Vatican City, Jun 17, 2004 / 22:00 pm
On receiving the Letters of Credence of the new ambassador of Spain, Jorge Dezcallar de Mazarredo, the Pope spoke firmly and clearly as he exhorted Spain to draw on it’s Christian roots for the building up of a Spanish society open to noble human values and the transendent dignity of the person.
Referring to his last trip to Spain in May of 2003, the Pope said that "it was a very clear sign of hope for the Church and also for Spanish society, since noble values lived intensely are like a soul which gives cohesion to human activity and instills creativity and fullness in moments of collapse or adversity which Spain has experienced very recently with some tragic experiences, due to the scourge of terrorism."
"At a moment when a new order is being born in old Europe, Spain cannot fail to bring forth among its many contributions the express manifestation of its Christian roots, from which as in other European countries, a refined concept of the person open to transcendence has been developing for centuries, which is also a decisive factor of integration and universality."
After emphasizing the Church's respect for civil authority, John Paul II said that neither Church nor State can be ignored because "the common good frequently requires different forms of collaboration between both, without discrimination or any exclusion.”