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Eternal Life Now, Urges Benedict XVI An Immersion in God's Love.
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 1, 2006 -
Eternal life is to live immersed in God's love, says Benedict XVI, and it's
something all can begin living today.
Before reciting the midday Angelus from the window of his study today, with the
crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Pope said that the feasts of All
Saints and All Souls "offer us a singular opportunity to meditate on eternal
life."
"In this our time, more so than in the past, we are so absorbed by earthly
things that it is hard for us to think of God as a protagonist in history and in
our own lives," the Holy Father said.
"Human existence, however, by its very nature, is directed toward something
greater, which transcends it," he added. "The yearning in human beings for the
fullness of justice, truth, and happiness is irrepressible."
Benedict XVI said that many desire eternal life to find their loved ones, or
they await the final judgment in which "each will be allotted what he deserves."
However, the Pope said that for the Christian, eternal life is something more.
It is "a new quality of existence fully immersed in God's love, which frees us
from evil and death and which puts us in everlasting communion with all the
brothers and sisters who share in the same love," he said.
"Eternal life can already be present in the centre of earthly and temporal life
when, through grace, the soul is joined to God, its ultimate foundation,"
Benedict XVI stated. "All Christians, called to sanctity, … have their feet on
the earth but their heart is already in heaven, definitively dwelling with the
friends of God."
New evangelization needed, Pope tells ecumenical group.
Oct. 27, 2006 - Pope Benedict XVI met on October 27 with members of the Christian
World Communions, who were meeting in Rome this week to
discuss "Visions of Christian Unity."
In his English-language address, the Holy Father praised
the group for establishing "fruitful contacts between the
various ecclesial communities," allowing for "the richness
of different Christian traditions to serve the common call
to discipleship."
Today's world clearly needs a "new evangelization," the
Pope said. But that effort is handicapped because the
followers of Christ are "tragically divided and cannot
always give a consistent common witness." He applauded the
Christian World Communions for their efforts to pursue "the
final goal: full visible communion in Christ and in the
Church."
The federation of Christian World Communions was
established in the middle of the 20th century, drawing
together representatives of 20 Christian bodies including
Anglicans, Baptists, Lutherans, Pentecostalists, Methodists,
and Orthodox of both the Moscow and Constantinople
patriarchates. The Catholic Church is represented in the
group through the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity.
Pope to Bishops: Make
Everyone Understand the "Evil
of the Crime of Abortion"
Emphasizes abortion "is also an act of
aggression against society itself" By John-Henry Westen
 VATICAN,
December 5, 2006 - In a meeting Saturday, with the presidents
of the Latin American Episcopal Commissions for the Family and Life, Pope
Benedict XVI told the gathered bishops "it is necessary to help everyone to
realize the intrinsic evil of the crime of abortion which, in attacking human
life at its beginnings, is also an act of aggression against society itself."
Pope Benedict explained how, "also in the field of life, new
attitudes are putting this fundamental right into question. ... The elimination
of the embryo is being facilitated, as is its use in the name of scientific
progress which, in not recognizing its own limits and not accepting all the
moral principles that enable the dignity of the person to be protected, becomes
a threat to human beings themselves."
The Pope observed how "in Latin America, as elsewhere,
children have the right to be born and to grow up in the bosom of a family
founded on marriage," and he emphasized how children are an expression of the
wealth of a family. "Consequently," he said, "politicians and lawmakers, as
servants of the social good, have the duty to defend the fundamental right to
life, the fruit of God's love."
The Pope also repeated his call to pro-life action in a
meeting with Denmark's new Ambassador to the Vatican, Sten Erik Malmborg Lilholt.
"It is necessary to examine carefully any new social developments that emerge,
even if they enjoy widespread support or appear to promise significant rewards,"
said the Pope. "The defence of life from conception to natural death, for
example, and the stability of marriage and family life are goods that must be
safeguarded in every society, however vocal the forces that may seek to
undermine them. They form part of the objective moral order, and can never be
discarded without gravely endangering the common good."
Addressing concerns such as artificial procreation and
embryonic stem cell research, Benedict XVI continued, "Likewise, scientific and
technological advances should always be evaluated according to sound ethical
criteria, and nothing that threatens the inherent dignity of the human person
should ever be tolerated. Only by faithful adherence to these unchanging truths
can society create the conditions in which human beings may flourish and
prosper."
German Soccer Star says Pope drew him back
to Faith!
Jan. 16, 2007 - German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer has told
the Munich newspaper Abendzeitung that his October 2005 meeting with Pope
Benedict XVI was “the most important experience” of his life.
As chairman of the German committee organizing the 2006 World Cup
competition, Beckenbauer met with the Holy Father at the Vatican in October
2005. The encounter made a deep impression on the German athlete, and after the
Pope’s trip to Bavaria in 2006, Beckenbauer began to immerse himself in the
Pope’s writings. As a result of his reading, Beckenbauer returned to the active
practice of his faith.
