Pope Benedict XVI warned that Eastern Europe's young people risk losing sight of the long struggle to preserve the faith under communism.This new generation tends to take political freedom for granted and is less tied to the long Christian tradition in European culture, the pope said.
He made his remarks at a welcoming ceremony Nov. 7 for the new Lithuanian ambassador to the Vatican, Vytautas Alisauskas.
The pope said Lithuania suffered domination and oppression as a Soviet republic, but the Christian faith sustained its people.
"Communities that have lived under such circumstances acquire a deep conviction that true happiness is to be found in God alone. They know that any society which denies the Creator inevitably begins to lose its sense of the beauty, truth and goodness of human life," he said.
That lesson could be lost among the country's younger generation, who live increasingly in a society that is free, but fragmented and morally confused, he said.
He said this fragmentation threatens Christian identity and tradition in Europe, as well as its social cohesiveness.
"It is both a paradox and a tragedy that in this era of globalization, when the possibilities of communication and interaction with others have increased to a degree that earlier generations could scarcely have imagined, so many people feel isolated and cut off from one another," he said.
The pope said the church has a vital role to play by proclaiming the Gospel message of hope -- love of God and neighbor. It's a message that should appeal to young people, he said, because "the practice of Christianity leads naturally to solidarity with one's fellow citizens and indeed with the whole of the human family."
Christianity in practice, he said, "curbs the desire to amass wealth for oneself alone" and helps people rise above the allure of material goods, focusing instead on values that promote the human being and protect society's weakest.
"Working together, we can help to forge a Europe in which priority is given to the defense of marriage and family life, to the protection of human life from conception to natural death, and to the promotion of sound ethical practices in medical and scientific research: practices which are truly respectful of the dignity of the human person," he said.
"We can promote effective solidarity with the poor, the sick, the vulnerable, and all those on the margins of society. These values will strike a chord with all those, especially the young, who are seeking answers to their profound questioning about the meaning and purpose of life," he said.
"They will resonate with all who are anxious to discover the truth that is so often obscured by the superficial messages propagated by postmodern society," he said. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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(Source: NCN)