Vatican City (AsiaNews) -  Protection of the family,  which current social evolutions are making more fragile, efforts by laity in social life and the need for inter-religious dialogue, but also the need for bishops to have a solid spiritual dimension, the "challenge of vocations" and appropriate training for future priests. These, for the Pope, are the "urgencies" facing the "shepards of the Church scattered in the islands of the Indian Ocean", as John Paul II himself called that regions's conference of bishops, received today in audience for their "ad limina" visit, the traditional meeting that all bishops, by country, have with the Pope every 5 years.

In his speech, John Paul II invited the "Christian faithful to live the Year of the Eucharist as an intense time of encounter with Christ. "I hope," he added, "that in this way members of the faithful will discover in this matchless treasure the joy and happiness of the loving presence of the Lord. May they foretaste there the goodness of God for mankind. May everyone rediscover the Eucharist as light and strength for their daily lives in the world, in the exercise of their respective professions amid so many different situations, in the witnessing of their faith, as well as for experiencing fully the beauty and the mission of the family.

In addressing bishops of areas populated by members of other religions, who are often the majority, the Pope then urged the inculturation of the faith and inter-religious dialogue. "The inculturation of the evangelical message," he said, "is a task of great importance, so that men and women of all nations and of all cultures live the encounter with Christ and walk in the path of the Gospel": As for inter-religious dialogue, it is a "necessity" also for the advancement of peoples. "For people to progress," he said, "inter-religious dialogue is also a necessity; in some of your islands, members of other faiths are numerous, sometimes by far the majority, and I know that the presence of Christians is generally well accepted and appreciated". In situations such as these, the Pope observed, Christians "can be for men of good will signposts that indicate the way of brotherhood and harmony, thus witnessing the Gospel."

In urging "care for families", John Paul II stressed that "in your regions, as in many others of the world, changes in society contribute to making family structures more fragile. It is therefore necessary to recall the significance and value of marriage in God's plan. Christian families must be authentic witnesses to the presence of God that accompanies them and supports them in daily life": For the laity, in conclusion, the Pope reasserted the importance of their efforts "in the building of nations". (FP)