To a group of pilgrims from Sri Lanka (April 28, 1984)

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ADDRESS OF POPE JOHN PAUL II
TO A GROUP OF PILGRIMS FROM SRI LANKA

Saturday, 28 April 1984

My dear Friends from Sri Lanka,

I am pleased to welcome you to the Vatican today. Your brief visit to Rome brings you to the very centre of the Catholic Church, where the tombs of the great Saints Peter and Paul speak to us of our divine Lord’s will to establish his Church on the foundation of the Apostles, with a universal mission to make known the Good News of Redemption to all peoples. The memory of these martyrs, and of so many others commemorated in this city, reminds us of our own duty to profess our faith with joy and confidence, and to engage in the works of faith by which we love God and our neighbour.

I hope and pray that your visit will inspire you with a true love of the Church, and that you will return to your beloved country renewed in mind and heart for the challenges which you face in your personal lives, and in the task which you share with all your fellow-citizens of building up your country in peace and harmony.

I pray especially that you will always respect each other’s religious beliefs, and that the unique dignity of every human being will be a value very close to your hearts and the rule that governs your actions.

May Almighty God bless each one of you, and your families. And may God abundantly bless Sri Lanka.