upon your name. You promised the three
children of Fatima that "in the end, my Immaculate Heart will
triumph". May it be so! May love triumph over hatred, solidarity
over division, and peace over every form of violence! May the love
you bore your Son teach us to love God with all our heart, strength
and soul. May the Almighty show us his mercy, strengthen us with his
power, and fill us with every good thing (cf. Lk 1:46-56). We ask
your Son Jesus to bless these children and all children who suffer
throughout the world. May they receive health of body, strength of
mind, and peace of soul. But most of all, may they know that they
are loved with a love which knows no bounds or limits: the love of
Christ which surpasses all understanding (cf. Eph 3:19). Amen.
© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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