On October 12, 1976, the opening and dedication of the new Basilica of Guadalupe also included the transfer of the image imprinted on the tilma of Saint Juan Diego. The event was a watershed moment in the history of the Church in Mexico, attended by thousands of faithful, bishops, and priests. On that occasion, the Basilica held a particular distinction: the message from Pope Paul VI as a sign of special affection toward the Virgin of Guadalupe, which would be one of the beginnings for his successors to kneel before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
This was the message that Saint Paul VI addressed fifty years ago to the people of Mexico, on Tuesday, October 12, 1976.
Venerable Brothers and beloved sons of Mexico:
We address our words to you on a most singular occasion, so full of profound meaning for you and one that makes the most intimate fibers of your hearts beat: the dedication of the new Shrine in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
On this day, which will remain engraved in your minds and in your religious and national history, we wish to join you in sharing your joy, to unite our prayer with yours, and to offer, together with you, our homage of devotion to the Mother of the Lord and Mother of the Church.
We know that, obeying the invitation of your Bishops, you have prepared yourselves to celebrate this momentous date with particular spiritual intensity. It could not be otherwise, because if Our Lady of Guadalupe has guided and encouraged the history of your Nation for centuries, in joyful and difficult moments; if she has been present in your life, from the first missionary preaching of the Gospel until today; if she has been the center of your union and a vigorous impulse of Christian fidelity; if she accompanies you from baptism, presides over your homes, and receives your prayers; in a word, if she is such an intimate part of your existence, an act that must have a decisive influence on Mexico could not remain in the shadows.
Yes, beloved sons. The dedication of the new Basilica is not, cannot be, a finishing line, but a starting point. Indeed, the newly inaugurated temple must be the symbol of that spiritual and visible temple we call the Church (cf. 1 Cor. 3:16) and which, with Christ as the cornerstone, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him, is built each day, perfected, and reaches fullness in us, in our growing dignity as children of God who pilgrimage toward Him.
The multitudes who today and in the future will gather on the heights of Tepeyac, and those who from every corner of Mexico will look toward it, must discover there their deep brotherhood as children of the same Father. And by imploring together the Mother of mercy of all who live in that land, they will have to reflect deeply on the practical demands that this implies.
Therefore, and since there is no true brotherhood without an active love and without the prior establishment of authentic justice for all, the dedication of the new temple must constitute the starting point of a permanent effort for greater social justice, of the pursuit of an ever-growing cultural education that dignifies all persons more and more, of an unrelenting struggle against corruption, of effective help—spiritual, moral, material—for all the oppressed and needy. And we cannot fail to mention here, with special emphasis and affection, the poorest, the peasant, who waits with just impatience for the fulfillment of the promises so often made and sometimes forgotten. To him the Church feels particularly close.
For these objectives to be achieved, we exhort all who work in the field of the apostolate, and especially those who are to care for the pastoral ministry in the new Shrine, to a diligent evangelization of the people, instilling in them a delicate attention to the religious and social aspects of their life. To the laity—and in a particular way to the young—we urge the maturation in Christian faith and responsibility, placing themselves at the service of the most destitute. To the rich, intellectuals, and professionals, we ask for an effort to create a more just climate, more human and Christian. To employees, workers, and peasants, we support them in the just pursuit of their rights, trusting that they will at the same time fulfill their work responsibilities. To all, finally, we invite you to consider that as long as injustice exists, the temple now built will not be finished.
We ask the Virgin of Guadalupe to make these hopes a reality. May she lead you to Jesus, the center and final destiny of our devotion and our life. May she protect your Nation, keep your families united in the face of the divisive elements that threaten them, and make you live—without demagoguery or sterile hatred—in a serene justice and an active brotherhood.
We bless you all in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.