SOME SHORT HOMILIES BY POPE BENEDICT XVI

(January 1 -- June 30, 2006)

Please click on the following blue links to read homilies:

On Saints Peter and Paul: Columns and Foundations of the Church (30 June 2006)

Address to Constantinople Patriarch (30 June 2006)

James the Less (28 June 2006)

Address to Italian Catholic Media (27 June 2006)

Address to New Human Rights Council (26 June 2006)

Noting the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart (25 June 2006)

James the Greater, Apostle (21 June 2006)

On the Eucharist: Treasure of the Church (18 June 2006)

"Haureitis Aquas" and Remembrance of Encyclical on Devotion to Sacred Heart (15 June 2006)

Saint Andrew: Apostle of Greeks (14 June 2006)

On the Most Holy Trinity (11June 2006)

The Holy Spirit Is Love (Papal Homily at Mass of Pentecost) (4 June 2006)

Address to Patrons of Vatican Museums (1 June 06)

Address to New Movements and Communities (22 May 2006)

On Social Communication (21 May 2006)

Catechesis and Vocation (Excerpts) 20 May 2006

Papal Address to Australia's New Envoy (Excerpts) (18 May 2006)

Danger of Alternative Utopia (Excerpts) (18 May 2006)

Papal Address to India's New Ambassador (Excerpts) (18 May 2006)

Papal Address to Council for Migrants (15 May 2006)

The Secret of Spiritual Fruitfulness Is Union with God (14 May 2006)

Marriage and Family (11 May 2006)

On Vocations (7 May 2006)

Address to Papal Foundation (Excerpts) (5 May 2006)

Mary, a Woman Who Loves (1 May 2006)

The Resurrection and Mary, Mother and Teacher (30 April 2006)

The Proper Attitude toward Children and Youth (28 April 2006)

Address to the Bishops of Ghana (24 April 2006)

On Divine Mercy (23 April 2006)

Address to the Jesuits (Excerpts) (22 April 2006)

Address on Rome's Anniversary (Excerpts) (21 April 2006)

On the Anniversary of the Pope's Election and Easter Thoughts (19 April 2006)

Address on Easter Monday: Living Stones (17 April 2006)

Benedict XVI's Easter Message: "Jesus Is Risen, and He Gives Us Peace" (16 April 2006)

The Way of the Cross:  May It Infect Us with Mercy (14 April 2006)

At the Mass of the Lord's Supper: God Purifies Us (13 April 2006)

On the World Youth Day Cross (9 April 2006)

The Church as a Communion of Believers (5 April 2006)

Pope's Address at Vigil Recalling John Paul II's Death (2 April 2006)

John Paul II's Agony and Death--Prolongation of the Easter Triduum (2 April 2006)

Human Being Must Not Be Sacrificed to the Success of Science (1 April 2006)

Pope's Address after Viewing Film on Pope John Paul II (Excerpts) (30 March 2006)

Church Speaks up for Dignity of the Promotion of the Human Person (Excerpts) (30 March 2006)

Communion with God and with One Another (29 March 2006)

On Victims of Religious Persecution (24 March 2006)

Church in Rome Is Vibrant and Alive (19 March 2006)

Saint Joseph:  Mission Developed in Humility (19 March 2006)

Excerpts from the Papal Address to Secretariat of State, Representatives
(18 March 2006)
 

Address to Council of Social Communications (17 March 2006)

Papal Address to American Jewish Committee (16 March 2006)

God Accompanies All Who Live on the Earth (13 March 2006)

Listen to Jesus (12 March 2006)

Steeped in the Word of God (excerpts) (11 March 2006)

On Temptation (5 March 2006)

Inseparable:  Justice and Charity (4 March 2006)

Papal Address on 75th Anniversary of Vatican Radio (3 March 2006)

Ash Wednesday Homily: Christian Life is a Combat (1 March 2006)

On Ash Wednesday: A Call to Be Converted to Love (1 March 2006)

Love:  A Shortcut to Full Communion (27 February 2006)

On Living Lent Well (26 February 2006)

Saint Joseph and Our Lady of Trust (25 February 2006)

On the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter (22 February 2006)

Announcement of New Cardinals (22 February 2006)

Pope's Address to Moroccan Ambassador:  "Necessary That Religions and Their Symbols Be Respected"  (20 February 2006)
 

Sin Must Be Forgiven for the Man to Become Whole (19 February 2006)

VATICAN CITY, JUNE 30, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of Benedict XVI's address, before and after praying the Angelus on Thursday, solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Today we honor solemnly Sts. Peter and Paul, "Apostles of Christ, columns and foundation of the city of God," as today's liturgy says. Their martyrdom was to be considered as the true and proper act of the birth of the Church of Rome.

The two apostles rendered their supreme testimony in a short distance of time and space one from the other: Here, in Rome, St. Peter was crucified and subsequently St. Paul was decapitated.

Their blood was fused therefore almost in one sole testimony of Christ, which drove St. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon, in the middle of the second century, to speak of the "Church founded and constituted in Rome by the two most glorious Apostles Peter and Paul" ("Against Heresies" III, 3, 2).

Shortly after, from North Africa, Tertullian exclaimed: "This Church of Rome, how blessed she is! It was the Apostles themselves, who with their blood, poured out to her the whole doctrine" ("Prescription against the Heretics," 36).

Precisely because of this, the Bishop of Rome, Successor of the Apostle Peter, carries out a particular ministry of service of the doctrinal and pastoral unity of the people of God spread throughout the world.