“Benedict XVI leads people to the Church,” Beckenbauer told Abendzeitung,
“and I myself am the best example of that.”
Known as “the Kaiser” because of his dominance of the game, Beckenbauer was
captain of the German squad that won the World Cup in 1974.
Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity
The following is the Vatican text of Pope Benedict XVI's remarks in English
at his weekly general audience 17 Jan 2007
Dear brothers and sisters,
Tomorrow begins the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Since unity which
our Lord wills for all his disciples is ultimately God's gift, I encourage
everyone to join fervently in imploring this great grace. The closer we draw to
Christ and the more we are converted by his truth and love, the closer we will
draw to one another.
In many countries the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is also preceded by a
Day of Reflection between Christians and Jews, in order to build greater
respect, friendship and cooperation between our two communities.
The theme of this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – "He even makes the
deaf to hear and the dumb to speak" – is inspired by St. Mark's account of
Jesus' healing a man who was deaf and mute (cf. Mk 7:37). Through baptism, all
Christians have been freed from spiritual deafness, enabled to hear God's word
and charged to bear witness to it in word and deed, by the exercise of Christian
charity. May our common prayers and our efforts to live fully the grace of our
baptism hasten the day when all Christ's followers will live in perfect
communion.
Date: 2007-01-21 Pope Urges
Faithful to Long for Unity
Hopes Longing Translates to Prayer and Collaboration
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 21, 2007 - Benedict XVI is urging the faithful to long for
Christian unity, nourished by prayer and charitable collaboration.
The Holy Father made this appeal today while addressing the crowds gathered in
St. Peter's Square following the Angelus. Today's address falls within the Week
of Prayer for Christian Unity, being observed Jan. 18-25.
The Pope made reference to the prayer week's theme from Mark 7:37, saying that
Christ can do everything: "He is able to infuse in Christians the ardent desire
to listen to the other, to communicate with the other, and to speak with him the
language of mutual love."
The Pontiff said ecumenism is "a profound dialogic experience, a mutual
listening and speaking, knowing one another better. It is a task that all can
undertake, especially in regard to spiritual ecumenism, based on prayer and on
sharing what is possible for the time being among Christians."
The Holy Father expressed the hope "that the longing for unity, translated into
prayer and fraternal collaboration to relieve human sufferings, will spread ever
more at the level of parishes and ecclesial movements and among religious
institutes."
The theme of this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was inspired by the
Christian communities of Umlazi, South Africa, an area scourged by poverty and
AIDS.
The
materials for prayer and reflection are prepared jointly, translated and
published by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the
Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches.
In Rome, the week of prayer will close at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, feast of the
Conversion of St. Paul, with the celebration of vespers, over which Benedict XVI
will preside in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
"I expect many of you at that liturgical meeting," the Pope said, "given that
unity comes about especially by praying, and the more unanimous the prayer the
more pleasing it is to the Lord."
Holiness
is in conversion and repentance, not in never making mistakes, says
Pope
31 Jan 2007
In today’s general
audience address, Benedict XVI talks about Saint Paul’s “collaborators”. “The
apostle was open to the collaboration” of men and women, a sign that the “Church
is one”.
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Vatican City – Saints also disagreed among themselves and holiness does not
imply not making mistakes, but rather is one’s capacity to convert and repent,
to start all over, as the lives of some of Saint Paul’s collaborators show, i.e.
people who devoted their lives to spreading the Gospel.
Before 6,000 people gathered in the Paul VI
Hall for the general audience, the Pope today spoke of the behaviour of Saint
Paul’s companions, especially Barnabas, Silvanus and Apollos, who devoted
themselves to evangelisation.
Benedict XVI stressed first of all that all
three were part of a wider group. “The apostle is open to collaboration; he does
not try to do everything alone but relies of several helpers,” including women
like Phoebe and Prisca. Among these the Pope focused on three, who played a
particularly significant role in evangelisation.
The Pope said that Barnabas was one of the
first Christians who dedicated himself to evangelisation in Tarsus and Antioch
and almost “returned” Paul to the Church. He went on mission with the apostle
for what came to be known as the first missionary trip of the apostle of the
peoples.
“They were together at the so-called Council of
Jerusalem, where the apostles decided to separate circumcision from the
Christian identity”, thus opening the Church to the pagans.
Paul and Barnabas “quarrelled however during
their second missionary trip” over which comrade to bring along.
For Benedict XVI this shows that “even among
the saints there were disagreements” and this is “comforting”.
“Holiness does not come from the capacity of
not making mistakes;” instead, it grows from “the capacity to convert and
repent, to start all over. [. . .] The capacity for reconciliation and
forgiveness makes us saints,” he repeated
Silvanus o Silas was “a Jew from Jerusalem.”
Seen as a possible mediator between Jerusalem and Antioch, between Christians of
Jewish origin and others, he went on mission to Corinth. Co-sender of the Letter
to the Thessalonians, he is also mentioned in the first letter to Peter—“I write
you this briefly through Silvanus” worked together and that the “Church is one”.
