10. In keeping with what has been said above, the desire
expressed by the Synod of Bishops, adopted by the Holy Father John Paul II as
his own and put into practice with dedication and with praiseworthy initiatives
by bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful is yet to be fully realized,
namely, with solicitous charity to do everything that can be done to strengthen
in the love of Christ and the Church those faithful in irregular marriage
situations. Only thus will it be possible for them fully to receive the message
of Christian marriage and endure in faith the distress of their situation. In
pastoral action one must do everything possible to ensure that this is
understood not to be a matter of discrimination but only of absolute fidelity
to the will of Christ who has restored and entrusted to us anew the
indissolubility of marriage as a gift of the Creator. It will be necessary for
pastors and the community of the faithful to suffer and to love in solidarity
with the persons concerned so that they may recognise in their burden the sweet
yoke and the light burden of Jesus(19). Their burden is not sweet and
light in the sense of being small or insignificant, but becomes light because
the Lord - and with him the whole Church - shares it. It is the task of
pastoral action, which has to be carried out with total dedication, to offer
this help, founded in truth and in love together.
United with you in dedication to the
collegial task of making the truth of Jesus Christ shine in the life and
activity of the Church, I remain Yours devotedly in the Lord
Joseph
Card. Ratzinger
Prefect
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Alberto Bovone
Titular Archbishop of Caesarea in Numidia
Secretary
During an audience granted to the
Cardinal Prefect, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II gave his approval to this
letter, drawn up in the ordinary session of this Congregation, and ordered its
publication.
Given at Rome, from the offices of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 14 September 1994, Feast of the
Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
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