Pope greets people of Freiburg

Freiburg, Germany, Sep 24, 2011 / 02:15 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI told the people of Freiburg that he had come “in order to pray together” and “to proclaim the word of God and to celebrate the Eucharist.”

The trip to the city in the south west of Germany is the third and final leg of the Pope’s state visit to his homeland. Unlike his previous destinations, Berlin and Erfurt, Freiburg is predominately Catholic. Its residents opted out of the Protestant Reformation in 1520.

Pope Benedict arrived at the nearby Lahr Airport just before 1 p.m. From there, he made his way to the local cathedral, the “Munster,” which is dedicated to Our Lady. The pontiff made the last part of the journey by Popemobile, much to the delight of the sizable crowds.

After praying the Angelus in the cathedral, the Pope then emerged to greet local people gathered in the town’s Cathedral Square. He began by reminding them of the motto for his visit: “Where God is, there is a future.”

“As the Successor of Saint Peter, who was commissioned by the Lord to strengthen his brethren, I too have come willingly to you, in order to pray together with you, to proclaim the word of God and to celebrate the Eucharist,” said the Pope.

He then asked for their prayers so that “these days will be fruitful, that God will deepen our faith, strengthen our hope and increase our love.”

The itinerary for the Pope’s visit to Freiburg includes a prayer vigil with young people this evening and an open-air Mass tomorrow. He said he hoped the events of the next 24-hours will help the people of the city “become aware once more how much God loves us and how good he is, so that we may trustingly place ourselves and all our cares and concerns into his hands.”

“In him our future is assured,” said the Pope. He added that Jesus “gives meaning to our lives and can bring them to fulfillment.” He then imparted his apostolic blessing.

The Pope followed his public address with a private meeting with the former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Chancellor Kohl, now aged 81 and in a wheelchair, oversaw the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990. Pope Benedict himself specially requested the meeting.

Church in West suffering crisis of faith, says Pope

Freiburg, Germany, Sep 24, 2011 / 07:17 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- “The real crisis facing the Church in the western world is a crisis of faith,” Pope Benedict XVI told gathering of lay Catholics Sept. 24.

“We see that in our affluent western world much is lacking. Many people lack experience of God’s goodness,” the Pope said to the Central Committee of German Catholics on the third day of his state visit to Germany.

“They no longer find any point of contact with the mainstream churches and their traditional structures.”

The Central Committee of German Catholics is an apostolate founded in 1952 as a forum for lay Catholics. It draws together individuals who hold positions of responsibility in civil society. Today’s meeting took place in the diocesan seminary in the southwestern city of Freiburg.

Using Catholicism in Germany as an example, the Pope said that while the German Church was “superbly organized” it was perhaps lacking in a “corresponding spiritual strength, the strength of faith in a living God.”

“We must honestly admit that we have more than enough by way of structure but not enough by way of Spirit. I would add: the real crisis facing the Church in the western world is a crisis of faith.”

For anybody coming from the developing world to the western world, this crisis can be seen in the “poverty in human relations and poverty in the religious sphere” brought about by “a subliminal relativism that penetrates every area of life,” he said.

This is observed, said the Pope, “in the inconstancy and fragmentation of many people’s lives and in an exaggerated individualism,” such that many people “no longer seem capable of any form of self-denial or of making a sacrifice for others.” Meanwhile others “are now quite incapable of committing themselves unreservedly to a single partner.”

To tackle these problems at their root, the Pope explained, he had created the Pontifical Council for New Evangelization. Established last year, it has a particular mission to re-evangelize those traditionally Christian countries that have seen a decline in belief and practice in recent years. The Pope stressed, however, that without a renewal in faith “all structural reform will remain ineffective.”

Hence the need for new places where those who lack experience of God’s goodness can encounter it, said the Pope. He suggested that small communities could be one such path where “friendships are lived and deepened in regular communal adoration before God.”

There, said the Pope, “we find people who speak of these small faith experiences at their workplace and within their circle of family and friends, and in so doing bear witness to a new closeness between Church and society.” Such encounters, he suggested, lead people to recognize the need for “this nourishment of love, this concrete friendship with others and with the Lord.”

He concluded by praying that God “always point out to us how together we can be lights in the world and can show our fellow men the path to the source at which they can quench their profound thirst for life.”

Pope promotes Catholic-Orthodox defense of traditional values

Freiburg, Germany, Sep 24, 2011 / 04:46 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI has urged Catholic and Orthodox Christians to work together to defend human life and promote the traditional family.

“The common engagement of Christians, including many Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians, makes a valuable contribution to building up a society equipped for the future, in which the human person is given the respect which is his due,” said the Pope at a meeting with Orthodox leaders in the German city of Freiburg Sept. 24.

At the Archdiocese of Freiburg’s seminary, the Pope highlighted areas where co-operation is particularly needed in order to reverse “the present climate, in which many would like, as it were, to ‘liberate’ public life from God.”

In the pro-life struggle both Catholic and Orthodox can “speak up jointly for the protection of human life from conception to natural death.” They can also work together to promote “the value of marriage and the family,” particularly when defending “the integrity and the uniqueness of marriage between one man and one woman.”

There are an estimated 1.6 million Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians in Germany today.

Among Christian Churches and communities, the Orthodox are “theologically closest” to the Catholic Church because they both have the same basic structure “inherited from the ancient Church,” the Pope said. He hoped “that the day is not too far away when we may once again celebrate the Eucharist together.”

Pope Benedict explained that over the years he had “come to know and love Orthodoxy more and more” through personal friendships with Orthodox leaders since his days as the Archbishop of Munich and Freising.

However, he added, work is still required to “clarify theological differences” whose resolution is “indispensable for restoration of the full unity that we hope and pray for.”

Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, President of the German Bishops’ Conference, hailed Saturday’s meeting as “another ecumenical high point.” He said the Catholic Church was now “fully aware of all that it shares with the Orthodox and Oriental Churches in matters of faith and ethics.”

Following his meeting with Orthodox leaders Pope Benedict then spent some time with about 60 seminarians for the Archdiocese of Freiburg. They gathered together in the chapel for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament before adjourning for a photo opportunity. This was followed by a brief, informal talk by the Pope in which he spoke about the importance of Sacred Scripture and the relationship between faith and reason.

Freiburg in southwest Germany is the third leg in the Pope Benedict’s state visit to his homeland. Unlike his two previous destinations, Berlin and Erfurt, the city of Freiburg is overwhelmingly Catholic. The Pope will return to Rome Sunday evening.

Benedict XVI to Youth: Dare to be Saints

by Edward Pentin
National Catholic Register
Saturday, September 24, 2011

“Dare to be glowing saints, in whose eyes and hearts the love of Christ beams and who thus bring light to the world,” the Pope said to young people at this evening’s prayer Vigil in Freiburg. “I am confident that you and many other young people here in Germany are lamps of hope that do not remain hidden. “You are the light of the world”.”

In a powerful discourse the Holy Father gave firm words of encouragement to the thousands of youth present.

He explained to them that belief needs to be supported by the faith of others, that they cannot remain silent about the existence of evil, that they can become saints, and that they must allow Christ to burn within themselves.

“In the final analysis, the world in which we live, in spite of its technical progress, does not seem to be getting any better. There is still war and terror, hunger and disease, bitter poverty and merciless oppression. And even those figures in our history who saw themselves as “bringers of light”, but set up dictatorships and totalitarian systems, in which even the smallest spark of true humanity is choked,” the Pope said. “Yet we see a light: a small, tiny flame that is stronger than the seemingly powerful and invincible darkness. Christ, risen from the dead, shines in this world and he does so most brightly in those places where, in human terms, everything is sombre and hopeless.”

The Holy Father warned against lukewarmness and explained to the youth who saints really are: “Again and again the very notion of saints has been caricatured and distorted, as if to be holy meant to be remote from the world, naive and joyless,” he said. “Often it is thought that a saint has to be someone with great ascetic and moral achievements, who might well be revered, but could never be imitated in our own lives.

“How false and discouraging this opinion is! There is no saint, apart from the Blessed Virgin Mary, who has not also known sin, who has never fallen. Dear friends, Christ is not so much interested in how often in your lives you stumble and fall, as in how often you pick yourselves up again. He does not demand glittering achievements, but he wants his light to shine in you. He does not call you because you are good and perfect, but because he is good and he wants to make you his friends. Yes, you are the light of the world because Jesus is your light. You are Christians – not because you do special and extraordinary things, but because Christ is your life. You are holy because his grace is at work in you.”

The Pope concluded: “A candle can only give light if it lets itself be consumed by the flame. It would remain useless if its wax failed to nourish the fire. Allow Christ to burn in you, even at the cost of sacrifice and renunciation. Do not be afraid that you might lose something and, so to speak, emerge empty-handed at the end. Have the courage to apply your talents and gifts for God’s kingdom and to give yourselves – like candlewax – so that the Lord can light up the darkness through you. Dare to be glowing saints, in whose eyes and hearts the love of Christ beams and who thus bring light to the world. I am confident that you and many other young people here in Germany are lamps of hope that do not remain hidden. “You are the light of the world”. Amen.

Tomorrow, the final day of this historic visit, will begin with a large open-air Mass in the outskirts of Freiburg. It will be followed by lunch with members of the German Bishops Conference, a meeting with Federal Constitutional Judges, and a discourse in Freiburg’s concert hall.

Papal Mass in Freiburg: may the Church be a blessing!

Veronica Scarisbrick
Vatican Radio
Sept. 25, 2011

Some 100,000 faithful gathered under a warm German sun to celebrate the Holy Mass Sunday with Pope Benedict XVI. Our correspondent Veronica Scarisbrick tells us they gathered at Freiburg's touristic airport just outside the south-western German city, on this, the fourth and last day of the Holy Father's visit to his homeland:

An unusual venue for the Holy Mass Benedict XVI presided over on Sunday morning in predominantly Catholic Freiburg, a local airport strip not far from the city .

And not far from the venue of the previous evening's Prayer Vigil with young enthusiastic Germans to whom, when evening faded into darkness and torches had been lit, amid an ocean of flickering lights the Pope had said: ”You are the light of the world”, “Allow Christ to burn in you, whatever the cost. Do not be afraid he insisted”.

And many of these same young Germans were present at the morning mass as well. With their youthful enthusiasm they infected the other 100.000 faithful present there with their shouting:”Benedetto, Benedetto..” Those who had come from other dioceses across Germany and those who had travelled here from neighbouring France and Switzerland.

It must have been a bit of a wistful occasion for German Catholics as it was the final day of the Pope's first State Visit to them his fellow country men.. And all 27 Bishops of the German Bishop’s Conference were present to concelebrate with him the Successor of Peter, together with their President and Archbishop of Freiburg, Robert Zollitsch.

And when it was time for this German Pontiff to deliver his homily he expressed his gratitude for this nation’s generous outreach to other more needy Churches, across the world with its many social and charitable institutions and for the love of neighbour practiced, in ways that bring social benefits to the ends of the earth.

But the Pope specified : “The Church in Germany will continue to be a blessing for the entire Catholic world if she remains faithfully united with the Successors of Saint Peter and the Apostles, if she fosters cooperation in various ways with mission countries and allows herself to be “infected” by the joy that marks the faith of these young Churches.”

There was prayer, and there was music here in this South Western tip of Germany as Benedict XVI spelled out to his people how while certainly social service requires objective and professional expertise in the spirit of Jesus, it also needs an open heart and a concerted and humble effort, a service of love .


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ANGELUS: TRUST IN THE BEAUTY OF GOD'S PLAN

VATICAN CITY, 25 SEP 2011 (VIS) - Following this morning's Mass at the airport of Freiburg im Breisgau, the Holy Father prayed the Angelus, a prayer, he said, which "constantly reminds us of the historical beginnings of our salvation".

Mary's "yes", the Pope explained, "is the trusting 'yes' to God's plan, to our salvation". Mary "addresses her 'yes' to us all, whom she received as her children entrusted to her at the foot of the Cross. She never withdraws this promise".

"As we pray the Angelus, we may join Mary in her 'yes', we may adhere trustingly to the beauty of God's plan and to the providence that He has assigned to us in His grace. Then God's love will also, as it were, take flesh in our lives, becoming ever more tangible. In all our cares we need have no fear. God is good. At the same time we know that we are sustained by the fellowship of the many believers who are now praying the Angelus with us throughout the world, via radio and television".

Following the Marian prayer, the Holy Father went back to the seminary of Freiburg im Breisgau where he had lunch with members of the German Episcopal Conference.

