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Ultimo Aggiornamento: 22/02/2009 21:58
24/12/2005 16:35
 
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POPE ADDRESSES WORKERS
At noon yesterday, December 23, the Holy Father had a Christmas reception at the Sala Clementina of the Apostolic Palace for the workers who carried out the extensive renovation of the papal apartments last summer. Typically, the Pope turned the occasion into a little catechesis on the nobility of manual labor as exemplified by Jesus before he started his public ministry. It is significant that he received them in the Sala Clementina, the most important reception hall in the Apostolic Palace, where John Paul II first lay in state. Equally significant, he addresses them as "co-workers" (collaboratori e collaboratrici).Herewith, a translation of his impromptu remarks -
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Cari Collaboratori e Collaboratrici,

Unfortunately, because of many commitments these days, I have not been able to prepare a speech worthy of the work which you have done, and I beg your parDOn. I can only talk to you, as they say, off the cuff (a braccio), but the words truly come from my heart.

I have only one thing to say. Grazie. But this word, said with full conviction, is a heartfelt Thank you from the depth of my heart. In less than three months, you accomplished an immense task in renovating my apartment. I am convinced – since in Germany I had the experience of having a small house built for me- that elsewhere this job would have taken at least a year or perhaps more. So I have seen how you have worked - and with what dedication, competence and collaboration with the various technical services necessary. For me, it is proof of your interior commitment to work well and to serve the Holy See and the successor of Peter. It is proof of responsible labor.

I can only admire the things you have done, like the beautiful floors. In particular, I love my new study, with its antique ceiling. I feel like I am surrounded by friends, now that the bookcases are up and all my books have arrived. There’s also the infirmary, and so many other things that I cannot list. But even if I have little competence in these things, I have seen how you worked – day and night, almost – in three months with
incredible dedication. I assure you of my profound gratitude and my prayers.

It occurs to me that in the New Testament, the profession of our Lord Jesus before his public life is described with the word “tecton”, which has been traditionally translated as “carpenter” or worker with wood, because at that time, the houses were mainly built with wood. But more than carpenter, the word means “artisan”, one who should be able to do everything necessary in building a house. In this sense, you are colleagues of our Lord, doing the work that He did voluntarily, by his own choice, before announcing his great mission to the world.

The Lord wished to demonstrate the nobility of this kind of work. In the Greek world, only intellectual work was considered worthy of the free man, and manual labor was left to slaves. But Biblibal culture was totally different. Instead, the Creator – who, according to a beautiful image, had made man with his own hands – is shown as the example of someone who works with his hands, and doing so, also works with his mind and with his heart. Man follows the Creator’s example (and works) so that the world that He gave us can be more habitable for us. This appears in Biblibal narration from the start. But finally, and in a powerful manner, the nobility and greatness of manual labor is shown by the fact that Jesus was a tecton, artisan, laborer.

Now, as we approach the feast of Christmas, is the time to say thanks for all this, for your work which encourages me – as you have given everything to your work – in this late stage of my life, to give everything that I can.

I greet your loved ones and for all of you, I impart my apostolic blessing from the heart.


[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 24/12/2005 17.19]

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