Lisbon, Portugal, Mar 4, 2010 / 09:37 am
As the date of Pope Benedict XVI's arrival nears, the bishops of Portugal have made a call to the people of the country to prepare themselves, the Church and society to welcome him. They also exhorted the population to use the Apostolic Visit as a "seed that sprouts and gives fruits of spiritual renewal."
The Portuguese episcopal conference circulated a letter to prepare for Pope Benedict's trip to Lisbon, Fatima and Porto between May 11 and 14 of this year, calling the visit an "event of singular importance."
For this reason, they wrote, "it must be prepared appropriately, not just in an outer glow and a festive atmosphere, but especially in the realm of faith, of construction of ecclesial unity and of a more just and fraternal society."
Noting the "happy coincidence" of the pilgrimage coming just after Lent and Easter, the bishops called for people "to reflect and meet the challenges" included in the Pope's Lenten message, themed, "The justice of God has been manifested through faith in Jesus Christ."