Church troubles can help purify and reform, Pope says

Freiburg, Germany, Sep 25, 2011 / 04:23 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Troubled times in the Catholic Church and increasing secularization can be an opportunity for renewal, Pope Benedict XVI said in Germany.

The Pope looked back on the history of the Church during Sept. 25 remarks to a group of Catholics involved in German civil society. He observed that times of persecution and difficulty have often contributed “significantly” to the Church’s “purification and inner reform.”

“Secularizing trends – whether by expropriation of Church goods, or elimination of privileges or the like – have always meant a profound liberation of the Church from forms of worldliness, for in the process she has set aside her worldly wealth and has once again completely embraced her worldly poverty,” he said.

The Pope suggested that once freed from her “material and political burdens,” the Church can “reach out more effectively and in a truly Christian way to the whole world.”

Thus the Church avoids giving greater weight to “organization and institutionalization (rather) than to her vocation” which is to be “a tool of salvation, in filling the world with God’s word and in transforming the world by bringing it into loving unity with God.”

This, however, doesn’t not mean that the Church should or can change her teachings. Pope Benedict recounted an anecdote from the life of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta who was once asked what was the first thing that would have to change in the Church.

“Her answer was: you and I,” recalled the Pope.

Today’s gathering took place in the south western city of Freiburg on, this, the last day of Pope Benedict’s state visit to Germany. The Pope praised those attending the address, held in the local diocesan seminary, for standing up for the “faith and for the Church something that is not always easy at the present time.” He recognized that the scandal of clerical abuse was often obscuring the Church’s preaching of the “scandal of the cross.”

“A dangerous situation arises when these scandals take the place of the primary scandal of the Cross and in so doing they put it beyond reach, concealing the true demands of the Christian Gospel behind the unworthiness of those who proclaim it.”

Earlier in the afternoon Pope Benedict also met with the judges of Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court. Established wake of the Second World War, the court’s 16 judges operate as Germany’s supreme court and adjudicate on the interpretation of the “Grundgesetz,” Germany’s basic law.

The Pope also met briefly with the organizing committee, benefactors and security teams who have made his four-day state visit to Germany possible in order to thank them for their efforts.

Departing Pope praises ‘transforming power’ of German Christians’ faith

Freiburg, Germany, Sep 25, 2011 / 11:08 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI used his departure from German soil to reflect upon his four-day state visit to his homeland and to express confidence in the future of Christianity there.

“I encourage the Church in Germany to pursue with resolute confidence the path of faith which leads people back to their roots, to the heart of the Good News of Christ,” said the Pope at Lahr Airport near Freiburg September 25.

Pope Benedict said that he hoped the past four days would reverse the societal trend of the past few decades to “remove religion from people’s lives.”

“This gives me confidence for the future of Christianity in Germany. As in previous visits, it was clear how many people here are bearing witness to their faith and making its transforming power present in today’s world.”

He said that he had particular cause for optimism given the presence of “large numbers of young people” at Saturday’s youth vigil in Freiburg.

At the airport he received a farewell from German President Christian Wulff, who was accompanied by the country’s civil and religious leaders.

Reflecting upon his four-day state visit, Pope Benedict outlined his personal highlights. He mentioned his opportunity to address the Bundestag and present “some reflections on the intellectual foundations of the state.”

He also said that building bridges with other Christian churches, communities and non-Christian faiths had meant a great deal to him.

“Here in the land of the Reformation, Christian unity was naturally a high point of my journey. I would mention in particular my meeting with representatives of the Lutheran Church in Germany, which took place in the former Augustinian convent of Erfurt,” said the Pope.

“I am profoundly grateful for our fraternal exchange and common prayer. Significant too were my meetings with Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians, as well with Jews and Muslims.”

The past four days have constituted Pope Benedict’s first state visit to Germany. His previous two visits since his 2005 election to the papacy were made in a pastoral capacity.

Predictions of protest and lack of interest prior to this weekend’s visit have largely proved unfounded. Both crowds and public support exceeded the hopes of the organizers.

“With vivid memories of these days spent in my native land, I now return to Rome,” the Pope concluded before boarding the plane that would take him back the Vatican.

“With the assurance of my prayers for all of you, and for a future of peace and freedom for our country, I bid you farewell with a heartfelt ‘Vergelt’s Gott’: May God reward you. God bless you all!”

Trip roundup: In Germany, pope says godlessness poses new risks for society

By John Thavis
Catholic News Service
Sept. 25, 2011

FREIBURG, Germany (CNS) -- On a four-day visit to Germany, Pope Benedict XVI warned that godlessness and religious indifference were undermining the moral foundations of society and leaving its weakest members exposed to new risks.

He repeatedly mentioned the duty to protect the unborn, and proposed this as an area where Catholics and non-Catholics can witness together and help resist ethical erosion.

The pope, making his first official state visit to his homeland, said after arriving Sept. 22 that he had come "to meet people and to speak about God." He took that message to the country's political leaders, to the church's ecumenical partners, to the Catholic faithful and, through the mass media, to the German people.

The 84-year-old pope at times looked tired during the heavy program of events, but generally held up well. He beamed when enthusiastic Catholics in central and southern Germany chanted his name and waved banners with the trip's slogan, "Where there is God, there is a future."

When the pope stepped off his plane in Berlin, the German capital, he was greeted by President Christian Wulff and Chancellor Angela Merkel. The pope smiled as a boy and a girl presented him with a bouquet of flowers, and cannons boomed out a 21-gun salute.

At a welcoming ceremony at the presidential Bellevue Palace in Berlin, the pope strongly defended the church's voice in public affairs and said that to dismiss religious values as irrelevant would "dismember our culture."

Wulff, in his own speech to the pope, agreed that the church's message is needed in modern society. But the president, a 52-year-old Catholic who is divorced and civilly remarried, added that the church too is challenged by important questions today: "How compassionately will it treat points of rupture in the lives of individuals? How will it approach points of rupture in its own history or the wrongdoing of members of its clergy?"

The pope's main event in Berlin was his speech to the German parliament, the first time he has addressed a legislative body. Although dozens of parliamentarians boycotted the event, he received a standing ovation from the assembly.

The pope's speech, philosophical in tone, argued that belief in God was the foundation for Western progress in law, social justice and human rights through the centuries.

Germany's Nazi past, he said, illustrates that without justice, the state becomes "a highly organized band of robbers, capable of threatening the whole world and driving it to the edge of the abyss."

Today, he said, with unprecedented opportunities to manipulate human beings, the threat is even more dramatic. He pointed to Germany's ecology movement as a step in the right direction, but said an "ecology of man" was needed to protect human dignity.

The pope later met with Jewish representatives and recalled the Nazi "reign of terror" in his homeland, saying it showed what people are capable of when they deny God.

"The supposedly 'almighty' Adolf Hitler was a pagan idol, who wanted to take the place of the biblical God, the creator and father of all men," he said.

Celebrating Mass in Berlin's Olympic Stadium for 70,000 people, the pope appealed for a better understanding of the church, one that goes beyond current controversies and the failings of its members.

On the plane carrying him from Rome, the pope told reporters he understood the feelings of German Catholics who have left the church because of revelations about clerical sex abuse, but he urged them to work against such crimes "on the inside." The pope later met with five sex abuse victims in Erfurt, an encounter that the Vatican said left the pontiff "moved and deeply shaken."

The pope presided over major ecumenical events Sept. 23 in Erfurt, the town where Martin Luther was ordained and site of an Augustinian monastery where he lived for several years. Meeting with Lutheran leaders, the pope prayed for Christian unity and said ecumenism today faces threats from both secularization and Christian fundamentalism.

"God is increasingly being driven out of our society. ... Are we to yield to the pressure of secularization, and become modern by watering down the faith?" he said.

The pope also cautioned against viewing ecumenism as a type of negotiation. The best path to Christian unity, he said, is witnessing the Gospel courageously in a society that is often antagonistic toward the faith.

Meeting with Orthodox representatives Sept. 24, the pope urged Christian churches in Germany to speak up jointly in defense of human life "from conception to natural death" and defend "marriage between one man and one woman from any kind of misinterpretation."

In encounters with the faithful in Erfurt and Freiburg, the pope did not enter into details of the contentious issues that have divided German Catholics, such as priestly celibacy, women's ordination and church teaching on homosexuality. Instead, the pope preached the importance of living the Gospel and held out German saints as models of the "radical" embrace of Christ.

In Erfurt, a city in former East Germany, the pope said at a Mass that Nazism and communism had been like "acid rain" for Christianity. But he said the oppression and difficulties in those dark years actually left many Catholics with a stronger faith -- stronger, perhaps, than under current freedoms.

Addressing German lay leaders in Freiburg Sept. 24, the pope said the church in Germany was clearly "superbly organized." Then he asked: "But behind the structures, is there also a corresponding spiritual strength?" He suggested that small Christian communities may be the most promising path toward renewing the church's impact in society.

At a prayer vigil in Freiburg, the pope rode his popemobile past screaming teens who snapped photos with cell phones. An oversized road sign proclaimed in English, "Highway to Heaven -- B16."

His talk to the youths emphasized that human efforts to make a better world were never enough, and that only faith in God cuts through the "darkness and gloom" of suffering and evil.

At a Mass on his final day in Freiburg, the pope told an estimated 100,000 people that agnostics who are troubled by the question of God are closer to the kingdom of God than "routine" Catholics whose hearts are untouched by faith.

He said the church in Germany would make an impact in society only if everyone works together "in fidelity to their respective vocations" and in unity with their bishop and the pope.

In a meeting afterward with Catholics involved in church institutions, lay movements and political life, the pope said the best way for the church to influence society was to "set aside her worldliness" and stop adapting to the standards of secular society. History has shown that when it is liberated from organizational and political burdens, the church's "missionary witness shines more brightly," he said.


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Trip analysis: In pope's Germany, a test case for 'new evangelization'


By John Thavis
Catholic News Service
Sept. 25, 2011

FREIBURG, Germany (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI's four-day visit to Germany highlighted two closely connected challenges for the church: how to re-evangelize traditionally Christian countries in the West, and how to regain a credible voice in modern society.

In a sense, the pope's German homeland was a test case for the "new evangelization" project that has taken center stage in his pontificate.

As the pope pointed out repeatedly during the Sept. 22-25 visit, modern Germany is a highly secularized country where atheism or religious indifference is widespread, where traditional moral values are eroding and where the church's message seems to have less and less impact.

And yet Germany has a native son as pope -- still a point of pride for many Germans -- and a tradition of intellectual debate. At the very least, the pope hoped for a fair hearing, and at some levels, he got one.

His address to the German parliament, in which he argued that social justice must be grounded in morality, prompted reflection and discussion in German media. The normally critical weekly Der Spiegel called the speech thought-provoking and "courageous."

It was a classic Pope Benedict speech, a philosophical exposition that ranged from the biblical account of King Solomon to the positivist world view of modernity. He showed that he can connect with the intelligentsia, and at this rarified level he gets respect.

The pope also clearly connected with the Catholic faithful who turned out by the tens of thousands for his Masses and prayer services. Praying before a statue of Mary at a shrine in Etzelsbach or kneeling in eucharistic adoration at the Freiburg cathedral, the pope heard behind him the sound of silence -- music to his ears, because it was a sign of intense participation.

His appeal to return to the Christian roots of Germany met with enthusiastic approval from what one woman called his "base" -- the Catholic families who have tried to maintain their religious traditions in the face of decades of communism and more recent years of social fragmentation.

Other audiences appeared less in sync with the pope's message and his single-minded focus on the "return to God" theme.

To Germans who have left the church or those who have pushed for a "dialogue" within the church on issues like priestly celibacy and the role of women and lay people, the pope had some pointed words.

First, he said the root problem was a misunderstanding of the nature of the church: It's not just a social organization that people opt in or out of, but a community of believers that belongs to Jesus Christ. He blamed internal dissatisfaction on Catholics' superficial notions of a "dream church" that has failed to materialize.

In a meeting in Freiburg with officials of Germany's central lay Catholic committee, the pope bluntly described the German church as "superbly organized" but lacking in spirit. Rather than relying on big church structures and programs, he said, "new evangelization" will depend more on small Catholic communities and individuals able to share their faith experiences with co-workers, family and friends.

The pope's visit was also designed to reach a wider audience, the millions of Germans who have drifted away from the church or religion. At the trip's first event at Berlin's presidential palace, Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich told Catholic News Service that he was convinced these Germans would be listening to the pope -- even the skeptics, he said.

The skeptics were not at the papal venues, however. They followed the visit through the media, if at all. And their reactions were mixed.

