January 29, 2012

Pope: True authority is humble service in love

   In his Angelus reflections this week Pope Benedict XVI spoke of Sunday’s Gospel where we hear how the unclean spirit recognizes Jesus as the “Holy One of God”. He also marked World Leprosy Day, joined his prayers to the International Day of intercession for peace in the Holy Land and together with the young people of Catholic Action Italy, released two white doves as a sign of peace above the city of Rome.

Below is a translation of the Holy Father’s Sunday Angelus reflections:

Dear brothers and sisters!

   This Sunday's Gospel (Mk 1.21 to 28) presents us with Jesus, on the Sabbath day, as he preached at the synagogue at Capernaum, the small town where Peter and his brother Andrew lived on the lake of Galilee. In his teaching, which arouses the wonder of the people, following the liberation of "a man with an unclean spirit" (v. 23), who recognizes in Jesus as the "saint of God," that is, the Messiah. In a short time, his fame spread throughout the region, which he travels announcing the Kingdom of God and healing the sick of all kinds: word and deed. St. John Chrysostom observes how the Lord "alternates the speech for the benefit of those who listen, moving on from wonders to words and again passing from the teaching of his doctrine to miracles" (Hom. on Matthew 25, 1: PG 57, 328).

   The word that Jesus speaks to men immediately opens access to the will of the Father and the truth about themselves. It was not so, however, for the scribes, who struggled to interpret the Holy Scriptures with countless reflections. Furthermore, to the efficacy of the word, Jesus united the signs of deliverance from evil. St. Athanasius observes that "commanding and driving out demons is not human but divine work ', in fact, the Lord "distanced men from all diseases and infirmities. Who, seeing his power ... still doubted that he was the Son, the Wisdom and Power of God? " (Oratio de Incarnatione Verbi 18:19: PG 25, 128 BC.129 B). Divine authority is not a force of nature. It is the power of the love of God who created the Universe and, in becoming incarnate in His only begotten Son, in coming down to our humanity, heals the world corrupted by sin. Romano Guardini writes: "The whole life of Jesus is a translation of power in humility ... Here is the sovereignty that lowers itself to the form of a servant" (Power, Brescia 1999, 141,142).

   For man, authority often means possession, power, control, success. For God, however, authority means service, humility, love; it means entering into the logic of Jesus who stoops to wash the disciples' feet (cf. Jn 13.5), who seeks the true good of man, who heals wounds, who is capable of a love so great as to give up his life, because he is Love. In one of her Letters, Saint Catherine of Siena writes: "We must see and know, in truth, with the light of faith, that God is the supreme and eternal Love, and desires nothing else but our good "(Ep. 13 in: The Letters, vol. 3, Bologna 1999, 206).

   Dear friends, on Thursday, February 2, we celebrate the feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, the World Day for Consecrated Life. With confidence we invoke Mary Most Holy that she may guide our hearts to always draw from divine mercy, which frees and heals our humanity, filling it with every grace and benevolence, through the power of love.

I offer a warm welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at this Angelus prayer. In this Sunday’s Gospel we hear how the unclean spirit recognizes Jesus as the “Holy One of God”. Let us pray that, despite the distractions of life and the apparent progress of evil, we may continue to put our faith in the Lord Jesus who is “the way, the truth and the life”. I wish all of you a good Sunday. May God bless you!

Post - Angelus:

Dear brothers and sisters,
   Today, in Vienna, the beatification takes place of Hildegard Burjan, a lay woman and mother, who lived in the nineteenth and twentieth century and is founder of the Society of the Sisters of Caritas Socialis. We praise the Lord for this beautiful testimony of the Gospel!
   This Sunday marks the World Day of Leprosy. In greeting the Italian Association of Friends of Raoul Follereau, I would like to extend my encouragement to all those affected by this disease, as well as their caregivers who, in many ways, are committed to eradicating poverty and marginalization, the real causes of the persistence of the infection.
   I remember also the International Day of intercession for peace in the Holy Land. In profound communion with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Custos of the Holy Land, we invoke the gift of peace for this land blessed by God
   I greet with affection the Italian-speaking pilgrims, especially the faithful who came from Taranto, Bari and Civitavecchia, and the numerous children of Catholic Action of Rome, accompanied by the Cardinal Vicar Agostino Vallini, with their teachers and family. Dear children, this year you gave birth to the "Caravan of Peace". Thank you and I encourage you to take everywhere the peace of Jesus.
   And now we release the doves, which the young people have brought as a sign of peace for the city of Rome and the whole world.
   A blessed Sunday to all!

