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Papal Teaching
Benedict XVI's Midnight Mass Homily
"God Finds a Space, Even If It Means Entering Through the Stable"
VATICAN CITY, DEC. 24, 2007 - Here is a
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Dear Brothers and Sisters,
"The time came for Mary to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn" (Lk 2:6f.). These words touch our hearts every time we hear them. This was the moment that the angel had foretold at
Saint John, in his Gospel, went to the heart of the matter, giving added depth to Saint Luke's brief account of the situation in Bethlehem: "He came to his own home, and his own people received him not" (Jn 1:11). This refers first and foremost to
These words refer ultimately to us, to each individual and to society as a whole. Do we have time for our neighbour who is in need of a word from us, from me, or in need of my affection? For the sufferer who is in need of help? For the fugitive or the refugee who is seeking asylum? Do we have time and space for God? Can he enter into our lives? Does he find room in us, or have we occupied all the available space in our thoughts, our actions, our lives for ourselves?
Thank God, this negative detail is not the only one, nor the last one that we find in the Gospel. Just as in Luke we encounter the maternal love of Mary and the fidelity of Saint Joseph, the vigilance of the shepherds and their great joy, just as in Matthew we encounter the visit of the wise men, come from afar, so too John says to us: "To all who received him, he gave power to become children of God" (Jn 1:12). There are those who receive him, and thus, beginning with the stable, with the outside, there grows silently the new house, the
In some Christmas scenes from the late Middle Ages and the early modern period, the stable is depicted as a crumbling palace. It is still possible to recognize its former splendour, but now it has become a ruin, the walls are falling down - in fact, it has become a stable. Although it lacks any historical basis, this metaphorical interpretation nevertheless expresses something of the truth that is hidden in the mystery of Christmas. David's throne, which had been promised to last for ever, stands empty. Others rule over the
Gregory of Nyssa, in his Christmas homilies, developed the same vision setting out from the Christmas message in the Gospel of John: "He pitched his tent among us" (Jn 1:14). Gregory applies this passage about the tent to the tent of our body, which has become worn out and weak, exposed everywhere to pain and suffering. And he applies it to the whole universe, torn and disfigured by sin. What would he say if he could see the state of the world today, through the abuse of energy and its selfish and reckless exploitation? Anselm of Canterbury, in an almost prophetic way, once described a vision of what we witness today in a polluted world whose future is at risk: "Everything was as if dead, and had lost its dignity, having been made for the service of those who praise God. The elements of the world were oppressed, they had lost their splendour because of the abuse of those who enslaved them for their idols, for whom they had not been created" (PL 158, 955f.). Thus, according to Gregory's vision, the stable in the Christmas message represents the ill-treated world. What Christ rebuilds is no ordinary palace. He came to restore beauty and dignity to creation, to the universe: this is what began at Christmas and makes the angels rejoice. The Earth is restored to good order by virtue of the fact that it is opened up to God, it obtains its true light anew, and in the harmony between human will and divine will, in the unification of height and depth, it regains its beauty and dignity. Thus Christmas is a feast of restored creation. It is in this context that the Fathers interpret the song of the angels on that holy night: it is an expression of joy over the fact that the height and the depth, Heaven and Earth, are once more united; that man is again united to God. According to the Fathers, part of the angels' Christmas song is the fact that now angels and men can sing together and in this way the beauty of the universe is expressed in the beauty of the song of praise. Liturgical song - still according to the Fathers - possesses its own peculiar dignity through the fact that it is sung together with the celestial choirs. It is the encounter with Jesus Christ that makes us capable of hearing the song of the angels, thus creating the real music that fades away when we lose this singing-with and hearing-with.
In the stable at
A Christless Christmas Is Senseless, Says Pope
Notes That Without God-Made-Man, It's an "Empty Holiday"
VATICAN CITY, DEC. 19, 2007 - A Christmas celebrated without mention of the birth of Christ is an "empty holiday," said Benedict XVI in a meditation given during the final days of Advent.
"What sense does it make to celebrate Christmas if we don't acknowledge that God has become man," the Pope asked today upon delivering a reflection on Christmas at the general audience in Paul VI Hall.
The Holy Father began his address with a commentary on justice. "We all await justice," he said, but "the Christian significance of waiting for justice, implies that we begin to live under the eyes of the Judge, according to the criteria of the Judge."
Being vigilant during Advent, said the Pontiff, "means to live under the eyes of the Judge and to prepare ourselves and the world for justice. By living under the eyes of the God-Judge, we can open the world to the arrival of his Son, preparing our heart to welcome 'the Lord who comes.'"
Benedict XVI continued: "The Child, adored 2,000 years ago by the shepherds in a
"As he waits, the believer becomes the spokesperson for the hopes of all humankind; humanity longs for justice, and thus, though often unaware, waits for God, waits for the salvation that only God can give us."
Come!
The wait "is marked by assiduous prayer," said the Pope, so that the arrival of the Son of God comes more quickly.
