Letter From H.H. Pope Benedict XVI
To my Venerable Brother Charles Caruana Bishop
of Gibraltar
On the occasion of the seventh centenary of the devotion to Our Lady of Europe, I send cordial greetings to you and to all the people of your Diocese as you inaugurate the Jubilee Year dedicated to this significant anniversary. I pray that all of you will be able to deepen your filial love for the Mother of God, as you invoke her intercession for the people of Europe in this twenty-first century and beyond.
When the Mother of Jesus kept company with the Twelve Apostles in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, praying for the gifts of the Spirit that would empower them to carry the Christian message to the ends of the earth (cf. Acts 1:13-14), it could truly be said that the westernmost “end of the earth” was symbolized by the Pillars of Hercules straddling the Straits of Gibraltar. In the centuries that followed, the Gospel was indeed carried to every corner of Europe, so that, by the year 1309, when King Ferdinand IV of Castile established the devotion to Our Lady of Europe, the Christian faith had become the spiritual and cultural life-blood of the continent. The discovery of the New World subsequently opened up further horizons for the preaching of the Gospel, and the exploration of Africa likewise occasioned a new missionary outreach towards the peoples who had yet to encounter Christ our Saviour.
From her Shrine looking out upon the narrow straits that lead from the Old World towards the New, Our Lady of Europe has watched over the efforts of countless men and women undertaking hazardous journeys in order to spread the news of God’s Kingdom to people in far-off lands. In the present day, her intercession is especially needed for a spiritual renewal of Europe, in order that its Christian heritage may continue to be properly valued and appreciated in this third millennium. I pray with you, and with all the pilgrims who visit the Shrine, that their faith may be deepened and that Our Lady will lead them to a greater knowledge and love of her Son, our risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
At the conclusion of his reflections on the Church in Europe, my venerable predecessor Pope John Paul II addressed these words to the Blessed Virgin Mary: “Watch over the Church in Europe: may she be transparently open to the Gospel; may she be an authentic place of communion; may she carry out fully her mission of proclaiming, celebrating and serving the Gospel of hope for the peace and joy of all.” (Ecclesia in Europa, 125).
I invite you to make that prayer your own throughout this Jubilee Year. Upon you and all the priests, religious and lay faithful in the Diocese of Gibraltar, and upon all the pilgrims who visit this Shrine in the course of the Jubilee Year, I invoke the loving protection of Our Lady of Europe and, as a pledge of joy and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.
Benedict XVI
From the Vatican, 23rd April 2008.
On the occasion of the seventh centenary of the devotion to Our Lady of Europe, I send cordial greetings to you and to all the people of your Diocese as you inaugurate the Jubilee Year dedicated to this significant anniversary. I pray that all of you will be able to deepen your filial love for the Mother of God, as you invoke her intercession for the people of Europe in this twenty-first century and beyond.
When the Mother of Jesus kept company with the Twelve Apostles in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, praying for the gifts of the Spirit that would empower them to carry the Christian message to the ends of the earth (cf. Acts 1:13-14), it could truly be said that the westernmost “end of the earth” was symbolized by the Pillars of Hercules straddling the Straits of Gibraltar. In the centuries that followed, the Gospel was indeed carried to every corner of Europe, so that, by the year 1309, when King Ferdinand IV of Castile established the devotion to Our Lady of Europe, the Christian faith had become the spiritual and cultural life-blood of the continent. The discovery of the New World subsequently opened up further horizons for the preaching of the Gospel, and the exploration of Africa likewise occasioned a new missionary outreach towards the peoples who had yet to encounter Christ our Saviour.
From her Shrine looking out upon the narrow straits that lead from the Old World towards the New, Our Lady of Europe has watched over the efforts of countless men and women undertaking hazardous journeys in order to spread the news of God’s Kingdom to people in far-off lands. In the present day, her intercession is especially needed for a spiritual renewal of Europe, in order that its Christian heritage may continue to be properly valued and appreciated in this third millennium. I pray with you, and with all the pilgrims who visit the Shrine, that their faith may be deepened and that Our Lady will lead them to a greater knowledge and love of her Son, our risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
At the conclusion of his reflections on the Church in Europe, my venerable predecessor Pope John Paul II addressed these words to the Blessed Virgin Mary: “Watch over the Church in Europe: may she be transparently open to the Gospel; may she be an authentic place of communion; may she carry out fully her mission of proclaiming, celebrating and serving the Gospel of hope for the peace and joy of all.” (Ecclesia in Europa, 125).
I invite you to make that prayer your own throughout this Jubilee Year. Upon you and all the priests, religious and lay faithful in the Diocese of Gibraltar, and upon all the pilgrims who visit this Shrine in the course of the Jubilee Year, I invoke the loving protection of Our Lady of Europe and, as a pledge of joy and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.
Benedict XVI
From the Vatican, 23rd April 2008.