January 25, 2012

Pope: Reaching the finishing line together

   “While experiencing these days the painful situation of our divisions, we Christians can and must look to the future with hope”, Pope Benedict XVI told a packed basilica of St Paul’s outside-the-walls Wednesday evening, “because Christ's victory means to overcome everything that keeps us from sharing the fullness of life with Him and with others.”
   Bringing to a close the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Pope celebrated Vespers in the ancient Church dedicated to a man who from zealous persecutor of Christians, was “transformed into a tireless apostle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ”. Metropolitan Gennadios, the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Rev. Canon Richardson, the Personal Representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury to Rome, as well as all the representatives of different Churches and Ecclesial Communities, were among those gathered around Paul’s tomb together with the Pope Wednesday evening.
   Tracing the story of Paul’s conversion, the Holy Father mediated on his transformation, which he said, “is not the result of a long inner reflection and not even the result of personal effort. It is first and foremost by the grace of God who has acted according to his inscrutable way.”
   By the same means, the Pope said, Christian unity can and will only come about by the grace of God. He said we must be “patient and confident” and above all “transformed and conformed to the image of Christ.”
   “In the dominant culture of today, the idea of ​​victory is often associated with immediate success. For the Christian, however, victory is a long and, in the eyes of men, a not always linear process of transformation and growth in goodness. It is achieved according to God's timing, not ours, and requires of us a profound faith and patient endurance.”
   All Christians must act together for the common good united in Christ, Pope Benedict said, “called to share his mission, which is to bring hope to the places where there is injustice, hatred and despair. Our divisions diminish our witness to Christ.”

January 25, 2012

Unity focus of Pope's weekly General Audience 

   Pope Benedict XVI held his weekly General Audience on Wednesday in the Paul VI Hall, reflecting on the desire for unity that Christ expressed in his priestly prayer at the Last Supper, as recounted in the 17^th chapter of St. John’s Gospel:

   Against the backdrop of the Jewish feast of expiation Yom Kippur, Jesus, priest and victim, prays that the Father will glorify him in this, the hour of his sacrifice of reconciliation. He asks the Father to consecrate his disciples, setting them apart and sending them forth to continue his mission in the world. Christ also implores the gift of unity for all those who will believe in him through the preaching of the apostles.

   Thus, said Pope Benedict, Chris’t priestly prayer can be seen as instituting the Church, the community of the disciples who, through faith in him, are made one and share in his saving mission:

   In meditating upon the Lord’s priestly prayer, let us ask the Father for the grace to grow in our baptismal consecration and to open our own prayers to the needs of our neighbours and the whole world. Let us also pray, as we have just done in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, for the gift of the visible unity of all Christ’s followers, so that the world may believe in the Son and in the Father who sent him.

   Following the main catechesis, the Holy Father had greetings for pilgrims in many languages, including English: I offer a warm welcome to the students of the Bossey Graduate School of Ecumenical Studies in Switzerland, and I offer prayerful good wishes for their work. Upon all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience I cordially invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace!

   This Wednesday’s was the last General Audience of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and came ahead of an ecumenical Vespers service at the Papal Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls.

January 22, 2012

Unity theme of Pope's Angelus address

   The profound spiritual connection between the desire for Christian unity and the desire for authentic liberty was the focus of Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks before the Angelus prayer with the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square this Sunday. Speaking ahead of the traditional prayer of Marian devotion, the Holy Father recalled the theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which opened this past Wednesday: We will all be changed by the victory of Our Lord Jesus Christ, taken from the 1^st Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians.

   Material for the 2012 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has been prepared by a working group composed of representatives of the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, Old Catholic and Protestant Churches active in Poland. “In effect,” said Pope Benedict, “Poland has known a long history of courageous struggle against many different adversities, and has repeatedly given proof of great determination, animated by faith.” He went on to say, “Through the course of centuries, Polish Christians have spontaneously intuited a spiritual dimension in their desire for freedom, and they have understood that the true victory can be achieved only if it is accompanied by a profound interior transformation.”

   It was a subject to which the Holy Father returned in his English language remarks: I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Angelus. This week, Christians throughout the world mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We are confident that, as Saint Paul says, “We will all be changed by the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. 1 Cor 15: 51-58). Let us renew our prayer for the unity of all of Christ’s followers, and deepen our resolve to be one in him. Upon each of you and your loved ones at home, I invoke God’s blessings of peace and joy.

   Pope Benedict also had greetings for those who begin lunar New Year celebrations on Monday. “In the present world situation of economic and social crisis,” said Pope Benedict, “I express the hope that the new year be marked by justice and peace, that it bring relief to those who suffer, and that young people especially, with their enthusiasm and their idealistic drive, might offer new hope to the world.

January 20, 2012

Pope: Church expects much from her young priests

    At the foundation of the life of a priest must be an deep relationship with God: this was the message of Pope Benedict this morning to the community of the Almo Collegio Capranica one of the oldest seminaries of Rome. Saturday, the feast of St Agnes, the seminary markes 555 years.
   The Holy Father urged the future priests to engage the future with courage in the work of the new Evangelisation: “The Church expects much from the young priests in the work of evangelization and new evangelization”. And he encouraged them to learn from their time in formation, and to appreciate the privilege of studying in Rome: “Always have a deep sense of the history and tradition of the Church! Being in Rome is a gift that should make you especially sensitive to the depth of the Catholic tradition.”
   He then recalled the figure of St. Agnes, the patron of the College. "St. Agnes," he said, "is one of the most famous young women of Rome, a girl who illustrated the beauty of genuine faith in Christ and friendship with Him." On the Vigil of her Feast, the Pope called on the seminarians to follow her example of martyrdom and virginity, in order to be credible witnesses of the Faith.
   Finally, the Pope said, “The formation of the priest requires integrity, completeness, ascetic exercise, heroic constancy and fidelity in all the aspects that constitute that formation. In its foundation there should be a solid spiritual life, animated by an intense relationship with God, both at a personal and at a communal level, with particular care for the celebration of the liturgy and frequent reception of the Sacraments.”