"His speech to parliament showed he is a man with high intellect. But for most people, it is too high. The talk about needing to rediscover God -- this I didn't understand. It sounds like what he's saying belongs to the past," said Magda Hilmers, a Protestant from Freiburg.

Inga, a 46-year-old woman who comes from a Catholic family but said she is "not religious," thought the pope should have spoken more about social issues, including war and economic imbalances. She said she was put off by the cost and showiness of the papal visit.

For Andres Capriles, a young Bolivian immigrant to Germany, the pope's words were important but did not address what's on many Catholics' minds.

"People are not just disillusioned about God and religion, they are disillusioned about the church and the direction the church is moving, which seems to be away from the Second Vatican Council," he said.

Petra Kollmar, a 57-year-old Catholic from Freiburg, said the problem with the pope's visit was "what he did not talk about -- the 'no' to women priests, the church's attitude toward homosexuals and divorced people in the church, the abuse of children that has occurred."

Many of those interviewed said these are issues that have left the church with less influence and credibility among Germans.

Such attitudes are not uncommon throughout Europe, and they complicate the "new evangelization" plan, making it much harder for the pope to reach his target audience of the indifferent and disaffected.

But the pope's approach in Germany was not to make concessions. In Freiburg, he said that rather than launch a "new strategy," the church needs to "set aside its worldliness" and stop adapting itself to the standards of the secular society.

Faith lived fully is always counter-cultural, he said, but history has shown it's the only way for the church to regain credibility for its mission.

As evident in Germany, the pope sees "new evangelization" as a long and uphill process that starts with a clearer understanding of the church's own nature and purpose, and not an attempt to find middle ground with critics.

Benedict's Trip to Germany

Okay, girls. We know some of you were at some of the papal events in Germany. Would you please share your impressions and any photos? Have pity on those of us stuck in place.

PASTORAL VISIT TO LAMEZIA TERME AND SERRA SAN BRUNO

VATICAN CITY, 27 SEP 2011 (VIS) - Made public today was the programme of the pastoral visit which Benedict XVI is due to make on Sunday 9 October to the Italian towns of Lamezia Terme and Serra San Bruno.

The Pope will depart from Ciampino airport in Rome at 8.30 a.m., landing at 9.15 a.m. at the airport of Lamezia Terme. At 10 a.m. he will celebrate Mass in an industrial area on the outskirts of the town.

Following lunch with bishops at 1.30 p.m. in the episcopal residence of Lamezia Terme, at 4.30 p.m. the Holy Father will greet the organisers of his visit. At 4.45 p.m. he is due to travel by helicopter from the "Guido d'Ippolito" stadium to Serra San Bruno where, at 5.30 p.m., he will meet with local people at the sports ground.

At 6 p.m. the Pope Benedict will celebrate Vespers and deliver a homily in the church of the Carthusian monastery of Serra San Bruno, after which he will meet the monastic community and visit a cell and the infirmary of the monastery.

He is scheduled to return to Lamezia Terme by helicopter at 7.30 p.m., and to depart from there by plane to Rome at 8 p.m.


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CELEBRATIONS TO BE PRESIDED BY POPE: OCTOBER-NOVEMBER

VATICAN CITY, 27 SEP 2011 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today published the calendar of celebrations to be presided by the Holy Father in the months of October and November:


OCTOBER

- Sunday 9: 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time. Pastoral visit to Lamezia Terme and Serra San Bruno, Italy.

- Sunday 16: 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time. At 9.30 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, Mass for the New Evangelisation.

- Sunday 23: 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time. At 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Square, canonisation of the following blesseds: Guido Maria Conforti, Luigi Guanella, Bonifacia Rodriguez de Castro.

- Wednesday 26: At 10.30 a.m. in St. Peter's Square, prayer in preparation for the Meeting for Peace in Assisi.


NOVEMBER

- Wednesday 2: All Souls Day. At 6 p.m. in the Vatican Grottoes, a moment of prayer for deceased Popes.

- Thursday 3: At 11.30 a.m. at the altar of the Cathedra in the Vatican Basilica, Mass for cardinals and bishops who died over the course of the year.

- Friday 4: At 5.30 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica. Vespers for the beginning of the academic year in the Pontifical Universities.

- Friday 18 - Sunday 20: Apostolic trip to Benin.

Vatican rebuffs reports of planned papal resignation


Freiburg, Germany, Sep 27, 2011 / 10:56 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi has dismissed reports published by an Italian newspaper that Pope Benedict XVI plans to resign from the papacy in 2012.

Fr. Lombardi recalled that the Pope displayed “great energy” during his trip to Germany, which included a demanding schedule over four days.

His remarks came in response to a story by Italian journalist Antonio Socci of Libero, who claimed that the Pope is considering resignation next April, when he will turn 85.

Fr. Lombardi told reporters in Freiburg, Germany that Benedict XVI is in “good health, as we are seeing during this trip to Germany. He is in good condition and holding up well during a visit to his country as intense as this one. From the point of view of the pontiff’s health, it has been a success.”

The Vatican spokesman added, “the only thing we know about possible resignations is what the Pope said in his book ‘Light of the World.'”

In the book published in 2010, Benedict XVI said a Pope has “the right, and according to the circumstances, the duty to resign” if he feels he lacks the “physical, psychological and spiritual” strength to carry out his office.

According to the Efe news agency, Fr. Lombardi added, “(y)ou would need to ask the newspaper where the story came from, but the strength and stamina that (the Pope) is displaying on this trip to Germany seems to me to speak more than eloquently of his ability to continue and to take on new commitments.”

benefan, 26.09.2011 06:41:

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Benedict's Trip to Germany

Okay, girls. We know some of you were at some of the papal events in Germany. Would you please share your impressions and any photos? Have pity on those of us stuck in place.

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I cannot yet.
I am still unconscious.......

Peter Seewald: The Pope triumphed over the media war in Germany

Lima, Peru, Sep 28, 2011 / 01:59 pm (CNA).- In an interview with the Kath.net news agency sent to CNA for publication, German Catholic reporter Peter Seewald said the recent papal trip to Germany was a victory for the humility and message of the Pope.

In the interview, Seewald, author of “Light of the World,” described the Pope’s visit as “a small miracle” because “shortly before there was a very aggressive, anti-clerical assault by the media.”

“All of this brings to mind George Orwell’s ‘1984,’ in which an imaginary enemy, a nightmare, is created in order to scare people.” “And yet,” Seewald noted, “despite all of this incredible effort by the media, an innumerable amount of people stood up and refused to be deceived.”

“They said the Germans would turn their backs on him and all kinds of other stupidities. There appears to be nothing more offensive in our times than being Catholic. As the magazine ‘Stern’ said, ‘The brief euphoria at the outset was followed by an irreparable distancing between the majority of Germans and their fellow countryman.’ It’s as if they were saying that everything would be wonderful and orderly in the world if the Vatican just ceased to exist.”

However, Seewald continued, “We were all witnesses to something much greater. Where were all the masses of critics and protesters? They never showed up. And yet 350,000 people made great sacrifices in order to personally listen to the Pope and to attend Mass with him. Millions watched on television. The Pope’s books are selling faster than ever … And undoubtedly never before has so much intelligence, wisdom and truth, so much of what is fundamental, been heard in Germany.”

According to Seewald, whose own conversion to Catholicism came after meeting then-Cardinal Ratzinger, “(t)hese words can no longer be ignored. They are the measure and the touchstone for the subsequent debates and the renewal of the Catholic Church in Germany.” The only “shadows” of the Pope’s trip to Germany were the massive attacks against him by the media, he said.

“We were often reminded of the people of Nazareth who did not want to listen to the Prophet from their own land. ‘He performs no miracles.’ That was the complaint of many in the media. They work like crazy in a state of antagonism against the Pope, they preach a new faith without values, and at the same time they air all these complaints that people are turning their backs on the Catholic Church. In reality, the percentage of those who leave (the Church) is much smaller than those who leave political parties, industries or associations, or even the protestant church,” Seewald said.

On the other hand, he continued, to see Benedict XVI “walk through the ferocious pack of media dogs without losing his composure for one second” was amazing.

“Indeed it was sad that many did not take advantage of this opportunity to express for once authentic Christian fraternity,” Seewald said. There is a part of Protestantism that still continues to see itself as an anti-papal faction. Before, the man in Rome was considered the anti-Christ. Today he is seen as anti-modern. Nevertheless, what is more significant is this: that after the encounter with the Pope, not only Orthodox, Jewish and Muslim representatives were extremely content, but also the president of the Evangelical Church in Germany, who after the meeting with Benedict XVI said, quote, ‘I am pleased.”

The Kath.net interviewer asked Seewald who the Pope was referring to when he said during the vigil with young people, “(D)amage to the Church comes not from her opponents but from uncommitted Christians.” Seewald replied, “Probably you and me. The Pope is an encourager and a builder of bridges, but he also warns us. Every Christian needs new impulses to keep from becoming stagnant in his development, in his journey, his witness and his Christian conduct.”

Later in the interview Seewald said the Pope came to Germany to draw attention to problems, because “he does not want a fictitious peace but rather one that is genuine. He is anything but someone who covers things up with nice words or tries to put make-up on the seriousness of the situation with massive events, contrary to what (Hans) Kung and his friends assert.”

Seewald also lamented that as a preamble to the youth meeting in Freiburg, local organizers gave young people the chance to vote on various topics such as women priests and homosexuality, leaving out any spiritual preparation for the event.

“Someone who does this does not understand how things are today,” he said. “It also displays a lack of perception of the seriousness of the situation. By doing such things, one becomes an ally of the opinion leaders who for decades have been using second or third-rate issues to lead the Church according to their whims and have basically caused a spiritual stagnation. Today things are so bad that many people know absolutely nothing about their faith. They know nothing about the Gospel and the Sacraments,” Seewald said.

Nevertheless, he added, “The Pope gave appropriate directions. The fate of the Church and of the faith, he clearly said, is determined in the context of the liturgy and the Eucharist. True change is only possible through the transformation of the heart.”

Put simply, the successor of Peter wants to lead us to the sources. And they do not belong to him or to the Vatican, but rather, out of them flows the ‘living water.’ And that a Church exists that protects and cares for these sources should make us feel happy and secure,” he said.

benefan, 29.09.2011 02:41:

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Peter Seewald: The Pope triumphed over the media war in Germany

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Benefan, thank you so much for posting the interview. I was waiting for Peter Seewald's so desperately, finally he has spoke up.
I post the German text for us who can read German more easily.

27. September 2011, 13:08
Dass ein kleines Wunder geschehen ist!

KATH.NET-Exklusivinterview mit Peter Seewald über den Papstbesuch: Trotz dieser ungeheueren Stimmungsmache standen unfassbar viele Menschen auf, die sich nicht beirren ließen.


München (kath.net/rn)
KATH.NET: Der Papstbesuch ist vorbei? Was ist Ihr erster Eindruck von der Reise?

Peter Seewald: Dass ein kleines Wunder geschehen ist. Kaum zuvor war eine so aggressive antikirchliche Medien-Phalanx, so viel an Vorverurteilung und Meinungsterror zu erleben. Das Ganze erinnerte an Georges Orwell „1984“, wo ein imaginärer Feind, ein Popanz, aufgebaut wird, um die Menge aufzustacheln. Jemand, der gegen die Gleichgültigkeit kämpft, der sich nicht den Mechanismen des Polit- und Mediengeschäftes unterwirft, wird dann verzeichnet als finstere Gestalt. Und wo dies nicht gelang, wollte man den Papst förmlich tot schreiben. Aber trotz dieser ungeheueren Stimmungsmache standen unfassbar viele Menschen auf, die sich nicht beirren ließen.

KATH.NET: Niemand würde sich für ihn interessieren, hieß es.

Ja, ja, die Deutschen wenden sich ab, und der ganze Unsinn. Nichts scheint ja in unserer Zeit anstößiger zu sein, als katholisch zu bleiben.

„Auf die kurze Euphorie des Anfangs“, schrieb der „Stern“, „folgte für viele Deutsche eine irreparable Entfremdung von ihrem Landsmann“. Die Welt wäre ja eigentlich ganz in Ordnung, wenn es nur diesen Vatikan nicht gäbe. Aber alle wurden eines Besseren belehrt. Wo waren denn die Massen der Kritiker und Protestierer?

Nirgendwo zu sehen. Stattdessen nahmen rund 350.000 Menschen große Strapazen auf sich, um den Papst persönlich zu hören, mit ihm Messe zu feiern. Millionen verfolgten das Geschehen am Bildschirm.

