Mr. Ambassador,

I am pleased to welcome Your Excellency to the Vatican on the occasion of the presentation of the Letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Togo to the Holy See.

I sincerely thank you for conveying to me the greetings of General Gnassingbe Eyadema. I ask you in turn to please express my best wishes to him, for his person and for the accomplishment of his task for the common good of the Togolese people. I also greet the Government members and invoke God's help on all the authorities who serve the nation. Finally, on this 13 January, when your compatriots are celebrating their national day, I wish to renew the warmest wishes I have already offered them in my message to the Head of State, and to assure them of my prayers for their physical and spiritual well-being.

In your address you recalled the activities undertaken by the Holy See on behalf of peace in the world, and I am grateful to you for the appreciation you have expressed.

I like to think that Togo shares the same concern to see justice and right respected everywhere: indeed, this is the basis of and the condition for an ordered and peaceful collective life within countries and between them. May relations between the Republic of Togo and the Apostolic See develop in such a way as to be ever more useful to everyone! May they foster the concrete implementation of the aspirations expressed by your fellow-citizens and encourage their collaboration in a social project that conforms to their wishes! Your mission, which officially begins today will certainly reinforce the ties that bind us, enhance the convergence of our viewpoints, so that our work in common may benefit our brothers and sisters.

The Catholic Church, whose aim is to proclaim freely the Gospel message, ‑ can do a great deal to improve the life of the human community. With respect for various civilizations, she seeks to be the leaven of unity and desires that the Gospel should increasingly invigorate society particularly its cultural dynamism which forms the basis of a nation. This is the task to which the Pastors and faithful of Togo are dedicated, wishing in this way to serve the higher interests of the country. In addition to their special concern for the poor and humble, they also wish in accordance with their means, to make their own contribution to raising the standard of education, continuing to form hearts and minds, and to encourage disinterested work and responsible service.

May I be permitted to offer the Catholics in your country a special greeting through you. They will always find on the part of the State, I am convinced, conditions favourable to the peaceful and fruitful fulfilment of their ecclesial life and pastoral work.

As you begin your mission, I offer you my very best wishes. I assure you that you will always find here an attentive welcome and sincere understanding.

I wholeheartedly invoke on Your Excellency, on the Head of State, the Government and the people of Togo an abundance of divine blessings.

*L'Osservatore Romano. Weekly edition in English n.4 p.6.

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