New Ambassador of Uruguay to the Holy See, John Paul II, 18 January 1979

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II
TO H.E. Dr CARLOS MARIA ROMERO,
THE NEW AMBASSADOR OF URUGUAY TO THE HOLY SEE*

Thursday, 8 January 1979

Mr Ambassador,

I am very glad to bid Your Excellency a hearty welcome on this solemn occasion of the presentation of your Letters of Credence as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Uruguay to the Holy See.

Thank you for your respectful and devoted words for my person and for the Apostolic See. I remember very well how, at the beginning of my Pontificate, Your Excellency came with the Mission of your country to manifest on that occasion not only the good relations that exist between Uruguay and the Holy See, but also the Christian sentiments which animate, as sons of the Church, the Uruguayan faithful. Today Your Excellency comes to bear continued witness to this permanent spiritual closeness: a noble mission, for the successful development of which count on my cordial and sincere good will.

I am well aware that this nearness, this good understanding, which in my opinion must be increasingly extensive and fruitful, has as its deep root loyal recognition of the indefatigable work of the Church in Uruguay; a work such as corresponds to her mission of evangelization, of service of man, to his progress, and to his personal maturity as an individual and as a member of society. It must also constitute a firm commitment to spare no efforts or sacrifices when it is a question of bringing forth and promoting the values, particularly moral and spiritual values, which are in conformity with, and natural to, human dignity. In this field of complete advancement of the person, precisely towards which initiatives and activities have to converge, the Church in Uruguay will continue to offer her resolute collaboration; happy to contribute to improving the community edifice, in which the legitimate aspirations of all will be accepted and satisfied, and the ideals of peaceful coexistence and progress in solidarity will be strengthened.

Mr Ambassador, reiterating my good will, I request you to transmit my grateful greeting to His Excellency the President of Uruguay, and to all the beloved sons of your noble country, on which I invoke the gifts of the Almighty.

*L'Osservatore Romano. Weekly Edition in English n.5 p.5.