Apollos, probably Apollonius, is especially
linked to the evangelisation of Ephesus and later Corinth where, according to
Luke, he was very useful to those who had become believers, showing through the
scriptures that Jesus was the messiah.
Apollos’ life is “problematic” because some
members of the Church opposed others in his name, forcing Paul to intervene
expressing appreciation for Apollos, but not for the Corinthians whom he accused
of tearing the body of Christ.
Some also believe Apollos is the author of the
Letter to the Hebrews.
All three have “in common their Jewish origin,
their devotion to Jesus and the Gospel, and the fact that all three collaborated
with the apostle Paul.”
“All three found the meaning of life in the
evangelising mission” and stand before us as luminous examples.
4th February 2007:
VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI
emphasized the sanctity of life "from conception to its natural
end," speaking Sunday against abortion and euthanasia, and urged
the faithful to defend traditional marriage as it faces
"multiple challenges."
"Life is
the work of God, and should not be denied to anyone, not even
the smallest and defenceless unborn child, especially not when
affected by grave disabilities," the pontiff said in his
traditional noon blessing, which fell on the day that the
Italian Church celebrates life.
The pontiff also warned against
legitimizing euthanasia "by masking it with a veil of human
compassion."
Vatican teaching holds that
defence of
life from conception to natural death rules out abortion and
euthanasia. Benedict has also been waging a campaign against any
moves by governments, including that of Italy, to legalize
unions other than those between married men and women.
He did not mention gay marriage on
Sunday, but noted that the family is affected "by a profound
crisis and must face multiple challenges. We must therefore
defend it, help it and protect it in its uniqueness."
The pontiff added that the
church and public institutions must support the family through
political as well as pastoral initiatives.
Pope says
lay movements can help bishops care
for their own souls
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A bishop can turn to Catholic lay
movements not only when he needs an organized group to implement
his pastoral plans, but also when he needs to care for his own
soul, Pope Benedict XVI said.
When a movement gathers its "bishop-friends" together, it helps
them experience "a more intense communion of hearts, a stronger
mutual support and a greater shared commitment to showing that
the church is a place of prayer and charity, a house of mercy
and peace," the pope said.
Pope Benedict spoke Feb. 8 at a joint audience for 80 bishops
participating in a conference sponsored by the Focolare movement
and 110 bishops attending a meeting organized by the Community
of Sant'Egidio.
The pope said that from his days as a professor in Germany he
has been convinced that "really, the movements are a gift of the
Holy Spirit to the church." The fact that the movements have
reached out to bishops who draw strength from their spirituality
and activities proves that "the diversity and unity of gifts and
ministries are inseparable in the life of the church," he said.
Pope Benedict said the variety of lay movements responds to the
variety of needs and blessings found among the world's peoples.
"In the rich Western world where, even though a culture of
relativism exists, at the same time there is a widespread desire
for spirituality, and your movements witness to the joy of the
faith and the beauty of being Christian," he said.
In the world's poorest countries, he said, "they communicate the
message of solidarity and make themselves the neighbours of the
poor and the weak" with love that is both human and divine.
The pope said "communion between bishops and the movements"
could be the spark needed for "a renewed commitment by the
church to proclaiming and witnessing the Gospel of hope and love
in every corner of the world."
He prayed that in forming solid friendships, the bishops and the
movements would help each other in the work of evangelization,
service to the poor and peacemaking.
Brown invites
Pope to visit UK
Friday February 9, 2007
 Pope Benedict XVI meets Gordon
Brown in Vatican City on February 9 2007.
Photograph: Arturo Mari L'Osservatore Romano/Vatican Pool/Getty
Images.
Gordon Brown reinforced his perceived
status as prime minister-in-waiting today by extending a personal
invitation for Pope Benedict XVI to visit Britain.
The chancellor offered his backing for a
visit during an audience with the Pope in Rome, where he has been
launching a scheme aimed at providing life-saving vaccines to millions
of children in the developing world.
It would be the first papal visit to the
UK since that of John Paul II in 1982. Tony Blair is believed to have
made a similar invitation during an audience with the pontiff last June.
Catholics
must ensure affection, spiritual
support for the sick
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholics must ensure that people who are sick,
especially the terminally ill, receive affection, spiritual support and
medical care to keep them comfortable, Pope Benedict XVI said.
Marking the World Day of the Sick Feb. 11 during his midday Angelus
address and an evening meeting with a Rome pilgrimage for the sick in
St. Peter's Basilica, the pope offered his prayers and his encouragement
to the suffering and to those who care for them.
During the Angelus, the pope called on physicians and researchers to do
more to develop palliative care for those with incurable illnesses,
ensuring them pain relief, loving attention and spiritual care.
In his evening address, the pope focused on the day's feast of Our Lady
of Lourdes and why so many sick people have found comfort in Mary.
Appearing in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France, Mary
reminded believers of God's special love for the poor and sick, and she
demonstrated the value of serene trust in God, even in situations of
extreme suffering, the pope said.
