Christians look to their bishops for strength, guidance, pope says

Published: 2004-09-20

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) -- As secularism, consumerism and aspects of the media continually encroach on traditional family values, Christians look to their bishops for strength and guidance, said Pope John Paul II. "The encroachment of secularism, particularly in the form of consumerism, and the long reach of the most insidious aspects of the media, which convey a deformed outlook on life, the family, religion and morality, unsettle the very foundations of traditional cultural values," the pope said in a written address to bishops from the Pacific islands. These challenges have made islanders more aware of "the need to renew their faith and find a more abundant life in Christ," and in that quest "they look to you," the pope told the bishops. The pope delivered his message Sept. 20 in English and French to members of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific, which include bishops of American Samoa, Guam, the Cook Islands and Fiji.

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