ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER PAUL VI
TO THE NEW AMBASSADOR
OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA
ACCREDITED TO THE HOLY SEE*

Saturday, 22 May 1976

Mr Ambassador,

As we accept these Letters of Credence and officially receive you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Liberia to the Holy See, our foremost desire is to extend a warm welcome to you as the worthy representative of a country which is especially dear tous. We thank you for the greetings you bring from your President, His Excellency Dr William R. Tolbert, Jr, and we would ask you in turn to convey to him our own good wishes.

Your Excellency has spoken kind words about our Pontificate and our person; we would like you to know that we fully appreciate the courtesy of what you have said in this regard. Your words have evoked some of the major objectives of our Pontificate, namely, to foster religious understanding, to show concern for the underprivileged, and to promote world peace. We are confident that, by reason of your own concern in these areas, your mission as Ambassador to this Apostolic See will indeed be fruitful.

We are aware of President Tolbert’s laudable efforts to improve the total welfare-spiritual, cultural and material-of the Liberian people. As you have indicated, in doing this he appeals to the responsibility and the self-reliance of the people. We need hardly say that the Church will always be your ally in this struggle for self-improvement, not only by engendering in her members the moral strength of hope, from which springs courage, but also by engaging in the nation’s task of development such resources as she can possibly make available.

With this renewed pledge of wholehearted collaboration on the part of the Church, we invoke upon the Authorities of your country and upon its beloved people the favour of Almighty God, who is the author of every good work. To you, Mr Ambassador, we gladly extend our prayerful wish for the successful and happy fulfillment of your mission.

*AAS 68 (1976), p.332.

Insegnamenti di Paolo VI, vol. XIV, p.370-371.

L’Attività della Santa Sede 1976, p.130-131.

L'Osservatore Romano 23.5.1976, p.1.

ORa n. 24 p.8.