January 18, 2012

Pope begins Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

    Speaking to the thousands of pilgrims present in the Paul VI Audience Hall on Wednesday for his weekly General Audience, Pope Benedict XVI said the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity invites all the Lord’s followers to implore the gift of unity. This year’s theme – We Will All Be Changed By The Victory Of Our Lord Jesus Christ – was chosen by representatives of the Catholic Church and the Polish Ecumenical Council.The Holy Father said, “Poland’s experience of oppression and persecution prompts a deeper reflection on the meaning of Christ’s victory over sin and death, a victory in which we share through faith.”
   By his teaching, his example and his paschal mystery, the Lord has shown us the way to a victory obtained not by power, but by love and concern for those in need. Faith in Christ and interior conversion, both individual and communal, must constantly accompany our prayer for Christian unity.
   Pope Benedict also focused on the need for all Christians to ask God for an increase of faith:
   During this Week of Prayer, let us ask the Lord in a particular way to strengthen the faith of all Christians, to change our hearts and to enable us to bear united witness to the Gospel. In this way we will contribute to the new evangelization and respond ever more fully to the spiritual hunger of the men and women of our time.
   Pope Benedict had greetings, as well, for pilgrims in many languages, including English, in which he bade especial welcome to a pair of groups: one, an ecumenical delegation from Finland that traditionally makes the pilgrimage to Rome during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity; the other, a group of men and women in the Naval Service and Marine Corps of the United States:
   I offer a cordial welcome to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience. My special greeting goes to the Lutheran pilgrims from Finland. I also greet the group of sailors and marines from the United States. Upon all of you and your families I cordially invoke God’s abundant blessings!
   The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has been celebrated for more than a century: each year from the 18^th to the 25^th of January. A Catholic convert, Paul Wattson, proposed the dates in 1908, because they coincide with the traditional feast of the Chair of St. Peter and feast of the conversion of St. Paul.

January 15, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI's Angelus of Sunday 15, January 2012

   During Sunday’s Angelus address, the Holy Father reflected on the readings for the second Sunday in Ordinary Time, focusing on the theme of vocation. He spoke about the call of the Prophet Samuel in the first reading, and the call of the first disciples of Jesus in the Gospel.

   “Both of these stories,” he said, “emphasize the role of the person who plays the role of the mediator, helping those who are called to recognise the voice of God, and to follow it.”

   With that thought in mind, he emphasized the “the critical role of a spiritual guide in the journey of faith and, in particular, in responding to a religious vocation in the service of God and his people.” The Pope recalled that a vocation often comes from the witness and suggestion of a spiritual “older brother” who is often a priest… without forgetting the fundamental role of parents, whose joyful and authentic faith, and whose conjugal love, show their children that building one’s life on the love of God is both beautiful, and possible.”

   And he prayed that all educators, but especially priests and parents, should have a deep understanding of the importance of their spiritual role in helping young people not only to grow and thrive, but to respond to the call of God.

   After the Angelus, Pope Benedict noted that today is the World Day of Migrants and refugees. He recalled the millions of refugees, men, women and children, the young and the old, who are searching for a place where they can live in peace. And he reminded the faithful that the theme of the Day – “Migration and the New Evangelisation” – means that migrants are not only the recipients of the New Evangelisation, but are also witnesses of the Gospel in the contemporary world. The Holy Father then greeted the representatives of the migrant community in Rome, who were present in St. Peter’s Square.

   Finally, the Pope looked ahead to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which begins this Wednesday, January 18^th, and continues through to the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul on January 25^th. He called on all the faithful to join together to pray to God for the gift of full unity amongst all the disciples of Christ.

   As he concluded his Angelus, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims from around the world, included English-speaking pilgrims and visitors, and offered them his blessing.

January 11, 2012

Pope: Eucharist is the supreme prayer of Christ's Church

   Thousands of pilgrims gathered in Paul VI Hall on Wednesday for Pope Benedict XVI’s weekly General Audience, during which the Holy Father continued his catechesis on Christian prayer, with a reflection on the prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper, when our Lord instituted the Eucharist, the sacrament of his Body and Blood. “Jesus’ gift of himself anticipates his sacrifice on the Cross and his glorious Resurrection,” said Pope Benedict.

   The Eucharist is the supreme prayer of Jesus and of his Church. At the Last Supper, with its overtones of the Passover and the commemoration of Israel’s liberation, Jesus’ prayer echoes the Hebrew berakah, which includes both thanksgiving and the gift of a blessing. His act of breaking the bread and offering the cup on the night before he died becomes the sign of his redemptive self-oblation in obedience to the Father’s will: he thus appears as the true paschal lamb who brings the ancient worship to fulfilment.

   The Holy Father noted that Jesus’ prayer also invokes strength for his disciples, especially Peter.

   May our celebration of the Eucharist, in obedience to Christ’s command, unite us more deeply to his prayer at the Last Supper and enable us, in union with him, to offer our lives ever more fully in sacrifice to the Father.

   After the main catechesis, the Holy Father had greetings for pilgrims in many languages, including English:

   I greet the many school groups from the United States present at today’s Audience, including the deacons from Saint Paul’s Seminary in Minnesota. My greeting also goes to the students of Carmel College in New Zealand. I welcome the participants in the Interfaith Journey from Canada. Upon all the English-speaking visitors and their families I cordially invoke God’s abundant blessings!