"This faith in the Creator Logos, in the Word that created the world, in the one who came like a Child, this faith and its great hope seem to be far from our daily public and private reality," the Pontiff lamented. "The world is becoming more chaotic and violent: We witness this every day. And the light of God, the light of Truth, is being put out. Life is becoming dark and without a compass."
"It is therefore very important that we are true believers, and as believers, that we reaffirm forcefully, with our lives, the mystery of salvation that comes with the celebration of Christ's birth," he said. "In
Best wishes
The Holy Father continued with various Christmas wishes: "We ask God that violence be defeated by the power of love, that opposition be replaced by reconciliation, that the desire to dominate be transformed into desires for forgiveness, justice and peace.
"May the wishes of kindness and love that we exchange in these days reach all sectors of our daily lives. May peace be in our hearts, so that we can be open to the action of God's mercy. May peace live in all families and may they spend Christmas united before the crib and the tree decorated with lights.
"May the Christmas message of solidarity and welcome contribute to create a deeper sensibility toward old and new types of poverty, and toward the common good that we are all called to share."
"May all family members," he added, "especially the children and the elderly -- the weakest ones -- feel the warmth of this feast, and may that warmth spread out through every day of the year. May Christmas be a celebration of peace and joy: joy for the birth of the Savior, Prince of peace."
"Like the shepherds," said the Holy Father, "we hasten our steps toward
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Christmas Is About Christ, Benedict XVI Affirms
VATICAN CITY, DEC. 14, 2007 .- In reflecting on the meaning of the Christmas tree, Benedict XVI affirmed that Christmas is a Christian holiday, and that its symbols make important references to the incarnation and birth of Christ.
The Pope said this today upon receiving in audience a delegation from the autonomous Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige/South Tyrol, led by the regional president and the mayor of the village of San Martino in Badia/St. Martin in Thurn.
The fir, which will stand next to the Nativity scene through Christmas, "is an important symbol of Christ's nativity because with its evergreen leaves it recalls the life that does not die," said the Holy Father. "The fir is also a symbol of the popular religiosity in your valleys, which finds particular expression in processions."
The Pontiff continued: "The tree and the Nativity scene are elements of that typical Christmas atmosphere which is part of the spiritual heritage of our communities; an atmosphere suffused with religiosity and family intimacy which we must conserve even in our modern societies where the race to consumerism and the search for material goods sometimes seem to prevail."
"Christmas is a Christian feast," added Benedict XVI, "and its symbols, especially the nativity scene and the tree hung with gifts, are important references to the great mystery of the incarnation and the birth of Jesus, which are constantly evoked by the liturgy of Advent and Christmas."
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Draw Close to God This Advent, Urges Pope
Reflects on St. Chromatius, Bishop of Aquileia
VATICAN CITY, DEC. 5, 2007 - Advent is a time to be in close contact with God, the one who knows and loves mankind, says Benedict XVI.
The Pope said this today in Paul VI Hall, addressing those gathered to participate in the general audience. He dedicated his catechesis to the figure of St. Chromatius, bishop of
"St. Chromatius reminds us that Advent is a time of prayer," said the Holy Father, "and that it is necessary to be in contact with God. God knows us, he knows me, he knows all of us, he loves me, he won't leave me."
Chromatius was the bishop of the northern Italian town of
Benedict XVI continued: "Chromatius was born in
"After receiving the episcopal consecration from Bishop Ambrose, he devoted himself to a task that was challenging due to the vastness of the territory entrusted to his pastoral care:
The Pontiff said the bishop most likely "died in exile, in Grado, while attempting to escape from the raids of the barbarians in 407."
The Holy Father indicated that of St. Chromatius' works, more than 40 sermons and over 60 commentaries on the Gospel of St. Matthew survive.
"He was wise master and a zealous pastor," said the Pope. "In his teaching he always began from the word of God and returned to the word of God."
Benedict XVI pointed out that several themes he particularly focused on included the Trinity, the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary.
The Pope pointed out how the saint described Mary in various ways such as "the evangelical virgin capable of accepting God," and compared her to the Church, saying both are "virgins and mothers."
The Holy Father then explained that "Chromatius' ecclesiology is developed above all in his commentary on Matthew," where he writes that "The Church is unique; it was born from the blood of Christ."
Chromatius "knew how to speak to his people with fresh, colorful and sharp language," said the Pontiff. "Like a good Shepherd, in a tumultuous time like his own, where barbarian raids threatened the world, he stayed at the side of the faithful to comfort them and to open their souls to God, who never abandons his children."
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Replace Fear With Trust in God, Says Pope
Notes Christ Is Alpha and Omega of History
The Pope said this today before leading the praying of the midday Angelus in St. Peter's Square. Reflecting on the Gospel of St. Luke, the Holy Father said that Jesus invited his disciples "to face difficulties, misunderstandings and even persecutions with trust, persevering in faith in him."
"History must follow its course," said the Pontiff, "which also brings human dramas and natural calamities with it. A plan of salvation that Christ has already carried out in his incarnation, death, and resurrection develops in history.