Quoting Pope Paul VI, Pope Benedict said the life of Mary and her
presence now with God in heaven are a testimony of "the victory of hope
over anguish, communion over solitude, peace over agitation, (and) joy
and beauty over tedium and nausea."
The pope said his predecessor's words should "enlighten our path, even
when it seems that hope and the certainty of healing seem to vanish;
they are words that I hope would be a comfort, especially for those
stricken by serious and painful diseases."
And, he said, they are words that seem to come to life at the Shrine of
Our Lady of Lourdes where thousands of sick people go each year to pray
for strength and healing.
The shrine is a place "where human pain and hope, fear and trust
intertwine," he said.
Pope Benedict called on all Christians to do what they can to help
people who are sick and suffering and to ensure that "no one ever feels
alone and abandoned, particularly in a situation of harsh suffering."
God's love is focus of Pope's
Lenten Message
2007
Vatican, Feb. 13, 2007 (CWNews.com) - In his Lenten Message for 2007,
Pope Benedict XVI invites Christians to reflect on the mysterious depth
of Christ’s love for mankind, exhibited on the Cross.
The theme of this year’s Lenten Message is “They shall look on Him
whom they have pierced.” The message was introduced to the press at a
February 13 news conference in Rome, with Archbishop Josef Cordes, the
president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, presiding.
[The
full text of the Pope's
Lenten Message is available on the Vatican web site.]
Archbishop Cordes remarked that in the past, papal messages for Lent
have usually concentrated on almsgiving and “works of charity in the
sense of the social commitment of Christians.” In this year’s message,
however, Pope Benedict places his focus squarely on God; the archbishop
noted that the message has “not an anthropocentric but a theocentric
emphasis.”
Retracing the theme of his encyclical Deus Caritas Est, the
Holy Father observes that God’s love for mankind includes the two forms
of love: agape and eros.
Agape, the Pope explains, is “the self-giving love of one who
looks exclusively for the good of the other. The word 'eros,' on the
other hand, denotes the love of one who desires to possess what one
lacks and yearns for union with the beloved.” God’s love for man is
clearly agape, in that man has nothing to give back to God,
except what God has given him. “But God's love is also eros,” the
Pope continues, in that the Almighty “awaits the ‘Yes’ of his creatures,
as a young bridegroom that of his bride.”
On the Cross, Jesus is “the unsurpassing revelation of God's love, a
love in which eros and agape, far from being opposed,
enlighten each other,” the Pope writes. That all-embracing love, he
continues, requires a response from believers.
During Lent, the Pope concludes, the faithful should strive to
respond more completely to God’s love, “to come out of ourselves in
order to open ourselves, in trustful abandonment, to the merciful
embrace of the Father.” Our response, the Pontiff adds, will impel us
toward charity for others, and lead us “to fight every form of contempt
for life and human exploitation and to alleviate the tragedies of
loneliness and abandonment of so many people.”
As he introduced the message to the press in Rome, Archbishop Cordes
suggested that the Pope had concentrated on the “theocentric” dimension
of faith in his message because “God seems to be the great missing
presence of our time, whether man knows it or not.”
The failure of contemporary society to acknowledge God’s existence is
a severe form of poverty, the archbishop said, and “the Pope cannot
accept this impoverishment.” Archbishop Cordes indicated that this was
the reason why the Pope’s Lenten Message concentrates on the love of God
rather than on almsgiving and corporal works of mercy. “The absence of
God,” he said, “is worse than material poverty because it kills all sure
hope and leaves man alone with his pain and grief."
Lent is for conversion, not self-realization, Pope
says
Vatican, Feb. 21, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Pope
Benedict XVI welcomed the arrival of Lent during his regular
public audience on Ash Wednesday, February 21.
Speaking to about 10,000 people in the Paul VI
auditorium, the Holy Father broke from his series of talks on
the apostolic Church to speak about the spiritual challenges of
Lent, saying that the penitential season is an invitation for
the faithful to experience “a new catechumenate in which we
return to our Baptism in order to rediscover it and experience
it more profoundly.”
During Lent, the Pontiff continued, Christians
should “train ourselves more earnestly to seek God.” He insisted
that the process of sacrifice and prayer should be seen as a
process of conversion and a striving for union with God rather
than an exercise in self-improvement.
“Self-realization is a contradiction,” the Pope
said, “and it is too little for us. We have a higher destiny.”
Pope Benedict called attention to his Lenten Message, which
emphasize Christ’s love for mankind, culminating in his
Sacrifice. “The Cross is the definitive revelation of love and
divine mercy,” he said. “ To enter into this mystery of love
there is no other way than that of losing ourselves, giving
ourselves, the Way of the Cross."
Vatican official acknowledges
liturgical crisis
Feb. 23, 2007 (CWNews.com) - In an unusually candid conversation with the
monthly Inside the Vatican, the secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation
for Divine Worship concedes that liturgical reform after Vatican II “has not
been able to achieve the expected goals,” and indicates that Pope Benedict XVI
is determined to address the crisis in Catholic liturgy.
