VATICAN CITY, OCT. 1, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says he hopes the Mission Year in Lisieux, France, will help the baptized become better missionaries in their daily lives.
The Pope said this is a letter published today, the feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, to Cardinal Ivan Diaz, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
The Holy Father expressed his support for the Mission Year, saying he hopes this initiative strengthens "the baptized in their sense of mission, through prayer, the witness of life and Christian commitment in all its forms, so that all the faithful may become missionaries in the places where they live and that vocations will come forth to proclaim the Gospel to men who do not yet know it."
St. Thérèse (1873-1897) is a patron of missions.
ZE07100111 - 2007-10-01