"The Church continues to proclaim and realize this mystery through preaching, the celebration of the sacraments and the witness of charity."
"Let us welcome Christ's invitation," he said, "to face daily events trusting in his providential love. Let us not be afraid of the future, even when it appears bleak to us, for the God of Jesus Christ, who took up history to open it up to its transcendent fulfillment, is its alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.
"He guarantees that in every little but genuine act of love the meaning of the whole universe is contained, and those who do not hesitate to lose their lives for him, will find them again in fullness."
Benedict XVI then turned his attention to consecrated persons, and especially those living in cloistered communities, who he said "have placed their life without reserve at the service of the
Recalling that the Church will remember its cloistered members in a special way on Wednesday, the memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the temple, the Pope said, "We owe much to these persons who live by what providence procures for them through the generosity of the faithful."
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Pope Says Missionary Work Has Only Just Begun
Notes Cooperation of Laypeople Adds Needed Spark
The Pope said this today when he received in audience some 100 superiors-general from missionary societies of apostolic life. The religious are in
"Your assembly," the Holy Father told the group, "bears eloquent witness to the continuing vitality of the missionary impulse in the Church and the spirit of communion uniting your members [...] to the Successor of Peter and his universal apostolic ministry."
He continued, "Within the hierarchical unity of the Body of Christ, enriched by the variety of gifts and charisms bestowed by the Spirit, communion with the successors of the apostles remains the criterion and guarantee of the spiritual fruitfulness of all missionary activity. For the Church's communion in faith, hope and love is itself the sign and foretaste of that unity and peace which is God's plan in Christ for the whole human family."
"One of the promising indications of a renewal in the Church's missionary consciousness in recent decades," added the Pontiff in his English-language address, "has been the growing desire of many lay men and women [...] to cooperate generously in the 'missio ad gentes.' As Vatican Council II stressed, the work of evangelization is a fundamental duty incumbent upon the whole People of God.
"Given the extent and the importance of the contribution made by [laypeople] [...] the proper forms of their cooperation should naturally be governed by specific statutes and clear directives respectful of each institute's proper canonical identity."
Benedict XVI expressed his gratitude to all the missionaries who, "today as in the past [...] continue to leave their families and homes, often at great sacrifice, for the sole purpose of proclaiming the good news of Christ and serving him in their brothers and sisters. Many of them, also in our time, have heroically confirmed their preaching by the shedding of their blood, and contributed to establishing the Church in distant lands."
Despite the "decrease in the number of young people who are attracted to missionary societies, and a consequent decline in missionary outreach [...] the mission 'ad gentes' is still only beginning," he affirmed. "While conscious of the challenges you face, I encourage you to follow faithfully in the footsteps of your founders, and to stir into flame the charisms and apostolic zeal which you have inherited from them, confident that Christ will continue to work with you and to confirm your preaching with signs of his presence and power."
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God Speaks Through Scripture, Says Pontiff
Notes Importance of Personal Contact With Bible
The Pope said this today to 40,000 people who had gathered in St. Peter's Square to participate in the general audience, which he dedicated to the biblical exegete
The Holy Father said that the Bible was at the center of Jerome's life. The biblical scholar translated what is considered the official text of the Bible in Latin, known as the Vulgate.
The Pontiff recounted that Jerome lived for a time as a hermit in the desert, where he dedicated himself to serious study of, among other things, Greek and Hebrew. "The meditation, the solitude, the contact with the word of God matured his Christian sensibility," he said.
It was later in
Benedict XVI said of the biblical exegete: "His literary preparation and vast erudition allowed Jerome to revise and translate many Biblical texts: an invaluable service for the Latin Church and for Western culture."
Reflecting on what the Church of today can learn from Jerome, the Pope said, "Above all I think it is this: to love the word of God in sacred Scripture.
"That is why it is important that every Christian live in contact and in personal dialogue with the word of God, given to us in sacred Scripture."
Benedict XVI said this dialogue should have a personal and a communal dimension: "It should be truly personal, because God speaks to each of us through sacred Scripture and has a message for each of us. We shouldn't read sacred Scripture as a word from the past, but rather as the word of God addressed even to us, and we must try to understand what the Lord is telling us."
He added: "We must also keep in mind that the word of God is given to us in order to build communion, to unite us in the truth along our way to God.
"Therefore, despite the fact that it is always a personal word, it is also a word that builds community, and that builds the Church itself. Therefore, we should read it in communion with the living Church."
The Pope pointed out that "the privileged place for reading and listening to the word of God is in the liturgy. By celebrating the word and rendering the Body of Christ present in the sacrament, we bring the word into our life and make it alive and present among us."
"We should never forget that the word of God transcends time," said the Holy Father. "Human opinions come and go; what is very modern today will be old tomorrow. But the word of God is the word of eternal life, it carries within itself eternity, which is always valuable. Carrying within ourselves the word of God, we also carry eternal life."
Quoting Jerome, the Pontiff concluded, "Let us seek to learn on earth those truths which will remain ever valid in heaven."