In a lengthy interview, Archbishop Albert Malcom Ranjith Patabendige Don told
the Inside the Vatican that a revival of the Catholic liturgy is
essential to counteract the decline in practice among the faithful, particularly
in the Western world.
“Undoubtedly there have been positive results” from the post-concilar
liturgical renewal, the Sri Lankan prelate told interview Anthony Valle. But he
quickly added that “the negative effects seem to have been greater, causing much
disorientation in our ranks.”
Pope Benedict fully recognizes the crisis in the liturgy, the archbishop
says, and the time has now come “with the help of the Lord to make the necessary
corrections.”
Questioned about the prospects for a motu proprio in which Pope
Benedict XVI would allow wider use of the pre-conciliar Latin liturgy,
Archbishop Ranjith indicated that the document should be expected, although he
would not predict when it would appear or exactly what it would say. “With
regard to the timing and nature of the motu proprio,” he said, “nothing
yet is known. It is the Holy Father who will decide.’
The challenge that the Pontiff faces, Archbishop Ranjith said, is “not so
much a matter of the Tridentine Mass or of the Novus Ordo. It is just a question
of pastoral responsibility and sensitivity.” He added that “if the Holy Father
so desires, both could co-exist.” Wide use of the old Mass, he said, would not
require abandoning the post-conciliar liturgy. “But in the interaction of the
two Roman traditions, it is possible that the one may influence the other
eventually.”
The fundamental challenge, the archbishop said, is stop what he called
“freewheeling” liturgical innovation, and to recover the sense of the sacred.
Steps in that direction, he said, would bring Catholics back into more active
practice of the faith.
Archbishop Ranjith was unsparing in his analysis of the crisis facing
Catholicism today. Noting the decline in active Mass attendance, he said: “We
have to ask ourselves what happened in these churches and then take corrective
steps as may be necessary.”
The archbishop refused to accept some common explanations for the decline in
Catholic practice. “I do not think that this situation is attributable to
secularization only,” he said. “A deep crisis of faith coupled with a drive for
meaningless liturgical experimentation and novelty have had their own impact in
this matter.”
VATICAN:
Pope:
Prayer “matter of life and death” for
Christians
Taking his cue from the Transfiguration, Benedict XVI
said prayer was not a flight from reality but the full union of our will with
that of God. Next Saturday, the pope will lead a vigil that will see the
participation of students from Europe and Asia thanks to radio and television
links.
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Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Prayer, for the
Christian, “is not an optional but a matter of life and death. Only those who
pray, that is, those who entrust themselves to God with filial love, can enter
into eternal life, which is God himself.”
Taking his cue from the Transfiguration, Benedict
XVI chose to talk about prayer during the first Angelus following his Spiritual
Exercises. He was addressing 30,000 people in St Peter’s Square on a day
reminiscent of spring.
From the gospel passage from Luke, the pope noted
how on Mount Tabor, “during the conversation of Jesus with Moses and Elijah,
they appeared alongside Him transfigured. They ‘were speaking of his departure,
which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem’ (9:31). Thus, Jesus listens to
the Law and the prophets who talk to him about his death and resurrection. In
his intimate dialogue with the Father, he does not exit from history; he does
not escape the mission for which he came to the world, although he knows that to
reach glory he will have to pass through the Cross. Rather, Christ enters more
deeply into this mission, adhering with all his heart to the will of the Father
and he shows us that true prayer consists precisely of uniting our will with
that of God.”
“Consequently, for a Christian, praying is not
evading reality and the responsibilities this entails, but taking them on
completely, trusting in the faithful and endless love of the Lord. Thus, the
verification of the transfiguration is, paradoxically, the agony of Gethsemane (cfr
Lk 22:39-46).” From here comes the affirmation that prayer for the Christian “is
not an optional but a matter of life and death. Only those who pray, that is,
those who entrust themselves to God with filial love, can enter into eternal
life, which is God himself.”
Benedict XVI added: “During this time of Lent,
let us ask Mary, Mother of the Word Incarnate and Teacher of Spiritual Life, to
teach us to pray as her Son did, so that our existence may be transformed by the
light of his presence.”
After the recital of the Marian prayer, the Pope
mentioned a Marian vigil which he will lead next Saturday 10 March. The meeting
is for young university students of Rome but thanks to radio and television
links, students from other countries of Europe and Asia will also be able to
take part. Benedict XVI said: “Let us invoke the intercession of Mary, Sedes
Sapientiae, so that the Lord may send witnesses of the truth of the gospel
to build a civilization of love in these two continents and the rest of the
world.”
Confession taps God's
infinite love, Pope says
Vatican, Mar. 16, 2007 - Pope Benedict XVI emphasized the importance of
sacramental confession at a March 16 meeting of participants in a conference
organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary.
The sacrament of reconciliation shows “the inexhaustible spring of divine
love,” the Holy Father said. “Only from this spiritual spring is it possible
to draw the interior energy indispensable for defeating evil and sin in the
ceaseless struggle that marks our earthly pilgrimage towards the heavenly
homeland."