Papstbücher werden nachgefragt wie noch nie. Das „Wort zum Sonntag“, vom Papst gesprochen, wurde erstmals in seiner Geschichte ein Quotenhit. Und wohl selten zuvor hat man in Deutschland soviel Kluges, Weises und Wahres, soviel Grundsätzliches gehört.

Vorgetragen mit Sorge, als Mahnung, und immer aus Liebe zu den Menschen heraus. An diesem Wort kommt man nun nicht mehr vorbei. Es ist der Maßstab, der Eckstein für die nachfolgenden Debatten und den Weg, die katholische Kirche in Deutschland zu erneuern. Lasst euch nicht beirren, ruft dieser Papst aus.

Haltet Kurs! Und verliert weder Gottvertrauen noch die Freude am Glauben! Auf diese Weise stärkte der Papst seine „Brüder“, wie es dem Nachfolger Petri aufgetragen ist. Er gab entscheidende Hilfestellung. Daran kann man sich festhalten in diesen stürmischen Zeiten.

KATH.NET: Was waren die Schattenseiten?

Peter Seewald: Na ja, der Besuch ließ schon auch erkennen, wie es um dieses Land, um seine Demokratie, Toleranz, das geistige Niveau oder auch um Bildung und Benehmen bestellt ist. Man war nicht selten an die Leute von Nazareth erinnert, die den Propheten in der Heimat nicht hören wollen. „Er tut ja keine Wunder“, heulte es in viele Medien. Sie arbeiten wie verrückt an einer Anti-Papst-Stimmung, predigen einen neuen Patchwork-Glauben – und klagen gleichzeitig, die Menschen würden der katholischen Kirche den Rücken kehren. Wobei in Wahrheit dieser Kirche prozentual weit weniger Menschen verloren gehen als Parteien, Gewerkschaften, Verbänden. Oder etwa auch der protestantischen Kirche.

Oder: Da macht der Papst in Erfurt eine Geste von wahrlich historischer Größe – und seine Gegner donnern: „Er hat keine Geschenke mitgebracht“. Man wollte den Nachfolger Petri gewissermaßen den Berg hinunterstürzen – am Ende aber sehen wir, wie er durch die wilde Medienmeute hindurch geht, ohne auch nur für eine Sekunde die Fassung zu verlieren.

Schade ist, dass viele die Chance nicht genutzt haben, wirklich einmal „christliche Brüderlichkeit“ zu zeigen. Ein Teil des Protestantismus versteht sich noch immer vorwiegend als Anti-Papst-Partei. Früher war der Mann in Rom der Anti-Christ, heute ist er der Anti-Modernist. Aber weit bedeutender ist: Nach der Begegnung mit dem Papst zeigten sich nicht nur die Vertreter der Orthodoxie, des Judentums und der Muslime sehr erfreut, sondern auch der Präses der Evangelischen Kirche Deutschlands, der nach dem Treffen mit Benedikt XVI. wörtlich sagte: „Ich bin zufrieden“. Es gehört schon ein ziemlicher Hang zur Demagogie dazu, wenn die Süddeutsche Zeitung daraus dann den Titel macht: „Papst enttäuscht Protestanten“.

Ich denke, die Reibungen, die es gab, sind nicht ohne Wert. Sie erzeugen mehr Nachhall, als es ein Besuch getan hätte, der ganz ohne Anstöße über die Bühne gegangen wäre. Man kennt das von den Streichhölzern. Ohne Reibefläche gibt es keine Flamme. Deshalb muss man auch keine Angst vor Kontroversen haben. Wie heißt es: Der Geist weht, wo er will.

Benedikt XVI. ist der kleine Papst, und das macht ihn am Ende dann so groß. Er redet mit Tiefgang, substantiell, und wenn er leise, so scheinbar kraftlos spricht, ist man förmlich gezwungen, die Ohren zu spitzen. Und wer Ohren hat, der hört dann auch.

Es ist also kein Manko, einen Papst zu haben. Ganz im Gegenteil. Die Kirche verliert an institutioneller Macht und an Einfluss, das Amt des Nachfolgers Petri aber wird noch bedeutsamer. Er ist nicht nur ein Prüfstein, eine Autorität gegen die Verwässerung des Glaubens, sondern das große Plus-Zeichen dieser Welt. Nicht weil er sich selbst verkündet, sondern jenen, der durch sein Kreuz die Welt entscheidend gewendet hat. Und dieser Pontifex wird nicht müde, uns auf das Hauptproblem unserer Zeit hinzuweisen, nämlich Gott aus dem Auge verloren zu haben. Eine gottvergessene Welt aber kann nicht funktionieren.

KATH.NET: Papst Benedikt hat insbesonders in Freiburg Klartext zur Situation der Kirche in Deutschland gesprochen. Er hat die Kirche in Deutschland aufgefordert, sich zu ent-weltlichen. Wörtlich sagte der Papst: "Sie gibt nicht selten Organisation und Institutionalisierung größeres Gewicht als ihrer Berufung zur Offenheit auf Gott und der Welt auf den anderen hin". Viele Beobachter meinen, dass damit auch das Kirchensteuersystem in Deutschland gemeint ist. Wie schätzen Sie dies ein?

Peter Seewald: Nicht unbedingt. Und bestimmt nicht an erster Stelle. Die Kirchensteuerfrage ist ein komplexes und kompliziertes Thema. Die Debatte darüber ist erst ganz am Anfang. Deutlich machte der Papst seine Hochschätzung und Dankbarkeit all jenen gegenüber – und das sind viele Millionen – die sich haupt- oder ehrenamtlich für Kirche, Caritas und Glaubensvermittlung einsetzen. Wahr ist natürlich auch, dass die Kirche in vielen Bereichen satt und behäbig geworden ist. Es geht deshalb darum, im christlichen Auftrag ehrlich zu sein, eine christliche Berufung authentisch zu leben. Das ist keine leichte Aufgabe. Die Krise ist hier gewissermaßen eine immerwährende Prüfung. Der Papst gemahnt an das Wort der Bibel: Passt euch nicht der Welt an. Setzt Christus in eurem Leben an die erste Stelle. Und was die Gemeinde Christi als Ganzes betrifft, kann der Nachfolger Petri nicht eine Räte-Kirche wollen, sondern eine glaubende Kirche. Die Kirche muss nicht erfunden werden. Es gibt sie schon. Wer könnte sie besser machen als Christus selbst?

KATH.NET: Äußerst klar hat Papst Benedikt auch am Samstag am Abend bei der Jugendvigil gesprochen „Der Schaden der Kirche kommt nicht von ihren Gegnern, sondern von den lauen Christen“, sagte der Papst u.a. Wen meinte der Papst damit?

Peter Seewald: Vermutlich Sie und mich. Der Papst ist ein Lobender, ein Ermunterer und Brückenbauer, aber eben auch ein Mahner. Jeder Christ braucht immer wieder neue Impulse, in der Entwicklung, in seinem Weg, seinem Zeugnis, seinem christlichen Handeln nicht stehenzubleiben. Gerade in einem Umfeld wie dem heutigen, das mehr und mehr von heidnischer und atheistischer Kultur beziehungsweise Unkultur bestimmt ist. Ich für meinen Teil bin immer wieder erschrocken über das eigene Versagen. Etwa darüber, bei guten Gelegenheiten nicht das Richtige und Wichtige gesagt oder getan zu haben. Der Papst geht hier voran. Ich war sehr beeindruckt, mit welchem Mut er bei seinem Besuch geradezu wie ein Pflug durch den Acker fuhr, um völlig unbeirrt als guter Hirte die Botschaft zu verkünden, auch wenn diese oft, wie Medizin, ein wenig bitter schmeckt. Und er tat dies nicht mit machtvollen Auftritten, sondern in der ganzen Ohn-Macht eines Mannes, der sich auf Gott verlässt, sympathisch, liebevoll, in Sorge um die Menschen, die ja den wichtigsten Teil ihres Lebens in einer überirdischen Qualität erst noch vor sich haben.

Man muss eines noch deutlicher sagen: Wer die Ergebnisse der letzten zwei, drei Jahrzehnte an kirchlicher Entwicklung offen analysiert, kann nur zu dem Schluss kommen: Die Sozialpädagogik- und Wellness-Religion vor der Millenniums-Wende ist Vergangenheit. Sie war ein Versuch, modern sein zu wollen. Nur: die Früchte blieben aus. Nicht alles daran mag verkehrt gewesen sein, aber in seinem Ansatz ist der Versuch definitiv gescheitert.

Der Papst bringt die Probleme zum Ausdruck. Und er will keinen falschen Frieden, sondern einen ehrlichen. Er ist also alles andere als jemand, der die Situation schön redet und mit Events die Ernsthaftigkeit der Situation überdecken will, wie Küng und Konsorten behaupten. Jeder konnte das miterleben. Aber man darf auch nicht alles schlecht reden, wie das pausenlos von Gegnern versucht wird, denen sonst nichts mehr einfällt.

KATH.NET: Im Vorfeld dieser Jugend-Veranstaltung in Freiburg haben die dortigen Veranstalter etwa eine Stunde vor Eintreffen des Heiligen Vaters die dortigen Jugendliche über verschiedende kirchenpolitische Fragen
(Frauenweihe, Homosexualität) abstimmen lassen. Gebet oder spirituelle Einstimmung auf die Veranstaltung gab es hingegen keine, wie zahlreiche Jugendliche berichteten. Was sagen Sie dazu?

Peter Seewald: Das ist völlig daneben. Wer so etwas macht, hat noch nicht verstanden, worum es heute geht. Er hat auch nicht den Ernst der Lage kapiert. Gut, nobody is perfect. Aber man macht sich mit solchen Dingen halt leider auch zum Gehilfen von Meinungsmachern, die mit zweit- und drittrangigen Themen seit Jahrzehnten die Kirche vor sich hertreiben und damit im Grunde einen geistlichen Stillstand bewirkt haben. Heute ist es so, dass viele Menschen ihren Glauben gar nicht mehr kennen. Sie wissen nichts mehr vom Evangelium, den Sakramenten. Begriffe wie „Gnade“ sind ihnen völlig fremd geworden. Und genau hier muss man wieder ansetzen, gewissermaßen „Schulen des Glaubens“ initiieren.

Der Papst gab die richtigen Hinweise. Das Schicksal des Glaubens und der Kirche, macht er deutlich, entscheidet sich im Kontext von Liturgie und Eucharistie. Echte Veränderung gelingt nur durch die Verwandlung der Herzen. Das ist ja gerade der Unterschied zu Parteien, Unternehmen und weltlichen Organisationen. Die katholische Kirche glaubt weniger an die Wirkung von Strukturreformen, sondern an spirituelle Kräfte, letztlich an das Wirken des Heiligen Geistes. Sie setzt nicht auf das Haben, sondern auf das Sein. Kurz: Sie glaubt ganz einfach, dass es Gott gibt, einen Gott, der nicht nur zuschaut.

Lasst euch auch anstecken von den jungen Kirchen in der Welt, sagte der Papst. Denn hier kann mit Sicherheit nicht die Welt von Deutschland, sondern Deutschland viel von der Weltkirche lernen.

Um es prosaisch zu sagen: Der Nachfolger Petri will zu den Quellen führen. Das sind nicht seine eigenen oder die des Vatikans, sondern jene, wo das „Wasser des Lebens“ sprudelt. Und dass es eine Kirche gibt, die diese Quellen schützt und pflegt, das muss einen froh und zuversichtlich stimmen. So hat er bei seinem Besuch in Deutschland mit Beiträgen, die Meilensteine setzen, einerseits Grenzen aufgezeigt - die Grenzen des Machbarkeitswahns in der Politik, in der Wissenschaft, aber aber in der Kirche - und andererseits neue Tore geöffnet: ganz im Sinne des Mottos „Wo Gott ist, da ist die Zukunft“. Und wo Gott nicht ist, da ist keine Zukunft.

KATH.NET: Herzlichen Dank für das Interview!

I really love Peter Seewald, with his brilliant words he is a terrific fighter of Papa and a defender of faith!!

BENEDICT XVI TAKES HIS LEAVE OF CASTELGANDOLFO

VATICAN CITY, 29 SEP 2011 (VIS) - Today in the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo, Benedict XVI made his traditional farewells to the local civil and religious authorities prior to returning to the Vatican later this week.

"Over these months", he told his audience, "we have once again had the opportunity to admire the solicitude and generosity of the many people who provide vital assistance to me and my collaborators, as well as to the guests and pilgrims who come here to visit me. For all of this I wish to express my deep recognition to each and every one of you, who have worked to ensure my stay here was peaceful and serene".