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Christ Wants a Universal Church, Pope Says
Greets Bishops From a "Multiconfessional Environment"
VATICAN CITY, MAY 4, 2007 Benedict XVI met with prelates from a bishops' conference based in Belgrade and reminded them that Christ wanted his Church to be open to everyone.
The Pope said that today during an audience with prelates from the International Episcopal Conference of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. The bishops were in
The Holy Father said: "The various countries and the various social and religious environments in which your faithful live bring no small number of repercussions to their Christian life."
The Pontiff mentioned specifically questions such as "marriages between people of different confessions or religions which require ... particular spiritual attention and a more harmonious cooperation with other
He said: "It is important to help seminarians" and for priests "to cultivate an intimate relationship with Jesus if they wish to accomplish their mission to the full and not just see themselves as simple 'employees' of an ecclesiastical organization. The priest is at the complete service of the Church, a living and spiritual organism that draws her energy not from nationalistic, ethnic or political factors, but from the action of Christ present in her ministers."
Catholicity
Benedict XVI recalled that Christ founded a universal Church: "Over the course of the centuries, tradition maintained [the Church's] universalistic character unaltered as she slowly spread and came into contact with different languages, races, nationalities and cultures."
The Pope thus encouraged the bishops "to be an evangelical 'leavening' that ferments society" and to seek to involve "all members of the People of God, using all available tools of Christian formation, translated into the various languages of the people."
"Today, a poorly understood modernity tends to give exaggerated emphasis to the requirements of the individual, to the detriment of the duties that all people have towards God and towards the community to which they belong," he said.
It is important "to highlight a correct conception of civil and public responsibility, because from such a vision arises the commitment to respect the rights of each, and the real integration of one's own culture with that of others," the Holy Father added.
Reconstruction
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"Unfortunately there is no lack of obstacles: the scarcity of means because of the economic situation, and the paucity of Catholic forces. Nor is it easy to forget the difficult heritage of 40 years of" communism "that gave rise to forms of social behavior not conducive to freedom and personal responsibility. At the same time, it is difficult to resist the temptation of Western materialism."
"Do not lose heart!" the Pope urged the bishops.
He told the prelates that the Lord "has put you in close contact with our Orthodox brethren. As limbs of the one Body, seek all possible forms of collaboration in the service of the one
"Do not be unwilling to collaborate with other Christian confessions and with all people of good will in order to promote everything that may help propagate the values of the Gospel."
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Pope: Cross Shows God Is Close to Us
Leads Via Crucis at Colosseum
At the conclusion of the Way of the Cross, Benedict XVI connected Christ's passion and death with the suffering of contemporary man.
The Pope retraced the 14 stations this Good Friday at the Colosseum, beginning with the
Contemplating the sufferings of Christ, the Pontiff said, must "open the eyes of our hearts … help us to see with the heart."
The Bishop of Rome carried the cross in the first and the last station. He said that "converting to Christ, becoming Christian," means "receiving a heart of flesh, a heart sensitive to the passion and the suffering of others."
"Our God is not a distant God, untouchable in his blessedness. Our God has a heart, indeed a heart of flesh," he added.
Benedict XVI said that Christ "became flesh precisely to suffer with us and to be with us in our sufferings. He became man to give us a heart of flesh and to awaken in us a love for those who suffer, for those in need."
The Pope ended the meditation praying "for all those in the world who are suffering," and that Christians be messengers of the love of Christ "not only with words but with our entire life."
Participating
Young people carried the cross for some of the stations. Among them was a girl from
Tens of thousands of pilgrims participated in the Way of the Cross live at the Colosseum. The images were transmitted directly to 41 countries by 67 television networks.
The meditations were composed by Monsignor Gianfranco Ravasi, prefect of the Ambrosian Library and Gallery of Milan.
In the ninth station -- Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem -- Monsignor Ravasi, a biblical scholar, echoes the silent wailing of "all those women who have been abused and raped, ostracized and subjected to shameful tribal practices, anxious women left to raise their children alone, Jewish and Palestinian mothers, and those from all countries at war, widows and the elderly forgotten by their children."
"It is a long line of women who bear witness before an arid and pitiless world to the gift of tenderness and compassion, even as they did for the Son of Mary on that late morning in Jerusalem," he wrote. "They teach us the beauty of emotions: that we should not be ashamed when our heart is moved by compassion, when tears sometimes come to our eyes, when we feel the need of a caress and comforting words."
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Benedict XVI Extols Sacrament of Penance
Says Priests Need to Make It a Priority
The baptised need to rediscover the sacrament of reconciliation so that they can experience "the boundless renewing power of divine love," says Benedict XVI. The Pope said this today when receiving in audience Cardinal James Stafford, major penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary, with the prelates and officials of that tribunal, as well as the penitentiary fathers of the patriarchal basilicas of
"In the gesture of absolution, uttered in the name and on account of the Church, the confessor becomes the conscious means of a wonderful event of grace," the Holy Father said in his address. "On adhering with docility to the magisterium of the Church, he becomes minister of the consoling mercy of God, makes the reality of sin manifest and at the same time the boundless renewing power of divine love, a love that gives life again," the Pontiff added. Thus confession becomes "a spiritual rebirth, which transforms the penitent into a new creature," he stated.