Priests should prepare themselves carefully to administer the sacrament,
the Pope said. He urged priests to encourage more people to make regular use
of confession, and to recognize their duty “to make known the merciful love
of God” to penitent sinners.
Proper appreciation of the sacrament of penance is especially important
in our time, the Pope observed, because contemporary culture “wishes for
self-sufficiency” and applauds the mistaken belief that people can prosper
without calling upon God’s mercy. The result, he said, is evident in the
emptiness and loneliness felt by so many people today.
Date: 2007-04-04
Christ Still Conquers Sin With Love, Pope Says
Dedicates Audience to Reflect on Easter
Triduum
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 4, 2007.
The paschal mystery is not just something from the past, but remains a current
reality since Christ continues to overcome sin with love, Benedict XVI says.
The Pope said this today during the general audience in St. Peter's Square,
attended by some 20,000 people. The Holy Father's address reflected on the
Easter triduum, which begins Thursday.
Benedict XVI explained that "the paschal mystery, which the holy triduum allows
us to relive, is not only a memory of a past reality. It is a current reality:
Today, too, Christ overcomes sin and death with his love. Evil, in all of its
forms, does not have the final word. The final triumph belongs to Christ, to
truth, to love!"
The Pope began his reflection commenting on scenes from the Upper Room, drawing
on the Gospel reading of today's Mass.
The Pontiff reflected on Judas' betrayal: "When the traitor exits the Upper
Room, darkness penetrates his heart -- it is an internal night -- discouragement
grows in the spirits of the other disciples -- they too go toward the night --
while the shadows of abandonment and hate grow darker around the Son of Man, who
prepares himself for the consummation of his sacrifice on the cross.
"In the coming days, we will commemorate the supreme battle between Light and
Darkness, between Life and Death."
Spiritual benefits - The Holy Father encouraged the faithful to "place ourselves
within this context -- aware of our own 'night,' of our sins and
responsibilities -- if we want to spiritually benefit again from the paschal
mystery, if we want to bring light to our hearts, by way of this mystery, which
is the centre point of our faith."
After highlighting elements from Holy Thursday and Good Friday, Benedict XVI
commented on the celebrations of Holy Saturday.
"In the Easter Vigil," he said, "the veil of sadness, which surrounds the Church
during the death and burial of the Lord, will be torn in two by the victorious
cry: Christ has risen and has overcome death forever! Then we can truly
understand the mystery of the cross."
The Pope added: "We will experience that the Church is always alive, always
renewing itself, always beautiful and holy, because its foundation is Christ,
who, having risen, will never die again."
Excerpts from the text of Pope Benedict XVI's 'Urbi et Orbi' Easter speech 2007
Dear Brothers and Sisters throughout the world,
Men and women of good will!
Christ is risen! Peace to you! Today we celebrate the great mystery, the foundation of Christian faith and hope: Jesus of Nazareth, the Crucified One, has risen from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures. ...
... How many wounds, how much suffering there is in the world! Natural calamities and human tragedies that cause innumerable victims and enormous material destruction are not lacking.
My thoughts go to recent events in Madagascar, in the Solomon Islands, in Latin America and in other regions of the world.
I am thinking of the scourge of hunger, of incurable diseases, of terrorism and kidnapping of people, of the thousand faces of violence which some people attempt to justify in the name of religion, of contempt for life, of the violation of human rights and the exploitation of persons.
I look with apprehension at the conditions prevailing in several regions of Africa. In Darfur and in the
neighbouring countries there is a catastrophic, and sadly to say underestimated, humanitarian situation. In Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the violence and looting of the past weeks raises fears for the future of the Congolese democratic process and the reconstruction of the country. In Somalia the renewed fighting has driven away the prospect of peace and worsened a regional crisis, especially with regard to the displacement of populations and the traffic of arms. Zimbabwe is in the grip of a grievous crisis and for this reason the Bishops of that country in a recent document indicated prayer and a shared commitment for the common good as the only way forward.
Likewise the population of East Timor stands in need of reconciliation and peace as it prepares to hold important elections. Elsewhere too, peace is sorely needed: in Sri Lanka only a negotiated solution can put an end to the conflict that causes so much bloodshed; Afghanistan is marked by growing unrest and instability; In the Middle East, besides some signs of hope in the dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian authority, nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees.
In Lebanon the paralysis of the country's political institutions threatens the role that the country is called to play in the Middle East and puts its future seriously in jeopardy. Finally, I cannot forget the difficulties faced daily by the Christian communities and the exodus of Christians from that blessed Land which is the cradle of our faith. I affectionately renew to these populations the expression of my spiritual closeness.