   Among the Holy Father’s special guests at Wednesday’s audience were representatives from the zoological garden of the city of Rome, which is celebrating its hundredth anniversary. With the zoo representatives was an exemplar of an extremely rare and critically endangered species of Cuban crocodile: cocodrylus rhombifer, which survives only in a tiny portion of protected wetland on the island. The animal had been in the care of experts at the Roman BioPark, and, having returned to robust health, will return to his native country – in a singular coincidence, as a press release from the BioPark and the Press Office of the Holy See calls it – when the Holy Father travels to Cuba later this year.

January 9, 2012

A profound disquiet and the economic, political

and social crises of the world at the heart of

the Pope's "State of the World" address

   Pope Benedict XVI on Monday expressed his deep concern for what he called “a profound disquiet” that is darkening the world at this moment in time.

   Speaking during his annual “State of the World” address to the members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Vatican, Pope Benedict’s wide-ranging discourse did not fail to shine the light on issues of concern right across the globe.

   He commenced by addressing “the grave and disturbing developments of the global economic and financial crisis” which – he said - not only has affected families and businesses, but has created feelings of disorientation and frustration especially in the young. The crisis – the Pope continued – can and must be an incentive to reflect on human existence and on the importance of its ethical dimension.

   Benedict then turned his attention to North Africa and the Middle East where - he said – young people, fearful of an uncertain future, have launched what has developed into a vast movement calling for reforms and more share in political and social life. “I invite the international community” he said, “to dialogue with the actors in the current processes” and to contribute to the building of stable and reconciled societies that are opposed to every form of unjust discrimination.

   And Benedict voiced his concern for the people of Syria, where he says, he prays for a rapid end to the bloodshed and the beginning of a fruitful dialogue between the political forces, encouraged by the presence of independent observers.

   The Holy Father also encouraged Iraqi leaders to advance on the path to national reconciliation, and turned his attention to the Holy Land where tensions between Palestinians and Israelis continue to affect the stability of the entire Middle East.

   Then, the Pope turned his attention to the pivotal role played by young people in society and underlined the need for solid educational institutions. Education – he said – is a crucial theme for every generation as it determines the healthy development of each person and the future of society. And the family – he explained – creates a fundamental “setting” for education. Hence – he said – “there is a need for policies which promote the family and aid social cohesion and dialogue”.

   In this perspective – Pope Benedict continued – it is clear that an effective educational programme also calls for respect for religious freedom. He described religious freedom as “the first of human rights, for it expresses the most fundamental reality of the person”.

   And the Pope payed tribute to the memory of Pakistani minister Shahbaz Bhatti whose untiring battle for the rights of minorities ended in his tragic death. Sadly – he said – “we are not speaking of an isolated case”. And Benedict went on to highlight the fact that in many countries Christians are deprived of fundamental rights, sidelined from public life and even violently attacked and forced to leave their homes. In the past year – he said – religiously motivated terrorism has reaped numerous victims, especially in Asia and Africa. For this reason – Benedict stressed – religious leaders need to repeat firmly and forcefully that “this is not the true nature of religion. It is the antithesis of religion and contributes to its destruction”.

   And before ending, Pope Benedict mentioned continuing good relations between the Holy See and the State of Italy; he spoke of the need for African leaders to favour progress along the path of justice, peace and reconciliation; of the humanitarian emergency in the Horn of Africa.

   The Pope did not neglect to mention his concern for continuing violence and instability in Nigeria, in Ivory Coast and in the Great Lakes region, and he appealed to the international community to make every effort to find a solution to the crisis in Somalia which – he said – has gone on for years.

   Last, but not least, Pope Benedict highlighted the need to foster respect for creation. He looked back to the grave natural calamities which in 2011 affected various regions of the world and stressed his belief that environmental protection and the connection between fighting poverty and fighting climate change are important areas for the promotion of human development.

January 8, 2012

Pope Benedict: Parents educators of the faith

   The breathtaking frescos of the Sistine Chapel were the backdrop against which Pope Benedict celebrated Mass on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. It was also a joyous occasion for a number of parents who witnessed the Pope baptize their children.

    The Holy Father, however, also had a message for the parents and godparents of these 16 babies and that was the importance of education.

    To educate is a very challenging mission, said the Pope, and it is sometimes difficult for our limited human capacities.

    But he added, “education becomes a wonderful mission if it is done in partnership with God, who is the first true educator of every man.

    Drawing on Sunday’s Gospel during his Homily, Pope Benedict explained that John the Baptist was a great teacher to the disciples, but he knew their was someone mightier than him who would baptize the people with the Holy Spirit. He witnessed in favour of Jesus.

    The Pope went on to describe parents as “channels” through which the lifeblood of the love of God passes. If that channel distances itself from the Lord, said Pope Benedict, then a Mother and Father lose the ability to educate.

    The Holy Father also underlined the importance of the Holy Spirit saying, "It is very important for you parents, and also godfathers and godmothers, to believe strongly in the presence and action of the Holy Spirit, and welcome and invoke the Holy Spirit through prayer and the sacraments.”