Only God
Benedict XVI continued: "Only God can realise this miracle of grace, and he does so through the words and gestures of the priest. On experiencing the Lord's tenderness and forgiveness, the penitent more easily acknowledges the gravity of sin and reinforces his decision to avoid it and to remain and grow in his renewed friendship with him. "In virtue of presbyterial ordination, the confessor carries out a particular service 'in persona Christi.'" The Holy Father invited priests to also experience God's forgiveness: "Given such a lofty responsibility, human strength is undoubtedly inadequate." The Pope continued: "We cannot preach forgiveness and reconciliation to others, if we are not personally penetrated by it. "Christ has chosen us, dear priests, to be the only ones who can forgive sins in his name: Therefore, it is a specific ecclesial service to which we must give priority." "How many people in difficulties seek the support and consolation of Christ!" Benedict XVI added. "How many penitents find the peace and joy in confession that they have been pursuing for a long time! How can we not acknowledge that also in our time, marked by so many religious and social challenges, this sacrament must be rediscovered and proposed again."
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Pope Gives Advice to Roman Seminarians
Visits Major Seminary on Feast of Patroness
Benedict XVI encouraged seminarians to always be attentive to the Word of God and to be humble in acknowledging sin in the Church and in their lives. The Pope said this on Saturday when visiting the students of the Roman Major Seminary. The occasion was the feast of the seminary's patroness, Our Lady of Confidence.
Responding to the questions posed by six students, the Holy Father underlined how important it is to live the Eucharist, and to regard suffering as a teacher. He urged them not to put faith in those who promise a happy and comfortable life. The conversation between the Bishop of Rome and the seminarians touched upon questions connected with discernment and coherence with their "yes" to God.
A second-year theology student asked how one should address shortcomings within the Church in the most serene and responsible way. "Not an easy question," the Holy Father said with a smile. "But the Lord knows, he knew from the beginning that there is sin in the Church. "And for our humility it is important to acknowledge this and to see the sin not only in others, in the structures, in the high hierarchical offices, but also in ourselves, thus being more humble with ourselves and learning that, before the Lord, one's position does not count, but what counts is to be in his love and to make his love shine."
Pain
Asked about how to behave in the face of pain, Benedict XVI underlined the need to make it understood above all that suffering is an essential part of human maturation. Jesus himself, the Holy Father continued, said that he had to suffer for the salvation of the world and that whoever wishes to follow him must take up his own cross. "We are always like Peter who says to the Lord: 'No, Lord!'" the Pontiff observed. "'This cannot be the case, you must not suffer, we do not want to carry the cross, we want to create a more human, more beautiful kingdom on earth.' "This is totally mistaken: Whoever promises a life that is only happy and comfortable, lies, because this is not the truth of man and then one flees to false paradises and precisely in this way one does not arrive at joy but at self-destruction." Benedict XVI explained that Christianity proclaims joy to us, a joy that grows in the way of love, a path that is, however, linked to the cross. Yet, there is an obligation in the face of suffering, he said: "We must do everything possible, to overcome humanity's suffering and to help suffering people - there are so many in the world - to find a good life and to be freed from evils caused by ourselves: famine, epidemics, etc."
Discernment
For those preparing for and discerning about the priesthood, Benedict XVI suggested that they draw constantly from the Word of God, read in the communion of the Church but also personally. A student asked how they should relate to human weakness, when one is aware of being very far from true coherence with one's yes to God. "It is good to acknowledge one's own weakness because in this way we know that we have need of the Lord's grace," the Pope answered. "The Lord consoles us. In the college of the apostles there was not only Judas but also the good apostles. "Peter fell, and so many times the Lord reproached his slowness, the apostles' closed hearts, the little faith they had. Therefore, it shows us that no one of us is up to the loftiness of this great yes." And in this awareness, added the Holy Father, there is also an attitude of continuous conversion: "To acknowledge that we are in need of a permanent conversion, and that we have never simply arrived; to accept our frailty but to stay on the path, not to give in but to go forward and through the sacrament of reconciliation to be converted ever again by a new beginning and thus grow, mature through the Lord, in our communion with the Lord."