Dear Brothers and sisters, through the wounds of the Risen Christ we can see the evils which afflict humanity with the eyes of hope. In fact, by his rising the Lord has not taken away suffering and evil from the world but has vanquished them at their roots by the superabundance of his grace. He has countered the arrogance of evil with the supremacy of his love. He has left us the love that does not fear death, as the way to peace and joy. "Even as I have loved you he said to his disciples before his death so you must also love one another" (cf. Jn 13:34).
Brothers and sisters in faith, who are listening to me from every part of the world! Christ is risen and he is alive among us. It is he who is the hope of a better future. ....
Copyright by Vatican Publishing House
Catholic-Orthodox Unity
17th June 2007
Pope Benedict XVI told a visiting Cypriot Orthodox leader Saturday that he holds firm hope that the Catholic and Orthodox churches can be united, despite centuries of painful division. They also explored how the two sides could work together on bioethical issues and other concerns.
Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus has offered to play the role of mediator to try to arrange a groundbreaking meeting between the pope and the Orthodox patriarch of Moscow, Alexy II. That encounter eluded the late John Paul II in his long papacy because of Catholic-Orthodox tensions following the demise of Soviet communism. There were no immediate details about whether their talks yielded progress on arranging a meeting between the pontiff and the patriarch. Chrysostomos scheduled a news conference for later Saturday.
Chrysostomos has contended that Benedict's background as a theologian with a good grasp of Orthodox theology would help the process of reuniting the two churches that split nearly 1,000 years ago.
The Russian church accuses Roman Catholics of improperly seeking converts in areas that traditionally would be Russian Orthodox. The Vatican has rejected the proselytizing accusations, saying it is only ministering to Russia's tiny Catholic community of about 600,000 people in a country of 144 million.
"I welcome you with joy," Benedict told the Cypriot. Despite "centuries-old divisions, diverging roads and despite the hard work of closing painful wounds, the Lord has never ceased to guide our steps on the path toward unity and reconciliation," the pontiff said at a ceremony after the two men held private talks for more than 30 minutes. In a joint statement signed by both leaders, they pledged to "intensify the search for full unity among all Christians."
Benedict described the archbishop's visit as a "very useful initiative to make us progress toward the unity desired by Christ."
The Vatican sees the Orthodox church as a logical partner in its efforts to push its conservative agenda on bioethical, social and moral issues, including opposition to embryonic stem cell research, abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage. Benedict and Chrysostomos signed a joint statement indicating such collaboration was desired. The statement said the two "reflected on a new opportunity that is opening up for more intense contacts and more concrete collaboration between our Churches." "We need to enliven the Christian roots of Europe," they said.
"Catholics and Orthodox in Europe are called to offer renewed common witness on ethical values," the two men declared. They expressed "serious worry" about bioethical issues, saying: "There is in fact the risk that certain techniques applied to genetics .... will end up harming the dignity of man," they said.
Message of St. Francis distorted by secularism, Pope says.
Assisi, Jun. 18, 2007 - The spirit of
St. Francis of Assisi is "mutilated" by contemporary enthusiasts who portray
the great Christian leader as an early environmentalist, Pope Benedict XVI
said during his June 17 visit to Assisi.
Secular admirers ignore the most salient aspect of the life of St. Francis, his radical commitment to Christ, the Pope said. The greatest passion of his life, from which all his other attractive qualities flowed, was his thirst for sanctity, the Holy Father added. The misunderstanding of St. Francis today is symptomatic of a wider problem, the Pope continued. "Ever more often, Christians in our time find themselves facing the tendency to accept a diminished Christ, admired in His extraordinary humanity but rejected in the profound mystery of His divinity." St. Francis himself utterly rejected that approach, as did St. Clare, the Pope remarked. The example that they set by their work in
Assisi "call out for this city to distinguish itself for its particular missionary energy," he said. Pope Benedict reminded his listeners of the
motu proprio that he issued two years ago, providing a new system of governance for the papal basilicas of Assisi, to ensure that the sites associated with St. Francis bear an accurate witness to the saint's missionary commitment. He said that the new system has been received with "great willingness and collaboration" by the religious of Assisi, and the reforms are sure to foster new spiritual growth.
Pope speaks on
Christian concept
of freedom.
Vatican, Jul. 2, 2007 - At his July
1 Angelus audience, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the Christian conception of
freedom, citing the example set by Jesus on his approach to Jerusalem.
Christ "in obedience to the will of the Father, offered Himself for love," the
Pope observed. This was a perfect act of freedom, "as an informed choice
motivated by love."
The Son of God "did not practice his freedom as arbitrariness or dominion," the
Holy Father continued. His example "He gave meaning to freedom, otherwise would
have remained as an empty possibility of doing or not doing a particular thing."
For Christians, the Pope concluded, freedom means "to follow Christ in the
giving of self even unto sacrifice on the Cross. It may seem a paradox, but the
high point of the Lord's freedom was on the cross: the pinnacle of love."
Christians throughout the centuries have followed Christ's example and realized
their ultimate freedom under the threat of death or torture, the Pope said. Thus
they have born witness to the maxim that "the truth will make you free."