"For my part", he concluded, "I will not fail to pray for each of you and for all your intentions, at the same time asking you to remember me in your prayers. May the Lord, rich in goodness and mercy Who never fails to give His aid to those who trust in Him, be your support".

Yesterday afternoon Benedict XVI bid farewell to staff who work at the Pontifical Villas in Castelgandolfo, thanking them for their efforts on his behalf during the period he had spent there.

"Here in this place", he said, "we live in constant contact with nature, and in an atmosphere of silence. I am happy to have this occasion to recall that both these things bring us closer to God: nature, because it is the masterpiece which emerged from the Creator's hands; silence, because it allows us to think and meditate without distraction upon what is essential to our lives. ... In a place like this it is easier to find ourselves, to listen to the inner voice, what I would call the presence of God which gives profound meaning to our lives".

The Pope concluded by thanking the staff of the Pontifical Villas for their prayers. "Christians stand out of their prayers and charity. ... Our relationship with the Lord in prayer nourishes our spirit and allows us to be increasingly generous and open in our charity towards those in need".

APOSTOLIC TRIP TO BENIN FROM 18 TO 20 NOVEMBER

VATICAN CITY, 29 SEP 2011 (VIS) - Benedict XVI is due to make an apostolic trip to Benin from 18 to 20 November, for the signing and publication of the Apostolic Exhortation of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops.

The Holy Father will depart from Rome at 9 a.m. on Friday 18 November, arriving at Cotonou at 3 p.m. Following the welcome ceremony at the airport he will visit the local cathedral.

On Saturday 19 November the Pope will meet with members of the government, representatives of State institutions, the diplomatic corps and leaders of the principal religions at the presidential palace in Cotonou. Later that morning he will visit the grave of Cardinal Bernardin Gantin in the chapel of the Seminary of St. Gall at Ouidah before going on to meet with priests, seminarians, religious and lay faithful in the seminary courtyard. He will subsequently visit Ouidah's Basilica of the Immaculate Conception where he will sign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation.

That afternoon Pope Benedict will visit the "Peace and Joy" house, run by the Missionaries of Charity in the parish of St. Rita in Cotonou, and meet with a group of children. At 6.15 p.m. he is due to meet the bishops of Benin at the apostolic nunciature.

On Sunday 20 November, the Pope will celebrate Mass and consign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation to the bishops of Africa at Cotonou's "Stade de l'amitie". He will then have lunch at the apostolic nunciature with members of the Special Council for Africa of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops before travelling to the local "Cardinal Bernardin Gantin" airport where, at 4.30 p.m., he will board his return flight to Rome.

Simone55, 29.09.2011 15:27:

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I really love Peter Seewald, with his brilliant words he is a terrific fighter of Papa and a defender of faith!!

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I like it how Peter Seewald is defending Papa.
But I do not like the person very much.
In the three books he wrote about interviews with Papa I was disappointed by his questions.

benefan, 30.09.2011 03:03:

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APOSTOLIC TRIP TO BENIN FROM 18 TO 20 NOVEMBER

VATICAN CITY, 29 SEP 2011 (VIS) - Benedict XVI is due to make an apostolic trip to Benin from 18 to 20 November, for the signing and publication of the Apostolic Exhortation of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops.

The Holy Father will depart from Rome at 9 a.m. on Friday 18 November, arriving at Cotonou at 3 p.m. Following the welcome ceremony at the airport he will visit the local cathedral.

On Saturday 19 November the Pope will meet with members of the government, representatives of State institutions, the diplomatic corps and leaders of the principal religions at the presidential palace in Cotonou. Later that morning he will visit the grave of Cardinal Bernardin Gantin in the chapel of the Seminary of St. Gall at Ouidah before going on to meet with priests, seminarians, religious and lay faithful in the seminary courtyard. He will subsequently visit Ouidah's Basilica of the Immaculate Conception where he will sign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation.

That afternoon Pope Benedict will visit the "Peace and Joy" house, run by the Missionaries of Charity in the parish of St. Rita in Cotonou, and meet with a group of children. At 6.15 p.m. he is due to meet the bishops of Benin at the apostolic nunciature.

On Sunday 20 November, the Pope will celebrate Mass and consign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation to the bishops of Africa at Cotonou's "Stade de l'amitie". He will then have lunch at the apostolic nunciature with members of the Special Council for Africa of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops before travelling to the local "Cardinal Bernardin Gantin" airport where, at 4.30 p.m., he will board his return flight to Rome.

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I wished he would rest more and travel less.....
God bless Papa.

Pope’s Message to Germans Strikes Chord in U.S.

News Analysis: The U.S. is not much different from a secularized Germany that doubts the value of Christianity.

BY JOAN FRAWLEY DESMOND
National Catholic Register
9/28/11 at 3:05 PM

WASHINGTON — Though crafted for his secularized countrymen, the muscular defense of Catholicism and natural-law principles that defined Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Germany resonates with American Catholics.

During his four-day state visit, Pope Benedict took every opportunity to openly engage a skeptical culture that questions the very existence of objective truth, repudiates Germany’s Christian heritage as irreparably tainted, and discourages the faithful from advancing the mission of the Church.

The acceptance of secularism and an attendant hostility toward religious authority must be re-examined, he warned, before the nation loses its way, courting a reprise of the neo-pagan ideology that fueled the rise of Adolf Hitler.

At first glance, the Pope’s strong language would appear to have little to do with mainstream American culture, which is comparatively more religious — with a vibrant pro-life community — and is not weighed down with the horrific legacy of Nazi war crimes.

But Catholic scholars in the United States say that Americans should ponder the substance of the Pope’s counsel to his countrymen. The Pope emphasized two deeply relevant themes: the necessity of affirming common moral principles to secure a just society and the laity’s central obligation to embrace the mission of the Church and sanctify the culture.

The Pope’s address before the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, is widely viewed as his most striking response to the country’s drift towards secularism, with environmentalism embraced by many of the young as a placeholder for religion.

The Holy Father urged the nation’s legislators not to turn their backs on the faith-based moral values that gave rise to German democracy and secured its rule of law. He asked them to adhere to the true vocation of political leaders by advancing the real good of society.

“Without justice — what else is the state but a great band of robbers? as St. Augustine once said. We Germans know from our own experience that these words are no empty specter,” said the Pope in his address to the Bundestag. “We have seen how power became divorced from right, how power opposed right and crushed it, so that the state became an instrument for destroying right — a highly organized band of robbers, capable of threatening the whole world and driving it to the edge of the abyss.” The reference was to German military aggression and the Nazis’ extermination of European Jews during the Second World War.

“The Pope’s statement was a dagger straight to the conscience of every legislator in Germany and across the world,” said Father Roger Landry, the editor of The Anchor, the newspaper of the Diocese of Fall River, Mass., and a popular retreat leader who has appeared on EWTN. The Register is a service of EWTN.


Multiculturalism

Many commentators applauded the Holy Father’s statement as a judgment about the tendency of modern political leaders to reduce politics to a competition over votes and money, leading them to focus on the demands of special interests.

“The Pope’s speech at the Bundestag speaks to our political divide here in America,” said Msgr. Stuart Swetland, the Flynn Professor of Christian Ethics at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md., and the director of pre-theology at the seminary.

“We will have no basis for common ground if we no longer share basic moral assumptions — the ‘self-evident truths’ that were acknowledged at our founding. Today, the whole idea that there could be such truths is being challenged,” said Msgr. Swetland.

In recent years, the U.S. Catholic bishops have expressed a deepening fear of unchecked political power as they confront more aggressive efforts to challenge and constrain the religious freedom of Catholics institutions.

This month, during an exchange following his address at Georgetown University’s Tocqueville Forum, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago stated, “We have the most secularist administration we have ever had in this country, and the danger is real.” Then he added, “But it isn’t really a church-state issue; it is a faith-culture issue. We have to go back to a dialogue beyond politics.”

Msgr. Swetland noted that the interim decision by the Department of Health and Human Services to mandate that contraceptive services be included in all employee health benefits is a consequence, in part, of an increasingly assertive secular ethos: “If there is no moral truth, conscience is merely subjective; there is no reason to respect the institutional conscience” of Catholic hospitals and universities. Further, he linked the Pope’s pointed reference to Germany’s Nazi past to America’s early failure to address the problem of slavery.

Robert Royal, a prolific author and president of the Faith and Reason Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank, noted another parallel development: As a secularized Germany struggles to reinvent its cultural identity, so a kind of “multicultural” regime of tolerance has led Americans to accept a broad range of values without imposing any moral distinctions. “We are not confident about our own values,” he said.

Royal took note of the Pope’s reference to the rise of the ecology movement in Germany in his speech before the parliamentarians.

Pope Benedict suggested that the advent of the ecology movement signaled the younger generation’s legitimate concern for the needs of the natural world. The Pope then proposed that this concern should be matched with a renewed attention to a sustainable “human ecology.”

Most commentators believe the Pope sought to encourage a re-examination of the immutable moral laws that govern human beings, but the jury is out on whether his audience — here or abroad — will accept his challenge.

“Whether this strategy of redefining popular concepts will work remains to be seen. The old approach of going in someone else’s door but coming out your own may be the most practical one available today in the confused understanding of these notions,” observed Jesuit Father James Schall of Georgetown University in a post this week on The Catholic Thing. Father Schall’s most recent book is The Mind That Is Catholic.

But Father Landry, who led a group of teenagers from his parish, St. Anthony of Padua, to World Youth Day in Madrid, applauded the Pope’s approach.

“The Pope is calling us to recognize the similar and greater injustice in the realm of human ecology that young people likewise are now beginning to address, from easy divorce laws to abortion as a choice of convenience. The young in the United States are calling attention to the toxic poison in human ecology that needs to be urgently remedied,” said Father Landry.


Essential Message

While media coverage of the trip primarily focused on the Pope’s speech at the Bundestag, Catholic leaders point to a more important speech explicitly tailored to the concerns of the faithful.

In his address before an audience of German Catholic lay leaders, the Pope acknowledged that the clergy abuse scandals, though painfully real, have distracted the faithful from the central “scandal” that anchors their faith — the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Noting that many reform-minded critics have called for the Church to accommodate a changing cultural context, the Pope said, “Blessed Mother Teresa was once asked what, in her opinion, was the first thing that would have to change in the Church. Her answer was: you and I.”

The Holy Father stressed that the Church’s mission in the world requires that she “constantly set herself apart from her surroundings; she needs, in a certain sense, to become unworldly.” And while Catholic leaders in the United States have rightly sought to reverse political attacks on the religious identity of Catholic institutions, he perceived a silver lining in these ongoing conflicts.

“Secularizing trends — whether by expropriation of Church goods or elimination of privileges or the like — have always meant a profound liberation of the Church from forms of worldliness, for in the process she has set aside her worldly wealth and has once again completely embraced her worldly poverty,” stated the Pope.

Father Landry suggested that the laity in the United States “need to hear this message just as much as their counterparts in Germany.”

Msgr. Swetland was struck by the Pope’s overall message for the trip: “Where there is God, there is hope.”

But Royal feared that American Catholics won’t read the Pope’s speeches in their entirety and instead will turn to the mainstream media’s often primitive translation of his remarkable insights.

That said, Royal expressed the hope that Catholics in the United States will embrace the Pope’s call for a “re-evangelization of the West, including the U.S. His approach is not a shouting out to people to ‘come to Jesus.’ The Pope is detailing the ways the Christian message is absolutely essential to our culture.”

2012 WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY TO FOCUS ON SILENCE

The Vatican today published the theme chosen by Pope Benedict for the 2012 annual celebration of World Communications Day: “Silence and Word: path of evangelization.” The Holy Father’s message for that celebration is traditionally published in conjunction with the January 24th Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, patron of writers.

The Pontifical Council for Social Communications, in its press release about the 2012 theme, said that, “The extraordinarily varied nature of the contribution of modern communications to society highlights the need for a value which, on first consideration, might seem to stand in contra-distinction to it. Silence, in fact, is the central theme for the next World Communications Day Message: “Silence and Word: path of evangelization.”

“In the thought of Pope Benedict XVI,” says the communiqué, “silence is not presented simply as an antidote to the constant and unstoppable flow of information that characterizes society today but rather as a factor that is necessary for its integration. Silence, precisely because it favors habits of discernment and reflection, can in fact be seen primarily as a means of welcoming the word. We ought not to think in terms of a dualism, but of the complementary nature of two elements which when they are held in balance serve to enrich the value of communication and which make it a key factor that can serve the new evangelization. Pope Benedict is linking this theme to the celebration of the 2012 Synod of Bishops which will have as its own theme: “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith”.