    “Prayer, the Pope continued, is the first condition to educate, because in prayer we give ourselves to God, we entrust our children to Him, who knows them before and better than us, and knows exactly what their true good is. “

    With prayer and the Sacraments, said Pope Benedict, parents will be able to discern the most appropriate way to educate their children; when to be tender or firm and when to keep silent or to correct.

    At the conclusion of this joyous day for many of those gathered the Holy Father asked the Holy Spirit to come down the new baptised children, so that Jesus can accompany them on their life’s journey.

January 6, 2012

Consistory: Red Hats for Dolan, Collins, O' Brien
and Tong Hon of Hong Kong 

   “The world, with all its resources, is incapable of providing humanity with the light to guide it on its path”, said Pope Benedict XVI Friday marking the Feast of the Epiphany with pilgrims present in St Peter’s Square for the midday Angelus., during which he also announced a consistory for the creation of new cardinals.

   “We can see as much in our day”, he continued “Western civilization seems to have lost its way, it is sailing blind. But the Church, through the Word of God, sees through this fog. She does not possess any technical solutions, but keeps Her eyes fixed on the goal, and offers the light of the Gospel to all people of good will, to every nation and culture”.

   After the Marian prayer, the pontiff addressed best wishes to the Eastern Churches, which according to the Julian calendar, celebrate Christmas tomorrow. "May every family and every community – the Pope said – be full of the light and peace of Christ the Saviour."

   Before the greetings in different languages, he recalled that today is also the Children's Missionary Day, organized by the Pontifical Society for Holy Childhood. "Children around the world - said Benedict XVI – gathered in groups, are educated in a missionary awareness and support many projects of solidarity for their peers. Dear children and young people! May your heart be open to the world, like the heart of Jesus, but be mindful also of those who live next to you, always ready to lend them a helping hand. "

   And to help the Church in this mission, to his own joy and the joy of thousands gathered in the square below, the Holy Father announced a consistory for February 18^th next, during which he will create 22 new Cardinals. 18 of them will be cardinal-electors, which means they are eligible to vote in conclave.

   Ten of the Prelates to be elevated to the college of cardinals are drawn from the Curia. Most notably – and first on the list – Archbishop Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and US native, Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, Pro Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

   Eight of the cardinals-elect are resident bishops. Of note the names of two North Americans, Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto, Canada, and Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, USA. The Holy Father also named two resident bishops from the great continent of Asia: His Beatitude George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro Malabar (India) and John Tong Hon, Bishop of Hong Kong (China).

   Pope Benedict also announced that one bishop and four priests who have distinguished themselves in their commitment to the Church, will be made cardinals in the February consistory although they will not be eligible to vote in conclave having passed the age limit of 80 years. Among these Jesuit Fr. Karl Becker, Professor Emeritus of Dogmatic Theology of the Pontifical Gregorian University.

    The Pope concluded by inviting all faithful to pray for them, "asking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, so they may always bear witness with courage and dedication to their love for Christ and his Church."

   Of the 22 cardinals, 16 are from Europe (7 Italian), 4 from the Americas, 2 from Asia. There are currently 214 members of the College of Cardinals, 125 of whom are eligible to vote in a papal election.

January 6, 2012

Pope Benedict: Homily Feast of the Epiphany

   Here is the Pope Benedict's homily at the Mass for the Epiphany of our Lord celebrated in St Peter's Basilica on Friday January 6th:

"Dear Brothers and Sisters!

   The Epiphany is a feast of light. “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Is 60:1). With these words of the prophet Isaiah, the Church describes the content of the feast. He who is the true light, and by whom we too are made to be light, has indeed come into the world. He gives us the power to become children of God (cf. Jn 1:9,12). The journey of the wise men from the East is, for the liturgy, just the beginning of a great procession that continues throughout history. With the Magi, humanity’s pilgrimage to Jesus Christ begins – to the God who was born in a stable, who died on the Cross and who, having risen from the dead, remains with us always, until the consummation of the world (cf. Mt 28:20). The Church reads this account from Matthew’s Gospel alongside the vision of the prophet Isaiah that we heard in the first reading: the journey of these men is just the beginning. Before them came the shepherds – simple souls, who dwelt closer to the God who became a child, and could more easily “go over” to him (Lk 2:15) and recognize him as Lord. But now the wise of this world are also coming. Great and small, kings and slaves, men of all cultures and all peoples are coming. The men from the East are the first, followed by many more throughout the centuries. After the great vision of Isaiah, the reading from the Letter to the Ephesians expresses the same idea in rather sober and simple terms: the Gentiles share the same heritage (cf. Eph 3:6). Psalm 2 puts it like this: “I shall bequeath you the nations, put the ends of the earth in your possession” (v. 8).

