MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II
TO THE ABBOT GENERAL 
OF THE PREMONSTRATENSIAN ORDER

To the Most Reverend 
Hermenegildus Jozef Noyons 
Abbot General of the Premonstratensian Order 

Truly present among you through the words of this Letter, I cordially greet each and every one taking part these days in the General Chapter of the Order of the White Canons of Prémontré, whom I also embrace individually as if they were gathered before me and, so far as I can, I urge you by the name and authority of Jesus Christ to fulfil your great mission diligently and wisely, as you are accustomed, for Christ, the Church and your order. 

For now you must courageously and rightly apply all the truly salutary counsels given by St Norbert for the religious life and the sacred ministry, all the beneficial experiences of your order's effective apostolate in previous centuries and all the recent directives of Mother Church to the present-day spiritual needs of God's People, as well as adapt them to the changed social conditions of men, modify them wisely for the most complete implementation of the Second Vatican Council, and use them henceforth for the well-being and renewal of your distinguished institute. Moreover, you must continue your praiseworthy traditional practices, the divine praise, Eucharistic worship and Marian devotion, a penitential spirit and the fervour of pastoral work. 

Thus you will deservedly enjoy the fruits of your deliberations and will be greatly praised by the Roman Pontiff, who meanwhile watches your serious task from afar and closely follows it, pouring out his prayers to the Holy Spirit, Giver of light. I am sorry indeed that circumstances prevent me from receiving you in my house and from speaking my mind more at length to you. I willingly accept your past expressions of fidelity and, in accordance with your proven faithfulness, I want the certainly gratifying proceedings of the General Chapter to be brought to me and the results of the plans you have prudently made in the Lord to be plainly seen in the years to come. 

Accept this fraternal greeting from my hands, with wishes of encouragement and comfort for your hearts, which I send along with my Apostolic Blessing, so that your important meeting may enjoy the greatest success, the Order of the White Canons of Prémontré may prosper and the work of the Church may in every way be assisted in the many nations where this order is fruitfully labouring.

From the Vatican, 6 July 2000, the twenty-second year of my Pontificate.

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