World Communications Day is the only worldwide celebration called for by the Second Vatican Council as seen in “Inter Mirifica” in 1963) It is celebrated in most countries, on the recommendation of the bishops of the world, on the Sunday before Pentecost, thus on May 20, 2012.

Three things we learned from Benedict's Germany trip

By John L Allen Jr
National Catholic Reporter
Created Sep 30, 2011

Last Sunday Pope Benedict XVI wrapped up a four-day trip to Germany, which, depending upon whose word you take, either generated “widespread acclaim” (Italian commentator Sandro Magister) or a national yawn (the Munich daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung’s headline was, “He came, he spoke, he disappointed.”)

This was the German pope’s third homecoming, though his first state visit, and the 21st foreign trip of his papacy.

At one level, it’s tempting to say things were pretty much par for the course. As usual, expectations of massive protest didn’t pan out; while a few thousand demonstrators took to the streets in Berlin (brandishing “Donate a condom for the pope!” signs), most of Benedict’s opponents simply tuned him out, while the pope drew 320,000 over four days. Also as usual, intrepid Italian reporters created news when the pope didn’t supply it. Over-hyped accounts of an air gun being fired before a papal Mass in Erfurt got the juices flowing on Saturday, while Sunday was devoted to first floating, then debunking, a rumor that the pope would resign at 85.

There were precious few surprises, though we did get a reminder that Benedict has a sense of humor. During a speech to the federal parliament, the pope referenced a German intellectual who changed his mind on something while in his eighties, and added: “I find it comforting that rational thought is evidently still possible at the age of 84!”

Despite the generally familiar flavor of the trip, there were a few nuggets along the way with something to say about Benedict’s papacy and the direction of the church on his watch. Herewith, then, three things we learned from the pope’s trip to Germany.

1) A sensation as cultural critic

Pop quiz: What do the Collège des Bernardins in Paris, Westminster Hall in London, and now the Reichstag building in Berlin have in common? The answer, in papal terms, is that they have been the settings for arguably the most triumphant moments of Benedict’s papacy -- occasions when the cerebral pontiff dazzled secular audiences with an oratorical tour de force on faith, reason, and the foundations of democratic society.

Whatever one makes of Benedict as a religious leader, he’s a sensation as a cultural critic. True to form, his Sept. 22 speech to the Bundestag, the national parliament, quickly became the latest candidate for “best speech of his papacy.”

Addressing German lawmakers, but really speaking to Western culture generally, Benedict took on logical positivism -- the view that only empirical science counts as real knowledge, and that all moral claims are subjective. It’s a widespread conviction, the pope said, but inadequate as the basis of a just society. Without belief in some form of natural law, he argued, there’s no foundation for universal human rights. That means “humanity is threatened”, because the only thing left as the basis for law and politics is the raw will to power.

Germany’s Nazi past, Benedict XVI said, offers a harrowing reminder of what happens when “power becomes divorced from right.”

The role of religious groups in a democracy, the pope suggested, is not to “propose a revealed law to the state and to society,” but rather to hold up “nature and reason” as reliable sources for making moral choices about the social order -- including, he stressed, respect for pluralism and diversity.

On this terrain, Benedict XVI can be surprising, and even lyrical. Before the Bundestag, the surprise came in his praise of the environmental movement, which, he said, represents “a cry for fresh air,” a realization that nature does indeed contain a moral compass. (Ironically, several Greens were among 70 politicians who boycotted the speech). Benedict’s poetic streak, meanwhile, surfaced in likening positivism to a “concrete bunker with no windows”, which shuts out the natural light of moral and spiritual truth.

Secular media outlets, even those which were otherwise critical, raved about the speech. Der Spiegel called it “courageous” and “brilliant,” while Bild quoted a prominent lawmaker hailing it as a “masterpiece.” Even Die Welt grudgingly allowed that it was “not completely without cunning.” (In a further indication that Benedict got through, the left-wing London Guardian published a lengthy commentary on the speech, encouraging secular environmentalists to see past their stereotypes of the pope as “a prissy and repressed German professor”.)

In these venues, Benedict also wins points for style. He comes off as gracious and thoughtful, a contrast to the blowhards and ideologues who dominate public life. As George Weigel recently put it, he seems “the world’s premier adult.”

All this suggests a note of encouragement for Catholic movers and shakers everywhere. Controversy swirls around the church these days, a point Benedict acknowledged elsewhere in Germany by saying that sometimes the scandals of the sexual abuse crisis have overshadowed the “scandal” of the faith, meaning Christ’s death on the Cross, his resurrection, and eternal life. Yet despite that, when a Catholic leader has something incisive to say, and finds a way to say it that’s both timely and effective, it’s still possible to get people thinking.

2) The ecumenical future: Collaboration, but not communion

Benedict’s return to the Land of Luther was always destined to be scrutinized for its impact on ecumenical relations, especially with the Protestant churches of the Reformation. On that score, to put it politely, Benedict drew mixed reviews.

The pope clearly signaled his ecumenical commitment, presiding over a service with a Lutheran bishop in the Erfurt monastery were Martin Luther was ordained an Augustinian monk. The pontiff expressed admiration for Luther’s passionate quest to understand God’s mercy, and Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, president of the German bishops conference, even said that Benedict asked him to find a way for the Catholic church to participate in celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017 -- by any standard, a remarkably irenic touch from a Roman Pontiff.

Yet Benedict didn’t offer any breakthroughs, or even signals of flexibility, on the contentious points in Catholic/Lutheran relations, such as inter-communion or mixed marriages. For those who believe such reforms are a prerequisite to progress, the performance therefore left much to be desired.

Pundit Klaus Krämer, for instance, wrote that Benedict still styles “the Catholic church as the ‘cruise ship,’ while the Protestant church is, at best, a ‘container ship’ that should follow the Vatican’s course.” The Frankfurter Rundschau was even more acerbic, calling the trip an “ecumenical disaster” and Benedict’s approach to Protestants “spectacularly half-hearted, patronizing, and callous.”

In a speech to Protestant leaders in Erfurt, Benedict identified two priorities for ecumenical relations in the 21st century:

The “new geography of Christianity,” by which the pope seemed to mean the dramatic growth of Pentecostal and Evangelical Christianity around the world, especially in the southern hemisphere. He called it “a form of Christianity with little institutional depth, little rationality and even less dogmatic content, and with little stability” -- implying that whatever their differences, Catholics and Lutherans still have more in common with one another than, say, the Brazilian Pentecostal “Church of Christ’s Spit.”
Secularism in the West, where “God is increasingly being driven out of our society” and the history of revelation recounted in Scripture is “locked into an ever more remote past.” Secularism puts all Christians in the same boat, the pope said, just as they once faced a common threat from the Nazis -- and just as the witness of the martyrs gave rise to the ecumenical movement of the 20th century, he said, today a common faith lived within the secular world is “the most powerful ecumenical force that brings us together.”
What seemed clear from the Germany trip is that Benedict XVI regards collaboration in responding to these external challenges as the near-term future of the ecumenical movement -- and not, therefore, structural unity that might lead to inter-communion. The ecumenical agenda on his watch, in other words, is more ad extra than ad intra.

3) Common Ground on Reform?

Though Benedict probably didn’t need it, his trip offered reminders that it isn’t just Protestants with an axe to grind; plenty of German Catholics are disgruntled too. For instance, the country’s president, a divorced and civilly remarried Catholic named Christian Wulff, pointedly told the pope on Friday, “Many ask themselves how mercifully the church treats people who have suffered break-ups in their lives,” and advised the church “to remain close to the people and not turn inward on itself.”

In Freiburg, tens of thousands of young Catholics held an overnight vigil on Saturday, awaiting the pontiff’s final Mass. As part of the warm-up act, organizers at one point passed out green and red inflatable sticks and asked the young people to use them to respond to an informal poll, holding up green for “yes” and red for “no.”

In response to the statement “I model my life after standards set in Rome,” a vast wave of red rolled through the crowd. For “Confession doesn’t play much of a role in my life,” however, as well as “Women carry too little responsibility in the church,” the dominant color was green. Red mounted a strong comeback when the question switched to, “Is the practice of homosexuality a sin?”

Against that backdrop, Benedict’s Sept. 25 address in the Freiburg Concert House, speaking before what was described as a cross-section of Catholics “involved in the church and in society,” was fairly unique in the annals of papal rhetoric.

For one thing, the pope didn’t mince words about the social realities: “For some decades now, we have been experiencing a decline in religious practice and we have been seeing substantial numbers of the baptized drifting away from church life,” he said. He then posed precisely the question most reformers ask: “Must the church not adapt her offices and structures to the present day, in order to reach the doubting and searching people of today?”

In response, Benedict XVI said that tinkering with ecclesial structures is not the answer.

Real reform, he implied, is interior and spiritual, not external and structural. He cited Mother Theresa, who was once asked what the first thing to change in the church would be. Her famous reply was, “You and me.”

That’s a familiar note, and could seem to suggest an unbridgeable gulf between two models of reform: structural and spiritual. (Benedict himself hinted at the divide, suggesting that a sincere agnostic is preferable to a lukewarm believer who sees the church in merely institutional terms.)

Despite that apparent impasse, there was a twist to Benedict’s vision of renewal, one which hints at a possible intersection between spiritual and structural reform: His enthusiasm for reducing the power and privilege of the church.

In the address in the Freiburg Concert House, Benedict called upon the church to embrace “worldly poverty,” so that her “missionary witness shines more brightly.” He even went so far as to suggest that historically, secularization has been an agent of reform, because it has liberated the church from “material and political burdens and privileges.”

As Sandro Magister noted, “Never before had [Benedict] given such prominence to the ideal of a church poor in structures, in possessions, in power.”

The Germany trip, in other words, may have uncovered a surprising zone of common ground between the pope and reform forces -- the press for a humbler church, one which speaks to the world more out of poverty than power. That, at least, seems a place where conversation is possible.

Pope: with the guardian angels God takes care of the entire life of every man

Oct. 2, 2011

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – God’s “concern” for every man, for his entire life is "surrounded" by the protection of guardian angels and the responsibility of the pastors of the Church, especially those who have a "role of authority" were the subject of Benedict XVI’s Angelus this Sunday, before 20 thousand people in St. Peter's Square, his first since returning from his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.

The Pope also drew inspiration from today’s Sunday's Gospel that "closes with a particularly severe warning by Jesus, addressed to the chief priests and elders of the people: ' Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit' (Matt. 21.43). These words make us think of the great responsibility of those who in every age, are called to work in the vineyard of the Lord, especially in a role of authority, and the push us to renew our full fidelity to Christ. He is' the stone which the builders rejected '(cf. Mt 21:42), because they considered an enemy of the law and dangerous to public order, but he himself, rejected and crucified, rose again, becoming the' cornerstone' on which the foundation of all human existence and the whole world may rest with absolute certainty".

“Firmly anchored in faith in the cornerstone who is Christ, abiding in Him like the branch that can not bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine. Only in Him, through Him and with Him is the Church, the people of the New Covenant built. The Servant of God Paul VI wrote about this: 'The first fruit of the deepening consciousness of the Church itself is the renewed discovery of its vital relationship with Christ. A well-known thing, fundamental, essential, but never quite understood, meditated upon, celebrated enough".

And, after the Angelus, in greetings in English he invited prayers "specially for those who face violence and threats because of their faith."

The Pope’s final words before the Angelus, "God is always near and active in human history, and follows us with the unique presence of His angels, who today the Church venerates as the Guardian angels, in other words ministers of God's concern for every man. From the beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their constant protection. "

After the Marian prayer, finally, in greetings in French, Benedict XVI invited " teachers to convey, through their teaching, love of knowledge and truth. Knowledge is important, but the formation of the person is more important, so that they can discern where the truth lies, and are free to make choices. Educating young people in this way to the authentic moral and spiritual values to help them find meaning in their lives. In this month of October, may the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary, accompany all those people involved in formation and education. "


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From birth to death, everyone has guardian angel, pope says

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
Oct. 3, 2011

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Guardian angels exist to protect every human life from its beginning to end, Pope Benedict XVI said.

"The Lord is always near and active in human history, and he also accompanies us with the unique presence of his angels, which the church today venerates" on feast of the Guardian Angels Oct. 2, he said before reciting the Angelus.

Guardian angels are "ministers of divine care for every person," he said.

"From the beginning to the time of death, human life is surrounded by their unceasing protection," the pope told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.

He asked everyone to pray for the protection of all those who do the Lord's work, especially for those who face religious intolerance.