   The wise men from the East lead the way. They open up the path of the Gentiles to Christ. During this holy Mass, I will ordain two priests to the episcopate, I will consecrate them as shepherds of God’s people. According to the words of Jesus, part of a shepherd’s task is to go ahead of the flock (cf. Jn 10:4). So, allowing for all the differences in vocation and mission, we may well look to these figures, the first Gentiles to find the pathway to Christ, for indications concerning the task of bishops. What kind of people were they? The experts tell us that they belonged to the great astronomical tradition that had developed in Mesopotamia over the centuries and continued to flourish. But this information of itself is not enough. No doubt there were many astronomers in ancient Babylon, but only these few set off to follow the star that they recognized as the star of the promise, pointing them along the path towards the true King and Saviour. They were, as we might say, men of science, but not simply in the sense that they were searching for a wide range of knowledge: they wanted something more. They wanted to understand what being human is all about. They had doubtless heard of the prophecy of the Gentile prophet Balaam: “A star shall come forth out of Jacob and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel” (Num 24:17). They explored this promise. They were men with restless hearts, not satisfied with the superficial and the ordinary. They were men in search of the promise, in search of God. And they were watchful men, capable of reading God’s signs, his soft and penetrating language. But they were also courageous, yet humble: we can imagine them having to endure a certain amount of mockery for setting off to find the King of the Jews, at the cost of so much effort. For them it mattered little what this or that person, what even influential and clever people thought and said about them. For them it was a question of truth itself, not human opinion. Hence they took upon themselves the sacrifices and the effort of a long and uncertain journey. Their humble courage was what enabled them to bend down before the child of poor people and to recognize in him the promised King, the one they had set out, on both their outward and their inward journey, to seek and to know.

   Dear friends, how can we fail to recognize in all this certain essential elements of episcopal ministry? The bishop too must be a man of restless heart, not satisfied with the ordinary things of this world, but inwardly driven by his heart’s unrest to draw ever closer to God, to seek his face, to recognize him more and more, to be able to love him more and more. The bishop too must be a man of watchful heart, who recognizes the gentle language of God and understands how to distinguish truth from mere appearance. The bishop too must be filled with the courage of humility, not asking what prevailing opinion says about him, but following the criterion of God’s truth and taking his stand accordingly – “opportune – importune”. He must be able to go ahead and mark out the path. He must go ahead, in the footsteps of him who went ahead of us all because he is the true shepherd, the true star of the promise: Jesus Christ. And he must have the humility to bend down before the God who made himself so tangible and so simple that he contradicts our foolish pride in its reluctance to see God so close and so small. He must devote his life to adoration of the incarnate Son of God, which constantly points him towards the path.

   The liturgy of episcopal ordination interprets the essential features of this ministry in eight questions addressed to the candidates, each beginning with the word “Vultis? – Do you want?” These questions direct the will and mark out the path to be followed. Here I shall briefly cite just a few of the most important words of this presentation, where we find explicit mention of the elements we have just considered in connection with the wise men of today’s feast. The bishops’ task is praedicare Evangelium Christi, it is custodire et dirigere, it is pauperibus se misericordes praebere, it is indesinenter orare. Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, going ahead and leading, guarding the sacred heritage of our faith, showing mercy and charity to the needy and the poor, thus mirroring God’s merciful love for us, and finally, praying without ceasing: these are the fundamental features of the episcopal ministry. Praying without ceasing means: never losing contact with God, letting ourselves be constantly touched by him in the depths of our hearts and, in this way, being penetrated by his light. Only someone who actually knows God can lead others to God. Only someone who leads people to God leads them along the path of life.

   The restless heart of which we spoke earlier, echoing Saint Augustine, is the heart that is ultimately satisfied with nothing less than God, and in this way becomes a loving heart. Our heart is restless for God and remains so, even if every effort is made today, by means of most effective anaesthetizing methods, to deliver people from this unrest. But not only are we restless for God: God’s heart is restless for us. God is waiting for us. He is looking for us. He knows no rest either, until he finds us. God’s heart is restless, and that is why he set out on the path towards us – to Bethlehem, to Calvary, from Jerusalem to Galilee and on to the very ends of the earth. God is restless for us, he looks out for people willing to “catch” his unrest, his passion for us, people who carry within them the searching of their own hearts and at the same time open themselves to be touched by God’s search for us. Dear friends, this was the task of the Apostles: to receive God’s unrest for man and then to bring God himself to man. And this is your task as successors of the Apostles: let yourselves be touched by God’s unrest, so that God’s longing for man may be fulfilled.

   The wise men followed the star. Through the language of creation, they discovered the God of history. To be sure – the language of creation alone is not enough. Only God’s word, which we encounter in sacred Scripture, was able to mark out their path definitively. Creation and Scripture, reason and faith, must come together, so as to lead us forward to the living God. There has been much discussion over what kind of star it was that the wise men were following. Some suggest a planetary constellation, or a supernova, that is to say one of those stars that is initially quite weak, in which an inner explosion releases a brilliant light for a certain time, or a comet, etc. This debate we may leave to the experts. The great star, the true supernova that leads us on, is Christ himself. He is as it were the explosion of God’s love, which causes the great white light of his heart to shine upon the world. And we may add: the wise men from the East, who feature in today’s Gospel, like all the saints, have themselves gradually become constellations of God that mark out the path. In all these people, being touched by God’s word has, as it were, released an explosion of light, through which God’s radiance shines upon our world and shows us the path. The saints are stars of God, by whom we let ourselves be led to him for whom our whole being longs. Dear friends: you followed the star Jesus Christ when you said “yes” to the priesthood and to the episcopacy. And no doubt smaller stars have enlightened and helped you not to lose your way. In the litany of saints we call upon all these stars of God, that they may continue to shine upon you and show you the path. As you are ordained bishops, you too are called to be stars of God for men, leading them along the path towards the true light, towards Christ. So let us pray to all the saints at this hour, asking them that you may always live up to this mission you have received, to show God’s light to mankind."

