To the John Carroll Society

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II
TO MEMBERS OF THE "JOHN CARROLL SOCIETY"

Clementine Hall
Thursday, 12 October 1995

Dear Cardinal Hickey,
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am pleased to welcome you, the members of the John Carroll Society, and I greet you in the love of the Lord. Since my recently concluded visit to the United States did not permit the Pope to go to Washington, Washington has come to the Pope!

It is only right to thank you for the work which you do to bring authentic Gospel values to the different sectors of American society: in this, you are truly "ambassadors for Christ" (2 cor. 5:20). Your expertise, in whatever field it may lie, is of greatest service to the Kingdom when you use it to convert human hearts. As Jesus himself taught us, the real evil to be feared – whether personal or collective, whether social, political or economic – comes from the heart (Mt. 7:21). The remedy, therefore, must also involve a change of people’s hearts. The more open we are to Christ’s truth, to his joy and peace, the more effectively will his grace work in us, spilling over into the lives of others and transforming society.

My fervent wish for you, and in particular for Cardinal Hickey, is that your pilgrimage to Rome will renew you in faith, hope and love, and strengthen you in your witness to the Gospel of Life. Commending you to the powerful protection of Mary, the Lord’s chosen Handmaid, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.