The Gospel reading of the day's liturgy, he said, recalled Jesus' parable of the vineyard where the servants would harm or kill the vineyard workers, even the vineyard owner's own son.

The reading "spurs us to pray for all who work in the Lord's vineyard, especially where they face violence and threats because of their faith," he said.

After spending nearly three months at the papal summer villa in Castel Gandolfo, the pope made his permanent return to the Vatican Oct. 1.

Before leaving the hilltop villa, the pope thanked Vatican employees and security for their help in making his vacation unfold with "tranquility and serenity."

In a Sept. 29 audience with a delegation of town officials, parish leaders, local Italian security as well as Vatican employees and guards, the pope thanked them for their assistance and "qualified service."

He also met with villa employees Sept. 28, telling them how much he enjoyed being immersed in nature and silence, both of which help people get closer to God.

In a quiet peaceful setting, "it's easier to find oneself, listen to one's inner voice -- I would say the presence of God -- that gives deep meaning to our life," he said.

Pope Benedict XVI appeals for aid to Horn of Africa

Vatican Radio
Oct. 5, 2011

Pope Benedict XVI issued an appeal this Wednesday for aid to those suffering in the Horn or Africa, where millions of people are daily facing death by starvation, drought, exposure and violence. Speaking during his Weekly General Audience, the Holy Father renewed what he called his, “heartfelt invitation to the international community to continue its commitment," to the suffering people, and he invited everyone, “to offer prayers and practical help for so many brothers and sisters so harshly tested, particularly for the children in the region,” who every day succumb in appalling numbers to disease and lack of food and water.

Present at the Audience were the Cardinal-President of the Holy Father’s personal charitable organ, the Pontifical Council Cor unum, and the Apostolic Administrator for Mogadishu, Bishop Giorgio Bertin, as well as representatives of various Catholic charities, who are meeting to design and implement a response to the situation, which the Holy Father, along with several countries and international organizations, recognizes as a full-blown, “humanitarian emergency.”

Pope Benedict also recalled the appeal made by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, on behalf of the affected populations, and informed the faithful that a representative of Dr. Williams would be taking part in the emergency meetings.

The Holy Father’s catechetical focus during the Wednesday audience was the radical trust in God’s loving care, which is an essential aspect of prayer. The Holy Father approached the matter through the text of Psalm 23: “The LORD is my Shepherd: I shall not want.”:

The Psalmist begins by presenting God as a good shepherd who guides him to green pastures, standing at his side and protecting him from every danger. “He leads me beside still waters; he refreshes my soul” (vv. 2-3). The scene then passes to the shepherd’s tent, where the Lord welcomes him as a guest, gracing him with the gifts of food, oil and wine. “You prepare a table before me … you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (v. 5). God’s protection continues to accompany the Psalmist with goodness and mercy along his way, a way which leads to length of days in the Lord’s Temple (v. 6).

The Pope went on to say the powerful image of God as the Shepherd of Israel accompanied the whole religious history of the Chosen People, from the Exodus to the return to the Promised Land.

It finds its ultimate expression and fulfilment in the coming of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who gave his life for his sheep, preparing for us the table of his Body and Blood as a foretaste of the definitive messianic banquet which awaits us in heaven.

The Holy Father also had greetings for different groups, including several groups of English-speaking pilgrims:

I welcome all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, especially those from England, Scotland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Nigeria, Singapore, the Philippines and the United States. My special greeting goes to the alumni and friends celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Pontifical Filipino College. I also greet the new students from the Pontifical Beda College, and I offer prayerful good wishes to the deacon class of the Pontifical North American College and their families. Upon all of you I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace.

In a special way, I would like to greet the Delegation of the Theology Faculty of the University of Thessaloniki, who have wished to confer upon me the Apostle Jason of Thessaloniki Gold Medal. I am deeply honoured by this gracious gesture, which is an eloquent sign of the growing understanding and dialogue between Catholic and Orthodox Christians. I pray that it will be a harbinger of ever greater progress in our efforts to respond in fidelity, truth and charity to the Lord’s summons to unity. I thank the Delegation most cordially, and I offer my prayerful good wishes for their teaching and research. God bless you all!


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THE CLOSENESS OF GOD TRANSFORMS REALITY

VATICAN CITY, 5 OCT 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father dedicated his catechesis during this morning's general audience to Psalm 23 which begins with the words: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want". "Addressing the Lord in prayer implies a radical act of confidence, the awareness of entrusting oneself to God Who is good", he said.

Psalm 23 is an example of such confidence. "The Psalmist expresses his tranquil certainty that he will be guided and protected, sheltered from all danger because the Lord is his shepherd. ... The image evokes an atmosphere of trust, intimacy, tenderness. The shepherd knows his sheep individually, he calls them by name and they follow him because they recognise and trust him. He takes care of them, protects them like a treasure, and is ready to defend them in order to guarantee their wellbeing, to ensure they live in peace. They shall want nothing if the shepherd is with them".

The Psalm describes the oasis of peace to which the shepherd leads his flock. The setting is a desert landscape, "yet the shepherd knows where to find pasture and water, which are essential for life, he knows the way to the oasis in which the soul can be 'restored' with new energies to start the journey afresh. As the Psalmist says, God guides him to 'green pastures' and 'still waters' where all things are in abundance. ... If the Lord is the shepherd, even in the desert, a place of scarcity and death, we do not lose our certainty in the radical presence of life".

The shepherd adapts his rhythms and his needs to those of his flock. "If we walk behind the 'Good Shepherd'", the Pope said, " however difficult, tortuous and long the paths of our life may seem, we too can be certain that they are right for us, that the Lord guides us and that He is always close".

Hence the Psalmist adds: "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me". Benedict XVI explained how, although the Psalmist here uses a Hebrew expression which evokes the shadows of death, he nonetheless proceeds without fear because he knows the Lord is with him. "This is a proclamation of unshakeable trust and encapsulates a radical experience of faith: the closeness of God transforms reality, the darkest valley loses all its perils".

This image concludes the first part of the Psalm and opens the way to a change of scene. "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows". The Lord is now presented "as the One Who welcomes the Psalmist with generous hospitality. ... Food, oil, wine are the gifts that enable us to live, they bring joy because they lie beyond what is strictly necessary, an expression of the gratitude and abundance of love". In the meantime the enemies look on powerlessly because "when God opens His tent to welcome us, nothing can harm us".

The Psalmist goes on "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long". The Psalmist's journey "acquires fresh meaning and becomes a pilgrimage towards the Temple of the Lord, the holy place in which he wishes 'to dwell' forever". Likewise, living near God and His goodness is what all believers long for, the Holy Father said.

This Psalm has accompanied the entire history and religious experience of the People of Israel, but only in Jesus Christ is its evocative strength "fulfilled and fully expressed: Jesus is the 'Good Shepherd' Who goes in search of the lost sheep, Who knows His sheep and gives His life for them. He is the way, the way that leads to life, the light that illuminates the dark valley and overcomes all our fears. He is the generous host Who welcomes us and saves us from our enemies, preparing the banquet of His Body and His Blood for us, and the definitive banquet ... in heaven. He is the regal Shepherd, King in meekness and mercy, enthroned on the glorious seat of the cross".

Psalm 23 invites us to renew our trust in God, the Pope concluded, "to abandon ourselves completely in His hands. Let us, then, trustingly ask the Lord to allow us always to walk on His paths, even along the difficult paths of our own times, as a docile and obedient flock; let us ask Him to welcome us into His house, at His table, and to lead us to 'still waters' so that, in welcoming the gift of His Spirit, we may drink from His spring, source of that living water which 'gushes up to eternal life'".

Papa versus the Mafia in Calabria


Pope Benedict: no future without charity

Radio Vatican
Oct. 8, 2011

This Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI denounced a “vicious” criminality that wounds the social fabric of the Italian region of Calabria and called on Catholics to take strength and courage from their faith, to overcome the obstacles of injustice, to care more for each other and the common good.

The Holy Father was on a one day pastoral visit to the diocese of Lamezia Terme and Serra San Bruno, which lies in the heartland of the region home to the infamous Ndrangeta mafia. Calabria is Italy’s southernmost region, and one of its’ poorest and least developed with an unemployment rate touching 27%. The setting for Sunday’s mass was particularly poignant, a disused plastics factory, one of the many empty warehouses in the industrial complex just outside the town.

Welcoming Pope Benedict Sunday, Mayor Gianni Speranza spoke of a land of “extraordinary potential and resources” but also of “unacceptable unemployment, and dramatic injustice and violence”. He said “We cannot allow the dominion of the mafia and organised crime to grow stronger, or healthy industries be taken over by illegality”. “Your presence”, the Mayor concluded “gives courage and a voice to all of those who so desperately need it”.

In his homily Pope Benedict responded “never give in to the temptations of pessimism and retreat in on yourselves. Rely on the resources of your faith and your human capacities; strive to grow in the ability to collaborate, to take care of each other and the public good”.

He continued “If we observe this beautiful region, we recognize it as a seismic land not only from the geological point of view but also from a structural, behavioural and social standpoint; a land, that is, where acute and destabilizing problems occur, a land where unemployment is worrying, where an often vicious criminality wounds the social fabric; a land that seems to live in a state of constant emergency”.

“Do not be afraid to live and witness to faith in the various sectors of society, in many situations of human existence! You have every reason to show yourselves strong, confident and courageous, and this by the light of faith and the power of love. And when you encounter the opposition of the world, make your own the words of the Apostle: "I can do all things in him who strengthens me".

Earlier in his homily Pope Benedict had reflected on the Sunday Gospel, which recounts Jesus’ parable of the king’s wedding feast: “In the Gospel Jesus speaks to us about the response given to God's invitation - represented by a king - to participate in this his banquet (cf. Mt 22:1-14). The guests invited are many, but something unexpected happens: they refuse to participate in the feast, they have something else to do, and indeed some show their contempt of the invitation. God is generous to us, He offers us His friendship, His gifts, His joy, but often we do not accept His words, we show more interest in other things, we put our material concerns, our interests first”.

“The invitation of the king even meets with hostile, aggressive reactions. But that does not bridle his generosity. He is not discouraged and he dispatches his servants to invite many other people. The rejection of the first guests invited results in the extension of the invitation to all, even the poorest, the abandoned and neglected. The servants gather all those whom they find, and the hall is filled: the goodness of the king knows no boundaries and all are given the opportunity to respond to his call. But there is a condition for remaining at this marriage feast: they must wear wedding garments. And on entering the hall, the king sees someone who has not wanted to wear the wedding garment, and for this reason he is excluded from the feast. I would like to pause for a moment on this point with a question: why did this guest accept the king’s invitation, enter the banquet hall, the door was opened for him, but he did not put on the wedding garment? What is this wedding garment? In the Mass of the Lord's Last Supper this year I made reference to a beautiful comment on this parable by St. Gregory the Great. He explains that the guest has responded to God's invitation to participate in his banquet, he, in a certain way, has the faith that opened the door of the hall for him, but he is lacking in something essential: the wedding garment, which is charity, love. And St. Gregory adds: "Each of you in the Church, then, who has faith in God has already taken part in the wedding banquet, but can claim to have the wedding garment if you do not cherish the grace of Charity" (Homily 38.9 PL 76.1287). And this garment is symbolically interwoven on two pieces of wood, one above and one below: love of God and love of our neighbour (cf. ibid., 10: PL 76.1288). We are all invited to be guests of the Lord, to come with faith to His banquet, but we must wear and cherish the wedding garment, charity, a life of profound love for God and neighbour”.

“Cherish the wedding garment of love”, urged Pope Benedict, “persevere in the witness of human and Christian values so deeply rooted in faith and in the history of this territory and its population”.

In short their can be no future for this tormented region if first there is no charity.

At the end of mass beneath a sky that threatened rain, Pope Benedict again returned to the need to care more for one another in his midday Angelus address: “Let us invoke the intercession of Mary for the most serious social problems in this area and the whole of Calabria, especially those related to unemployment, young people and the protection of persons with disabilities who require greater attention from all, especially the institutions”.

Then, looking ahead to his Sunday afternoon appointment with the community of monks at the renowned Certosa monastery in Serra San Bruno, Pope Benedict concluded: "Saint Bruno came to this land nine centuries ago, and has left a profound mark on it by the strength of his faith. The faith of the Saints renews the world! With the same faith, today you too, can renew your beloved Calabria!"


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Pope Benedict condemns organized crime in southern Italy

Rome, Italy, Oct 9, 2011 / 12:33 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI condemned the organized crime that blights Italy's far south during a one-day visit to the area.