January 4, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI: Christmas a joyous season

   Speaking to thousands of faithful gathered in the Paul VI Audience Hall this Wednesday for his weekly General Audience which was the first of the New Year, 2012. Pope Benedict XVI said the Christmas season is one of celebration, in which we express our joy in the mystery of Christ’s coming into the world.

   From the witness of Scripture and the Church’s tradition, we see that our first reaction to the birth of Jesus should be one of joy, in the knowledge that God has assumed our humanity in order to make us sharers in his own divine life. The contemplation of this “wondrous exchange”, which we experience most powerfully in the Eucharist, invites us to recognize our lofty dignity as God’s adopted sons and daughters.

   “The liturgy,” said Pope Benedict, “teaches us that Christmas is a feast of light, for Christ, the light of the world and the radiance of the Father’s glory, has brought us from darkness into his Kingdom of light and called us to bring the light of the Gospel to every creature.”

   During this Christmas season, may we welcome the Newborn Saviour into our hearts and may our lives be transformed by his gifts of joy, newness and light.

   Following the catechesis, the Holy Father offered special greetings to pilgrims in many languages, including English:

   I am pleased to greet all the English-speaking visitors present, including the pilgrimage groups from Wales, Australia and the United States. I offer a special greeting to the priests and seminarians of the Pontifical College Josephinum. My welcome also goes to the La Salette Brothers taking part in a programme of spiritual renewal. I thank the choirs for their praise of God in song. Upon all of you and your families I invoke the Lord’s blessings of joy, peace and prosperity for the year which has just begun. Happy New Year!

January 1, 2012

Pope Benedict: "Jesus a voice that speaks of Peace"

   A chilly morning in Rome did nothing to dissuade pilgrims, visitors and families with young children from filling St Peter’s Basilica this morning for the Pope’s first public Mass of the new year, a Mass marking both a Feast Day and an international commemoration – as Seàn-Patrick Lovett reports.
   On the first day of the New Year, the Church turns to Our Lady, dedicating January 1^st to Mary the Mother of God. It’s also the day on which the Pope invites us to reflect on the theme of Peace. January 1^st 2012 marks the 45^th World Day of Peace and so both Mary and Peace were at the heart of the Pope’s homily during the solemn Mass celebrated in St Peter’s Basilica on Sunday morning.
   “Mary”, said Pope Benedict XVI, “is the Mother and model of the Church, who receives the divine Word in faith and offers herself to God…Like Mary, the Church is the mediator of God’s blessing for the world: she receives it in receiving Jesus and she transmits it in bearing Jesus. He is the mercy and the peace that the world of itself cannot give and which it needs at least as much as bread.”
   The Holy Father also reflected on the theme for this year’s World Day of Peace message: “Educating Young People in Justice and Peace.” “In the present age, so strongly marked by a technological mentality”, he said, “the desire to educate and not merely to instruct cannot be taken for granted. In the face of the shadows that obscure the horizon of today’s world, to assume responsibility for educating young people in knowledge of the truth, in fundamental values and virtue, is to look to the future with hope. And in this commitment to a holistic education, formation in justice and peace has a place.”
   Benedict XVI concluded his reflection by quoting Psalm 84 and inviting us all to “hear what God has to say…God who has spoken to us in His Son Jesus…a voice that speaks of Peace.”
 

