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ADDRESS OF JOHN PAUL II 
TO JULIUS NAKO TS' OANAMATSIE
AMBASSADOR OF LESOTHO TO THE HOLY SEE* 

Saturday, 15 December 1979

 

Mr Ambassador,

I am pleased to welcome you today and to receive the Letters of Credence accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Lesotho to the Holy See. I thank you for your kind words and would ask you to reciprocate the cordial greetings of Her Majesty Queen ‘Mamohato Seeiso, and the Government and people of Lesotho.

I appreciate your acknowledgment of the contribution which the Catholic Church has made to the spiritual and material needs of the people of your country. And I avail myself of this opportunity to assure you of the Holy See’s firm intention to continue to collaborate, as far as it is able, in these efforts, especially in the fields of education and care for the sick.

The Church’s mission is primarily a religious one. Nevertheless, following the example of Jesus Christ during his earthly life, the Church continues to concern herself with the task of promoting and maintaining true peace and justice. The Church also reaches out to the poor, the hungry, the needy, the uneducated, the disabled and the forsaken; and she calls upon all people and nations to respect the fundamental human dignity of every man and woman. The promise of your total support for our efforts in this sphere is deeply appreciated.

You have affirmed your intention of working to strengthen the cordial ties wich already exist between the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Holy See. You may be sure that this aim is fully shared.
With the assurance of a remembrance in my prayers, I invoke upon the Authorities and the beloved people of Lesotho the abundant blessings of Almighty God. And to you personally, Mr Ambassador, I express my personal good wishes for the happy and successful accomplishment of your mission.


*AAS 71 (1979), p. 1536-1537.

Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, vol. II, 2 pp. 1410-1411.

L’Attività della Santa Sede 1979 p.910.

L'Osservatore Romano 16.12.1979 pp.1, 2.

L'Osservatore Romano. Weekly Edition in English 1980 n.2 p.8.

 

© Copyright 1979 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

 



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