He noted the region's beauty, but said “an often vicious criminality wounds the social fabric” combines with unemployment to make the place “a land that seems to live in a state of constant emergency.”

The Pope made his comments during a homily delivered to over 40,000 at a public Mass in the town of Lamezia Terme in Calabria.

H e urged local people not to be afraid “to live and witness to faith in the various sectors of society.” Instead, he said, they should show themselves as “strong, confident and courageous,” knowing that when they face opposition they can find inspiration in the words of St. Paul: “I can do all things in him who strengthens me.”

Calabria is home to the secretive Ndrangheta gang, who mastermind much of Europe’s organized crime including money laundering, drug trafficking and racketeering. The region also has an unemployment rate of about 32 percent, four times higher than the national average.

Prior to the Mass, Mayor Gianni Speranza of Lamezia Terme told Pope Benedict how his people had to live with “unacceptable unemployment, and dramatic injustice and violence.” They “cannot allow the dominion of the mafia and organized crime to grow stronger.” He thanked the Pope for his presence saying it gave them all “courage and a voice.”

“Never give in to the temptations of pessimism and retreat in on yourselves,” urged the Pope in his homily.

“Rely on the resources of your faith and your human capacities; strive to grow in the ability to collaborate, to take care of each other and the public good,” he said.

The Pope also used his homily to discuss today’s Gospel, where Christ recounts the parable of the wedding guest who is thrown out of the banquet for not wearing a wedding garment. Drawing upon the thought of his sixth century papal predecessor, St. Gregory the Great, Pope Benedict explained its meaning.

“We are all invited to be guests of the Lord, to come with faith to His banquet, but we must wear and cherish the wedding garment, charity, a life of profound love for God and neighbor,” he said.

At the conclusion of Mass the Pope prayed the midday Angelus with those in attendance. He entrusted congregants and their region to the protection of Our Lady.

“Let us invoke the intercession of Mary for the most serious social problems in this area and the whole of Calabria,” he said, “especially those related to unemployment, young people and the protection of persons with disabilities who require greater attention from all, especially the institutions.”

Pope Benedict: modern life needs silence

Rome, Italy, Oct 9, 2011 / 02:28 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The lack of silence in contemporary society is making many people’s lives “more agitated and at times convulsed,” Pope Benedict XVI has said.

“Some people are no longer able to stay long in silence,” he told members of a silent Carthusian monastery in the southern Italian region of Calabria Oct. 9.

“Most young people, who are already born in this state, seem to fill every empty moment with music and images, almost afraid to feel, in fact, this void.”

The monastery visit was the Pope’s last stop on a one-day trip to the south of Italy. Upon his arrival in the town of Serra San Bruno, crowds of over 30,000 greeted the Pope as he made his way through the streets on the Popemobile.

The local monastery was established over 900 years ago by St. Bruno himself, a fellow German and founder of the Carthusian Order.

The Pope contrasted the silence of the order with the noise of modern life.

“Without realizing it, people are immersed in a virtual dimension, because of the audio-visual messages that accompany their life from morning to evening,” he said.

He called the Carthusian charism of silence “a precious gift for the Church and the world,” and one that contained “a profound message for our life and for humanity.”

“Retiring into silence and solitude, man, so to speak, is ‘exposed’ to reality in his nakedness,” said the Pope. This allows man to experience “the fullness, the presence of God, of the most real Reality that there is, and that is beyond the dimension of the senses.”

The Pope joined the monks for Vespers, the evening prayer of the Church. Before entering the monastery he remarked that the ancient monastic life is a rebuke to a certain modern mindset “that is not Christian, or even human, because it is dominated by economic interests,” or is only concerned with earthly and not spiritual things.

A society based on such a mindset, he said, “not only marginalizes God, but also our neighbor, and we do not strive for the common good.” The monastery, though, is instead “a model of a society that focuses on God and fraternal relationship.” This is something for which we have “so much need in our time,” said the Pope.

While some may think it “impossible to remain for life in a monastery,” said the Pope, “a lifetime is just enough to get into this union with God.”

He concluded by telling the Carthusians that their vocation is in “the heart of the Church” and puts “the pure blood of the contemplation and love of God” into its veins.

Pope Benedict also visited a monastic cell and the community’s infirmary before signing the monastery’s book. He then set off on his return to Rome by helicopter and plane.

The Pope appeals for a return to true peace in Egypt

Vatican Radio
Oct. 12, 2011

Pope Benedict has expressed his sorrow at last Sunday’s violence which took place in Egypt’s capital and called for a peaceful co-existence to be upheld between all communities in the country.The Holy Father made the appeal on Wednesday during his General Audience.

Thousands of pilgrims and tourists from as far away as Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and the United States took up their positions in an autumnal St Peter’s Square for the Pope’s weekly General Audience

It was against the unmistakable backdrop of St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday that the Holy Father spoke of his deep sadness at the violence which engulfed the Egyptian capital, Cairo, last Sunday.

26 people mostly Coptic Christians were killed when a peaceful protest by Christians demonstrating over an earlier attack on a church in southern Egypt turned violent.

The Pope said he was united in sorrow with the families of the victims and with the Egyptian people, who he said, were being torn apart by attempts to undermine the peaceful co-existence between communities in the country.

Pope Benedict underlined the importance of preserving that co-existence, especially he said, at this time of transition and he urged the faithful to pray , so that Egypt can enjoy a true peace based on justice, respect for freedom and the dignity of every citizen.

The Holy Father also expressed his support for the efforts of the Egyptian authorities, both civil and religious, to bring about a society which respects the human rights of all its citizens and, in particular, minorities.

During the Audience those waiting to hear the next installment of the Pope’s catechesis on Christian prayer were not disappointed. This week Pope Benedict turned to Psalm 126.

“This Psalm is a joyful prayer of thanksgiving for God’s fidelity to his promises in bringing about Israel’s return from the Babylonian Exile: “The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced” A similar spirit of joy and thanksgiving should mark our own prayer as we recall the care which God has shown to us in the events of our lives, even those which seem dark and bitter.”

The Holy Father went on to explain that the Psalm demonstrates our faithful passage from darkness to light.

“The Psalmist implores God to continue to grant Israel his saving help: “May those who sow in tears, reap with shouts of joy” This imagery of the seed which silently grows to maturity reminds us that God’s salvation is at once a gift already received and the object of our hope, a promise whose fulfilment remains in the future. Jesus will use this same imagery to express the passage from death to life, from darkness to light, which must take place in the lives of all who put their faith in him and share in his paschal mystery.”

Also making reference to Psalm 126 and speaking off the cuff in Italian the Pope said it was important to remember the good things we are given by God, because it is these gifts that can sustain us in dark times.

Before giving greetings in English to visitors including members of the NATO Defence College, the Pope and the whole of St Peter’s Square was treated to a performance by St Mary’s Cathedral Choir who had come all the way from Sydney Australia.


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HUMAN HISTORY IS A HISTORY OF SALVATION

VATICAN CITY, 12 OCT 2011 (VIS) - During his general audience this morning the Holy Father dedicated his catechesis to Psalm 126 which, he said, "celebrates the great things which the Lord has done for His people, and which He continues to do for all believers".

The Psalm "speaks of 'restored fortunes'", the Pope explained, "in other words, fortunes restored to their original state". This was the experience of the People of Israel when they returned to their homeland after the Babylonian exile, which had been such a devastating experience not only in political and social terms but also from a religious and spiritual point of view.

"Divine intervention often takes unexpected forms which go beyond what man might expect. ... God works marvels in the history of mankind. ... He reveals Himself as the powerful and merciful Lord, the refuge of the oppressed Who does not ignore the cry of the poor. ... Thus, with the liberation of the People of Israel, everyone recognises the great and wondrous things God has done for His People and celebrates the Lord as Saviour".

However, the Holy Father went on, "the Psalm goes beyond the purely historical and opens to a broader, theological dimension". It uses images which "allude to the mysterious truth of redemption, in which the gift we have received and the gift we await, life and death, intertwine".

The watercourses of the Neg'eb symbolise divine intervention which, like water, "is capable of transforming the desert into a vast expanse of green grass and flowers", the Pope explained. Later the Psalm also uses the image of peasants cultivating their fields "to speak of salvation. The reference here is to the annual cycle of agriculture: the difficult and arduous time of sowing then the overriding joy of the harvest. ... The seed sprouts and grows".

"This is the hidden mystery of life, these are the 'great and wondrous things of salvation which the Lord achieves in the history of mankind, but the secret of which is unknown to man. Divine intervention, when fully expressed, has an overpowering dimension, like the watercourses of the Neg'eb and the grain in the fields. This latter image also evokes the disproportion typical of the things of God: disproportion between the fatigue of sowing and the immense joy of the harvest".

"The Psalmist refers to all these things to speak of salvation. ... The deportation to Babylon, like other situations of suffering and crisis, ... with its doubts and the apparent distance from God is, in reality, ... like a seedbed. In the mystery of Christ and in the light of the New Testament, the message becomes even clearer and more explicit: the believer who passes through the darkness is like the seed of grain that falls to earth and dies, but brings forth much fruit".

"This Psalm teaches us that ... we must remain hopeful and firm in our faith in God. Our history, though often marked by suffering, uncertainty and moments of crisis, is a history of salvation and 'restoration of fortunes'. In Jesus our exile ends: ... in the mystery of His cross, in death transformed into life, like the seed which splits in the earth and becomes an ear of wheat".

benefan, 10.10.2011 01:47:

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Pope Benedict: modern life needs silence

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Hello,
I know exactly what he means.
Most of friends have always an iPod button in their ear, in the public transportation or during an outside walk.
Many of my friends and even their kids now are not able to fall asleep without a music record playing or the television switched on.
Even as a kid I hated to stay overnight with friends who had the television running all night......

I like to hear music here and there or to watch certain television programmes, but most of my day at work in the office or at home and on my PC are silent.

Papa was so right! Some people feel they HAVE to keep talking, they are awkward with silence. Real friends can be happy together in silence.

I watched the Vespers on EWTN and it was so refreshing not to have a congregation or any music; the monks sang so beautifully. I loved it and I'm sure our Papa did too. His own voice, when he started "Pater noster, qui es in caelis...." was stronger and surer than I've heard it for a long time.

A bit more insight from World Youth Day.


In the face of the storm, Pope Benedict stood strong

By David Kerr

Rome, Italy, Oct 13, 2011 / 03:08 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- As thunder, lightning and wind whipped through the World Youth Day prayer vigil this past August, Pope Benedict XVI was advised to leave the event three times. But he insisted that if the young people stayed, then he would too.

The revelation comes from a young Honduran woman who stood next to the Pope throughout the event.

“The masters of ceremony were asking him if he wanted to leave because it was raining, it was pouring and the wind was really strong and he kept on saying that he would not leave. In fact, he twice waved his finger saying ‘no, no, no’,” 27-year-old Erika Rivera told CNA.

The advisers then asked a third time if the Pope wanted to leave. But this time he responded even more firmly, pointing to the 2 million drenched young pilgrims and saying, “If they are staying, then I am staying too.”

“And when he said that, we, the young people who were there next to him, were just so happy to have him as the Holy Father. So it was a fantastic, unique experience,” Rivera said.

Rivera was a senior press officer at August’s World Youth Day, but she also served as the host at a number of the week’s papal events, including the Saturday night vigil at Madrid’s Cuatro Vientos airbase.

While the rain lashed and lighting flashed, Pope Benedict seemed to remain prayerfully composed beneath two white umbrellas. Meanwhile, the 2-million strong congregation youthfully sang, danced and prayed in the soaking rain.

We were not afraid at all because we could see that the first one who was serene was the Holy Father,” said Rivera.

“He transmitted a lot of serenity, a lot of calmness and therefore, you know, we thought what else could happen to us?”

After approximately 15 minutes, the rain abated, allowing Pope Benedict to thank the crowd for their “joy and resistance” in enduring the storm. “Your strength is bigger than the rain,” he told them, adding that “the Lord sends you lots of blessings with the rain.”

He then proceeded to lead the young people in Eucharistic adoration.

“It was just fantastic, amazing; it was like a masterpiece,” she said. “The Eucharist was there, the Holy Father was there and the future of the Church was there too - the young people - it was just amazing.”

Two months later Rivera believes there is a deeper lesson to be learned from Pope Benedict’s fortitude in the face of a Spanish storm.

While modern society often opts to “take the easy exit,” she said, to “see Pope Benedict willing to stay there, to make the sacrifice for him who died on the cross for us -- it was truly inspiring for me.”