Below is the English translation of Pope Benedict's Homily 

on the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God and the World Day of Peace.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!
   On the first day of the year, the liturgy resounds in the Church throughout the world with the ancient priestly blessing that we heard during today’s first reading: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Num 6:24-26). This blessing was entrusted by God, through Moses, to Aaron and his sons, that is, to the priests of the people of Israel. It is a triple blessing filled with light, radiating from the repetition of the name of God, the Lord, and from the image of his face. In fact, in order to be blessed, we have to stand in God’s presence, take his Name upon us and remain in the cone of light that issues from his Face, in a space lit up by his gaze, diffusing grace and peace.
   This was the very experience that the shepherds of Bethlehem had, who reappear in today’s Gospel. They had the experience of standing in God’s presence, they received his blessing not in the hall of a majestic palace, in the presence of a great sovereign, but in a stable, before a “babe lying in a manger” (Lk 2:16). From this child, a new light issues forth, shining in the darkness of the night, as we can see in so many paintings depicting Christ’s Nativity. Henceforth, it is from him that blessing comes, from his name – Jesus, meaning “God saves” – and from his human face, in which God, the almighty Lord of heaven and earth, chose to become incarnate, concealing his glory under the veil of our flesh, so as to reveal fully to us his goodness (cf. Tit 3:4).
   The first to be swept up by this blessing was Mary the virgin, the spouse of Joseph, chosen by God from the first moment of her existence to be the mother of his incarnate Son. She is the “blessed among women” (Lk 1:42) – in the words of Saint Elizabeth’s greeting. Her whole life was spent in the light of the Lord, within the radius of his name and of the face of God incarnate in Jesus, the “blessed fruit of her womb”. This is how Luke’s Gospel presents her to us: fully intent upon guarding and meditating in her heart upon everything concerning her son Jesus (cf. Lk 2:19, 51). The mystery of her divine motherhood that we celebrate today contains in superabundant measure the gift of grace that all human motherhood bears within it, so much so that the fruitfulness of the womb has always been associated with God’s blessing. The Mother of God is the first of the blessed, and it is she who bears the blessing; she is the woman who received Jesus into herself and brought him forth for the whole human family. In the words of the liturgy: “without losing the glory of virginity, [she] brought forth into the world the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Preface I of the Blessed Virgin Mary).
   Mary is the mother and model of the Church, who receives the divine Word in faith and offers herself to God as the “good soil” in which he can continue to accomplish his mystery of salvation. The Church also participates in the mystery of divine motherhood, through preaching, which sows the seed of the Gospel throughout the world, and through the sacraments, which communicate grace and divine life to men. The Church exercises her motherhood especially in the sacrament of Baptism, when she generates God’s children from water and the Holy Spirit, who cries out in each of them: “Abba, Father!” (Gal 4:6). Like Mary, the Church is the mediator of God’s blessing for the world: she receives it in receiving Jesus and she transmits it in bearing Jesus. He is the mercy and the peace that the world, of itself, cannot give, and which it needs always, at least as much as bread.
   Dear friends, peace, in the fullest and highest sense, is the sum and synthesis of all blessings. So when two friends meet, they greet one another, wishing each other peace. The Church too, on the first day of the year, invokes this supreme good in a special way; she does so, like the Virgin Mary, by revealing Jesus to all, for as Saint Paul says, “He is our peace” (Eph 2:14), and at the same time the “way” by which individuals and peoples can reach this goal to which we all aspire. With this deep desire in my heart, I am glad to welcome and greet all of you who have come to Saint Peter’s Basilica on this 45^th World Day of Peace: Cardinals, Ambassadors from so many friendly countries, who more than ever on this happy occasion share with me and with the Holy See the desire for renewed commitment to the promotion of peace in the world; the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, who with the Secretary and the officials of the Dicastery work in a particular way towards this goal; the other Bishops and Authorities present; the representatives of ecclesial Associations and Movements and all of you, brothers and sisters, especially those among you who work in the field of educating the young. Indeed – as you know – the role of education is what I highlighted in my Message for this year.
   “Educating Young People in Justice and Peace” is a task for every generation, and thanks be to God, after the tragedies of the two great world wars, the human family has shown increasing awareness of it, as we can witness, on the one hand, from international statements and initiatives, and on the other, from the emergence among young people themselves, in recent decades, of many different forms of social commitment in this field. For the ecclesial community, educating men and women in peace is part of the mission received from Christ, it is an integral part of evangelization, because the Gospel of Christ is also the Gospel of justice and peace. But the Church, in recent times, has articulated a demand that affects everyone with a sensitive and responsible conscience regarding humanity’s future; the demand to respond to a decisive challenge that consists precisely in education. Why is this a “challenge”? For at least two reasons: in the first place, because in the present age, so strongly marked by a technological mentality, the desire to educate and not merely to instruct cannot be taken for granted, it is a choice; in the second place, because the culture of relativism raises a radical question: does it still make sense to educate? And then, to educate for what?
   Naturally now is not the time to address these fundamental questions, which I have tried to answer on other occasions. Instead I would like to underline the fact that, in the face of the shadows that obscure the horizon of today’s world, to assume responsibility for educating young people in knowledge of the truth, in fundamental values and virtues, is to look to the future with hope. And in this commitment to a holistic education, formation in justice and peace has a place. Boys and girls today are growing up in a world that has, so to speak, become smaller, where contacts between different cultures and traditions, even if not always direct, are constant. For them, now more than ever, it is indispensable to learn the importance and the art of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, dialogue and understanding. Young people by their nature are open to these attitudes, but the social reality in which they grow up can lead them to think and act in the opposite way, even to be intolerant and violent. Only a solid education of their consciences can protect them from these risks and make them capable of carrying on the fight, depending always and solely on the power of truth and good. This education begins in the family and is developed at school and in other formative experiences. It is essentially about helping infants, children and adolescents to develop a personality that combines a profound sense of justice with respect for their neighbour, with a capacity to address conflicts without arrogance, with the inner strength to bear witness to good, even when it involves sacrifice, with forgiveness and reconciliation. Thus they will be able to become people of peace and builders of peace.
   In this task of educating young generations, a particular responsibility lies with religious communities. Every pathway of authentic religious formation guides the person, from the most tender age, to know God, to love him and to do his will. God is love, he is just and peaceable, and anyone wishing to honour him must first of all act like a child following his father’s example. One of the Psalms says: “The Lord does deeds of justice, gives judgment for all who are oppressed ... The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy” (Ps 102:6,8). In God, justice and mercy come together perfectly, as Jesus showed us through the testimony of his life. In Jesus, “love and truth” have met, “justice and peace” have embraced (cf. Ps 84:11). In these days, the Church is celebrating the great mystery of the Incarnation: God’s truth has sprung from the earth and justice looks down from heaven, the earth has yielded its fruit (cf. Ps 84:12,13). God has spoken to us in his Son Jesus. Let us hear what God has to say: “a voice that speaks of peace” (Ps 84:9). Jesus is a way that can be travelled, open to everyone. He is the path of peace. Today the Virgin Mary points him out to us, she shows us the Way: let us walk in it! And you, Holy Mother of God, accompany us with your protection. Amen.