Memories
Benedict XVI counselled those close to priestly ordination not to neglect the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours, and he urged them to cultivate friendship with other priests and with the laity. On his memories of the seminary, the Holy Father recounted that among the subjects of study, he preferred philosophy and exegesis. "I was fascinated from the beginning especially by the figure of
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Pope: Faith-Reason
Calls It Today's Greatest Challenge
Benedict XVI has billed the healing of the cultural "schizophrenia" that separates faith from reason as one of today's most important challenges. The Holy Father made these comments today before reciting the Angelus with the thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square, on the calendar day that normally would be the liturgical memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), "a great doctor of the Church." The saint's "charism of philosopher and theologian offers a valid model of harmony between reason and faith, dimensions of the human spirit, which are fully realised when they meet and dialogue," the Pope said. Quoting
Poor in faith
However, the Holy Father said, "when man limits himself to think only of material and experimental objects, he closes himself to the questions of life, about himself and about God, impoverishing himself." "The relationship between faith and reason is a serious challenge for the present prevailing culture in the Western world," the Pope said. Therefore, continued the Pontiff, "our beloved John Paul II wrote an encyclical, which was entitled precisely 'Fides et Ratio' -- 'Faith and Reason.'" "I also took up this argument recently, in the address to the
A patrimony
"Faith implies reason and perfects it, and reason, illuminated by faith, finds the strength to rise to knowledge of God and of spiritual realities," the Pontiff said. "Human reason loses nothing when it is open to the contents of faith; what is more, the latter calls for its free and conscious adherence." According to the Pope, the "Christian synthesis between reason and faith ... represents a precious patrimony for Western civilisation, to which recourse can be taken also today to dialogue effectively with the great cultural and religious traditions of the East and South of the world." The Holy Father appealed to "Christians, especially those in the academic and cultural realm" to "be more able to express the reasonable character of their faith and to witness to it with a dialogue inspired by love."
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Pope's message on children and the media
On the Feast of St Francis de Sales, patron saint of journalists, yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI's Message for the World Day of Social Communications was released. The year the day is due to be celebrated on May 20, on the theme: 'Children and the Media: A Challenge for Education.'
"The theme of the Forty-first World Communications Day, invites us to reflect on two related topics of immense importance. The formation of children is one. The other, perhaps less obvious but no less important, is the formation of the media.
"The complex challenges facing education today are often linked to the pervasive influence of the media in our world. ... Indeed, some claim that the formative influence of the media rivals that of the school, the Church, and maybe even the home. 'Reality, for many, is what the media recognize as real.'
"The relationship of children, media, and education can be considered from two perspectives: the formation of children by the media; and the formation of children to respond appropriately to the media. ... Within this framework, training in the proper use of the media is essential for the cultural, moral and spiritual development of children."
"Educating children to be discriminating in their use of the media is a responsibility of parents, Church, and school. The role of parents is of primary importance. They have a right and duty to ensure the prudent use of the media by training the conscience of their children to express sound and objective judgments which will then guide them in choosing or rejecting programs available. In doing so, parents should have the encouragement and assistance of schools and parishes in ensuring that this difficult, though satisfying, aspect of parenting is supported by the wider community.
"Media education should be positive. Children exposed to what is aesthetically and morally excellent are helped to develop appreciation, prudence and the skills of discernment. Here it is important to recognize the fundamental value of parents' example and the benefits of introducing young people to children's classics in literature, to the fine arts and to uplifting music. While popular literature will always have its place in culture, the temptation to sensationalize should not be passively accepted in places of learning."
"Like education in general, media education requires formation in the exercise of freedom. This is a demanding task. So often freedom is presented as a relentless search for pleasure or new experiences. Yet this is a condemnation not a liberation! True freedom could never condemn the individual - especially a child - to an insatiable quest for novelty. In the light of truth, authentic freedom is experienced as a definitive response to God's 'yes' to humanity, calling us to choose, not indiscriminately but deliberately, all that is good, true and beautiful. Parents, then, as the guardians of that freedom, while gradually giving their children greater freedom, introduce them to the profound joy of life.
"This heartfelt wish of parents and teachers to educate children in the ways of beauty, truth and goodness can be supported by the media industry only to the extent that it promotes fundamental human dignity, the true value of marriage and family life, and the positive achievements and goals of humanity. Thus, the need for the media to be committed to effective formation and ethical standards is viewed with particular interest and even urgency not only by parents and teachers but by all who have a sense of civic responsibility.
"While affirming the belief that many people involved in social communications want to do what is right, we must also recognize that those who work in this field confront 'special psychological pressures and ethical dilemmas' which at times see commercial competitiveness compelling communicators to lower standards.
"Any trend to produce programs and products - including animated films and video games - which in the name of entertainment exalt violence and portray anti-social behaviour or the trivialization of human sexuality is a perversion, all the more repulsive when these programs are directed at children and adolescents. How could one explain this 'entertainment' to the countless innocent young people who actually suffer violence, exploitation and abuse?"
"Again I appeal to the leaders of the media industry to educate and encourage producers to safeguard the common good, to uphold the truth, to protect individual human dignity and promote respect for the needs of the family.
"The Church herself, in the light of the message of salvation entrusted to her, is also a teacher of humanity and welcomes the opportunity to offer assistance to parents, educators, communicators, and young people. Her own parish and school programs should be in the forefront of media education today."
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Pope Urges Youth to "Change the Game"
Benedict XVI gave his public support to the Change the Game project, an initiative that asks children to put toy weapons aside. "I am pleased with this initiative and I would like to extend the appeal: Let's protect children from the spread of violence!" the Pope said on Sunday when greeting crowds gathered to pray the Angelus. The project, which began in
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Migration Is Boon for Society, Says Pope
On World Day of Migrants and Refugees
The migrant family should not be seen as a problem, but rather as a resource for humanity, Benedict XVI said on World Day of Migrants and Refugees. The Holy Father made these comments today before reciting the Angelus with the crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square. He dedicated his address to the migrant family, the topic of the message he wrote for the world day.
