1308 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale

VI

Ad publicas auctoritates necnon Statuum Legatos in urbe Entebbe cum Summus Pontifex in Ugandam advenit.9*

Mr President, Honourable Members of Government, Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps, My Brother Bishops, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank you for your gracious welcome, and I am happy to be in Uganda.

My visit to your country is meant above all to commemorate the fiftieth

anniversary of the canonization of the Uganda Martyrs by my predeces-

sor, Pope Paul VI. But I hope that my presence here will also be seen as

a sign of friendship, esteem and encouragement for all the people of this

great nation.

The Martyrs, both Catholic and Anglican, are true national heroes. They

bear witness to the guiding principles expressed in Uganda's motto - For

God and My Country. They remind us of the importance that faith, moral

rectitude and commitment to the common good have played, and continue

to play, in the cultural, economic and political life of this country. They

also remind us that, despite our different beliefs and convictions, all of us

are called to seek the truth, to work for justice and reconciliation, and to

respect, protect and help one another as members of our one human family.

These high ideals are particularly demanded of men and women like your-

selves, who are charged with ensuring good and transparent governance,

integral human development, a broad participation in national life, as well

as a wise and just distribution of the goods which the Creator has so richly

bestowed upon these lands.

My visit is also meant to draw attention to Africa as a whole, its prom-

ise, its hopes, its struggles and its achievements. The world looks to Africa

as the continent of hope. Uganda has indeed been blessed by God with

abundant natural resources, which you are challenged to administer as re-

sponsible stewards. But above all, the nation has been blessed in its people:

* Die 27 Novembris 2015.