New Ambassador to the Holy See Meets Pontiff
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 4, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says that Estonia has much to offer the European community, especially because the country values freedom and the sacrifices freedom entails.
The Pope said that on Friday when he received in audience Juri Seilenthal, the new Estonian ambassador to the Holy See.
The Holy Father said: "The great revolution which swept Eastern Europe in the final decade of the last century testified, in fact, to the innate and irrepressible yearning for freedom present within individuals and peoples, as well as the inseparability of authentic freedom from the pursuit of truth, respect for the transcendent dignity of each human person, and a commitment to mutual respect and solidarity.
"These values, a precious legacy of Estonia's millennial history, must be constantly reappropriated and given practical expression in every sphere of political and social life."
The Pontiff said that Europe needs Estonia's witness, given that it is a society that has faced the "challenge of fashioning a society which is genuinely free yet at the same time faithful to its defining traditions."
"Europe needs this witness, which will surely help the continent as a whole to 'recognize and reclaim with creative fidelity' its fundamental values, values which were decisively shaped by the Christian message and constitute an inalienable element of its true identity," the Pope affirmed.
Church teachings
Benedict XVI mentioned the Church's role in Estonia, saying that "the truth of the Gospel sheds light on the reality of the human situation and provides the wisdom needed for individuals and communities to discern and embrace the demands of the moral law which provide the necessary and enduring foundation for just and harmonious relations within society."
He particularly defended the role of the family and respect for life.
"In a special way, the Church is committed to the promotion of the sanctity of marriage, the basic role and mission of the family, the education of children and respect for God's gift of life from conception to natural death," the Holy Father said. "Since the health of any society depends in no small measure on the health of its families, I trust that this witness will contribute to the consolidation of family and community life and, together with wise and far-sighted social policies, will help to revitalize Estonia's long history of strong and united families."
Estonia, a country of some 1.3 million people, is 13.6% Lutheran and 12.8% Orthodox. Other Christians, including Catholics, make up about 1.4% of the population.
Code: ZE07060411
Date: 2007-06-04