In his address, the Pope recalled that the Holy Family of Nazareth was also a migrant family. They emigrated from their home country to
Benedict XVI said that today "the phenomenon of human mobility is very widespread and diversified." The Holy Father explained: "According to recent United Nations estimates, migrants impelled by financial reasons number almost 200 million; refugees number 9 million and international students some 2 million. To this great number of brothers and sisters must be added the internally displaced and irregular migrants, keeping in mind that each one of them has, in one way or another, a family
Legal ease
The Pope appealed for the care of "migrants and their families through the help of specific legislative, juridical and administrative protections, as well as through a network of services, listening centres and structures of social and pastoral assistance." I hope that soon a balanced management will be established of the migratory flows and of human mobility in general, so that it will bring benefits to the whole human family, beginning with concrete measures that favour regular migration and family regrouping, paying special attention to women and minors," the Pontiff said. Benedict XVI emphasised that "the human person must always be placed at the centre," and illustrated the key to the integration of immigrants in a society. The just integration of families in social, economic and political systems is only achieved on one hand, by respecting the dignity of all immigrants and, on the other hand, by immigrants recognising the values of the host society," the Pope said. “Dear friends," the Holy Father continued, "the reality of migrations must never be seen just as a problem, but also and above all as a great resource for humanity's progress." And the migrant family is especially a resource, if it is respected as such, and does not suffer irreparable lacerations, but is able to remain united or to regroup, and to fulfill its mission of cradle of life and first ambit of a person's education," added the Pontiff. In his address, Benedict XVI asked for the intercessory help of St. Francesca Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), patroness of migrants and founder of the missionaries of the Sacred Heart. A native of
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Civil Responsibility of Catholics
Pope Insists on Role of Faith
By Father John Flynn
ROME, JAN. 14, 2007
Christians have a right to make their voices heard on political and civil issues. This was one of the points made by Benedict XVI in his address to the Roman Curia on Dec. 22. After commenting on why the Church is opposed to legalising marriage for same-sex couples, the Pope defended the right of the faithful, and the Church itself, to speak out on this issue. “If we tell ourselves that the Church ought not to interfere in such matters, we cannot but answer: Are we not concerned with the human being?" the Holy Father stated. It is our duty, he explained, to defend the human person. This is sorely needed in contemporary society, the Pontiff explained earlier in his address. "The modern spirit has lost its bearings," he noted, and this means that many people are unsure of what norms to transmit to their children. In fact, in many cases we no longer know how to use our freedom correctly, or what is morally right or wrong. The great problem of the West is forgetfulness of God and this forgetfulness is spreading..
Just three days later the Pope returned to this theme, in his message before giving his blessing "urbi et orbi" on Christmas Day. "Despite humanity's many advances, man has always been the same: a freedom poised between good and evil, between life and death." In the modern age our need for faith is greater than ever, given the complexity of the issues being faced. The message the Church offers does not diminish our humanity, however, the Pope was quick to point out. "In truth, Christ comes to destroy only evil, only sin; everything else, all the rest, he elevates and perfects."
Faith in the public arena
There is, nevertheless, opposition to religion playing any role in public debates, Benedict XVI said. In his Dec. 9 speech to the Union of Italian Catholic Jurists the Pope examined the concept of "secularity." The term, he explained, originally described the status of the lay Christian who did not belong to the clergy. In modern times, however, "it has come to mean the exclusion of religion and its symbols from public life by confining them to the private sphere and to the individual conscience." This understanding of secularity conceives the separation of Church and state as meaning that the former is not entitled in any way to intervene in matters concerning the life and conduct of citizens, the Pope explained. Moreover, it also demands that all religious symbols be excluded from public places. Faced with this challenge Benedict XVI told his listeners that it is the task of Christians to formulate an alternative concept of secularity "which, on the one hand, acknowledges the place that is due to God and his moral law, to Christ and to his Church in human life, both individual and social; and on the other, affirms and respects the 'rightful autonomy of earthly affairs,'" as defined by the Second Vatican Council constitution "Gaudium et Spes," (No. 36). As the Vatican II document made clear, a "healthy secularity" means autonomy from control by the Church of the political and social spheres. Thus, the Church is free to express its point of view and the people must decide on the best way to organize political life. But it is not autonomy from the moral order. It would be a mistake to accept that religion should be strictly confined to the private sphere of life, the Pope argued. The exclusion of religion from public life is not a rightful secularity, "but its degeneration into secularism," he said. In addition, when the Church comments on legislative matters this should not be considered as undue meddling, "but, rather, of the affirmation and defence of the important values that give meaning to the person's life and safeguard his or her dignity." It is the duty of the Church, said the Pontiff, "to firmly proclaim the truth about man and his destiny.