Consumerism, hedonism
will be defeated by God's love, Pope says
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) -- The seemingly invincible ideologies of
consumerism and hedonism and the reign of violence and terror will all be
defeated by God's love, Pope Benedict XVI said.
"It still seems impossible today to think that God ... is the true ruler of the
world," the pope said during his homily Aug. 15, the feast of the Assumption of
the Blessed Virgin Mary.
But, in the end, "love wins, not selfishness," material power and hatred, he
said to an audience of several hundred local parishioners.
The pope's comments came while he celebrated Mass at St. Thomas Church in Castel
Gandolfo, where the papal summer residence is located, south of Rome.
Giving his homily without using a text or notes, the pope said that according to
St. Augustine, human history has been driven by a struggle between two kinds of
love: love for God in which one "loses oneself and gives oneself" totally to him
and loving oneself to "the point of disparaging God and hating others."
Pope Benedict said this selfish love versus true love can be seen in the two
images present in the feast day's first reading from the Book of Revelation, an
account of the encounter between the powerful dragon and the defenceless woman.
The dragon, he said, represents "power without mercy, without love, of absolute
selfishness, terror, violence" as well as all "materialistic dictatorships"
throughout history, including the Nazi and Stalinist regimes.
"Even today the dragon exists in new and different ways," he said.
It is present in the form of materialistic ideologies that consider God as
something expendable or pointless and that maintain life is all about
"consumption, selfishness, amusement" and "taking all there is to get in this
brief lifetime," the pope said.
"Once again it seems absurd, impossible to defy this dominant mentality,"
especially with the support it gets in the media, he said.
But, "nonetheless, we know that in the end the defenceless woman won" the battle
against the dragon, signalling the victory of God's love, he said.
The woman clothed with the sun and with the moon under her feet represents the
Mary "living totally in God ... penetrated by the light of God" and conquering
death, said the pope.
"She tells us: 'Have courage. In the end love wins,'" he said, adding that this
love entailed living her life as a servant of God and giving herself totally to
God and others.
The feast of the Assumption "is an invitation to have faith in God, to imitate
Mary" and "to give our lives, not seize life," Pope Benedict said.
Love is stronger than hatred, he said, and the seemingly weak God, who came to
the world as a baby, is strong. Though faith in God may seem weak against all
earthly powers, it "is the true power in the world," said the pope.
After celebrating the morning Mass, the pope recited the midday Angelus prayer
with visitors gathered in the courtyard of the papal villa.
During the Angelus address, he said Mary's assumption, body and soul, into
heaven did not mean Mary "has left us, but she is even closer to us, and her
light beams down on our lives and on all of human history" as she looks over and
protects everyone.
"We all need her help and comfort in order to face each day's trials and
challenges; we have a need to feel that she is our mother and sister in
everyday, concrete situations," he said.
Pope Benedict called on the faithful gathered in the papal courtyard to imitate
Mary with a humble devotion to Christ "and generous service" to others.
'Jesus is like a ‘Narrow
Gate’ and Mary like ‘Heaven’s Gate’
Following Christ in a life of
love, mercy and truth is the ‘identity card’ needed to be friends with Jesus and
the ‘passport’ to enter eternal life.
Castel Gandolfo (AsiaNews) – “Dear brothers and sisters, if we want to . . .
pass through the narrow gate, we must commit ourselves to being small, that is
humble of heart like Jesus; like Mary, His and our mother. . . . Christians call
upon Her as Ianua Caeli, Heaven’s Gate. Let us ask Her to guide us in
our daily choices, take us to the path that leads to ‘Heaven’s Gate’.”
In today’s Angelus Benedict XVI joined the
devotion to Mary and the Gospel’s needs by explaining a ‘perplexing’ passage
from the Holy Scriptures quoted in this Sunday’s liturgy, when Jesus said:
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to
enter but will not be strong enough (Lk 13:23-24).”
The Pontiff explained that in Christianity there
are not “privileged gateways”. “The gateway to eternal life is open to all, but
is ‘narrow’ because it is demanding, requires commitment, abnegation and denial
of one’s own selfishness”.
What is more, “he is the one Redeemer inviting us
to his feast of immortal life, but on one and only condition, that of following
and imitating him, bearing as He did our own cross and devoting one’s life to
one’s brothers. This is the single, universal condition to join the heavenly
life.”
“On the last day,” Benedict XVI added, “it is not
on the basis of alleged privileges that we shall be judged but on the merit of
our deeds. The ‘agents of iniquity’ will find themselves excluded whilst those
who did good deeds at the cost of sacrifices shall be welcomed. It will not be
enough to say that ‘I was a friend” of Christ, and claim false merits like: ‘We
ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets’ (Lk
13:26). True friendship for Jesus is expressed in how one lives; in the goodness
of one’s heart; in one’s humility, kindness and mercy, in one’s love for justice
and truth; in one’s sincere commitment to peace and reconciliation. This, we
might say, is the ‘identity card’ that qualifies us as true ‘friends;’ it is the
‘passport’ that will let us enter eternal life.”
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