Concluding his speech the Pope recommended that faced with people who want "to exclude God from every sphere of life and present him as man's enemy," Christians should show "that God is love and wants the good and happiness of all human beings." The moral law given to us by God does not seek to oppress, he explained, "but rather to set us free from evil and make us happy."
Serving mankind
The December speeches by the Pope on the role of faith in public life reflected one of his constant concerns during the past year. Another important commentary by Benedict XVI on the issue came in his Oct. 19 address to participants in the national ecclesial convention, held in
These efforts by the Church and Christians are not always accepted favourably, observed the Pope in his Sept. 8 address to the bishops of the Canadian
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Pope: Poverty Is Problem for All
Says It Exists in Various Forms
Benedict XVI believes that civil and Church institutions must cooperate to alleviate poverty, whether it is economic, human or relational. At the same time, the Holy Father said that "the suffering man belongs to us." He made these comments in his message today at his traditional new-year meeting with local civil officials. On hand were Piero Marrazzo, president of the
The Pontiff told the politicians: "Every suffering man belongs to the Church and, at the same time, to all brothers in humanity. He belongs, therefore, and in a specific way, also to your responsibility as public administrators," said the Bishop of Rome. Benedict XVI encouraged cooperation "between ecclesial bodies and your administrations with the objective of alleviating and going out to meet the many forms of poverty, economic but also human and relational, which afflict a notable number of people and families, especially among immigrants
"There is, moreover, the enormous area of health care, which calls for considerable and coordinated effort to assure all those who suffer from physical or psychic illnesses immediate and adequate treatments," said the Pope. The Holy Father added: "Also in this area, the Church and Catholic organisations are pleased to offer their cooperation, in the light of the great principles of the sacredness of human life, from conception until natural death, and of the centrality of the person of the patient." Benedict XVI said to the politicians that willingness "to foster this cooperation ... will surely help the whole population."
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Pope Warns Against Cohabitating Couples
VATICAN CITY
Benedict XVI appealed to politicians in favour of the family and warned them that recognition of de facto unions is dangerous and counterproductive. Meeting today with administrators of the
According to the Pontiff, "those projects that seek to attribute to other forms of union improper juridical recognition, weakening and destabilising the legitimate family, based on marriage" are "dangerous and counterproductive."
The Italian government is currently debating the recognition of the Civil Pacts of Solidarity, knowns as PACs, a form of legally recognising de facto unions.
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Pope Explains Meaning of Sacred Buildings
During Consecration of a Roman Parish
ROME, DEC. 10, 2006
Without the Word of God there is no community, but with his Word it is built, says Benedict XVI.
The Pope reflected in depth on this theme this morning, when consecrating -- for the first time as Bishop of Rome -- one of his parishes. He consecrated the Parish of Holy Mary Star of Evangelization, in the Torrino neighborhood.
The Holy Father spoke about the meaning of a sacred building as a house of God and house of men, and did so by referring to the rebuilding of the People of Israel, of the holy city of
An external reconstruction cannot progress "unless the people as such are reconstructed first, if there is no operative common criterion of justice that unites all," Benedict XVI explained.
"True justice cannot be invented by man; instead, it must be rediscovered," he said. "It must come from God, who is justice" and, it is "the holy Word of God … [that] indicates to people the path of justice."
"The Word of God is always force of renewal that gives meaning and order to our time," the Pope added.
From the above is also distilled the meaning of "church building": It exists "so that the Word of God can be heard, explained and understood among us; it exists so that the Word of God can work in us as force that creates justice and love," the Holy Father said.
"It exists, in particular, so that the celebration can begin in which God wills the whole of humanity to participate, not only at the end of time but beginning now," he added. "It exists to awaken in us knowledge of what is just and good, and there is no other source to know and strengthen this knowledge of the just and good other than the Word of God.
"The building exists, therefore, so that we will learn to live the joy of the Lord, who is our strength. And we pray to the Lord so that he will make us happy in his Word. … We pray to the Lord to make us happy in the faith so that this joy will renew us and the world!"
Encounter
"Without the Word of God there is no community," the Pope said. "The Word of God is not just a discourse but leads to construction; it is a Word that builds."
He continued: "The Word of God is not just a word. In Jesus Christ it is present in our midst as Person," and the latter "is the most profound objective of this sacred building's existence: The church exists because in it we encounter Christ, the Son of the living God."
"God has a face, … a name," Benedict XVI affirmed. "In Christ, he has become flesh and gives himself to us in the mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist. The Word is flesh. He gives himself to us under the appearance of bread and is thus transformed into the Bread from which we live.
"We people live from the Truth. This Truth is a Person: He speaks to us and we speak to him. The church is the place of encounter with the Son of the living God and so the place of meeting among ourselves.
"This is the joy God gives us: that he became one of us, that we can almost touch him and that he lives with us. The joy of God is really our strength."
Finally, Benedict XVI turned to the figure of the Blessed Virgin: "Mary tells us the purpose of church buildings … so that within us room will be made for the Word of God; so that within us and through us the Word can also become flesh today."