In this context one also understands better the meaning of the rite that we renewed this morning, during the holy Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, that is, the reception of the pallium, ancient liturgical insignia, which expresses the special communion of these pastors with the Successor of Peter.

My greetings go to these venerated brother archbishops and to all those who accompanied them, while I invite all of you, dear brothers and sisters, to pray for them and for the Churches entrusted to them.

There is still another reason that renders our joy even greater today: It is the presence in Rome, on the occasion of the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, of a special delegation sent by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I.

To the members of this delegation I reiterate with affection my welcome and heartfelt gratitude to the patriarch, for rendering even more manifest with this gesture the existing bond of fraternity between our Churches.

May Mary, Queen of the Apostles, whom we invoke with trust, obtain for Christians the gift of full unity.

With her help and following in the footsteps of St. Peter and St. Paul, may the Church that is in Rome and all the people of God offer the world a testimony of unity and courageous dedication to the Gospel of Christ.

[After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father added:]

I am following events in the Holy Land with concern and I pray that all those who have been abducted may soon be returned to their loved ones.

I appeal to Israeli and Palestinian leaders that, with the generous help of the international community, they may seek responsibly for that negotiated end to the conflict, which alone can ensure the peace to which their people aspire.

[The Pope then greeted pilgrims in six languages. In English, he said:]

I am pleased to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for today's solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. In a special way, I welcome all those who are accompanying their metropolitan archbishops for the reception of the pallium.

May you continue to accompany them with your prayers and devoted support. To all of you I impart my apostolic blessing. Happy feast of Sts. Peter and Paul!

[Translation by ZENIT]

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]
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Address to Constantinople Patriach on Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul

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On the Most Holy Trinity
"Lover, Beloved and Love"

VATICAN CITY, JUNE 11, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today before praying the midday Angelus with the crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters!

On this Sunday, following that of Pentecost, we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.

Thanks to the Holy Spirit, who helps us to understand the words of Jesus and guides us into all the truth (John 14:26; 16:13), believers can know, so to speak, the intimacy of God himself, discovering that he is not infinite solitude, but communion of light and love, life given and received in an eternal dialogue between the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit -- lover, beloved and love, to recall St. Augustine.

So, no one can see God, but he himself has made himself known so that, with the Apostle John, we can affirm: "God is love" (1 John 4:8,16), "we know and believe the love God has for us" ("Deus Caritas Est," No. 1; cf. 1 John 4:16).

Whoever encounters Christ and enters into a relationship of friendship with him, receives the very Trinitarian communion in his own soul, in keeping with the promise of Jesus to his disciples: "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:23).

For him who has faith, the whole universe speaks of God one and triune. From interstellar space to microscopic particles, all that exists refers to a being who communicates himself in the multiplicity and variety of the elements, as in an immense symphony.

All beings are ordered according to a harmonic dynamism, which we can call, analogically, "love." But only in the human person, free and rational, this dynamism becomes spiritual, a responsible love, as response to God and to one's neighbor in a sincere gift of self. In this love the human being finds his truth and happiness.

Among the different analogies of the ineffable mystery of God one and triune, which believers have the capacity to perceive, I would like to mention the family. It is called to be a community of love and life, in which differences must come together to become a "parable of communion."

The masterpiece of the Most Holy Trinity among all creatures is the Virgin Mary: In her humble heart full of faith in God, he prepared a worthy dwelling for himself, to fulfill his mystery of salvation. Divine love found in her perfect correspondence, and the only-begotten Son was made man in her womb. With filial confidence let us turn to Mary, so that, with her help, we will be able to progress in love and make our lives songs of praise to the Father, through the Son in the Holy Spirit.
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Papal Homily at Pentecost Mass
"The Holy Spirit Is Love"
4 June 2006

Here is a translation of Benedict XVI's address at the Mass of Pentecost, which he celebrated today in St. Peter's Square.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters!

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended with power on the apostles; thus began the mission of the Church in the world. Jesus himself had prepared the Eleven for this mission by appearing to them on several occasions after his resurrection (cf. Acts 1:3).

Before the ascension to heaven, "he charged them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father" (cf. Acts 1:4-5); that is, he asked them to stay together to prepare themselves to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And they gathered in prayer with Mary in the Cenacle, while awaiting this promised event (cf. Acts 1:14).

To stay together was the condition Jesus placed to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit; the premise of their harmony was prolonged prayer. In this way we are offered a formidable lesson for every Christian community.

At times it is thought that missionary effectiveness depends primarily on careful programming and its subsequent intelligent application through a concrete commitment. The Lord certainly does ask us for our collaboration, but before any other response his initiative is necessary: His Spirit is the true protagonist of the Church. The roots of our being and of our action are in the wise and provident silence of God.

The images used by St. Luke to indicate the irruption of the Holy Spirit -- wind and fire -- recall the Sinai, where God revealed himself to the people of Israel and offered his covenant (cf. Exodus 19:3 and following). The feast of Sinai, which Israel celebrated 50 days after the Passover, was the feast of the Covenant.

On speaking of the tongues of fire (cf. Acts 3), St. Luke wants to represent Pentecost as a new Sinai, as the feast of the new Covenant, in which the Covenant with Israel is extended to all the nations of the earth. The Church has been catholic and missionary from her birth. The universality of salvation is manifested with the list of the numerous ethnic groups to which those belonged who heard the apostles' first proclamation (cf. Acts 2:9-11).

The People of God, which had found its first configuration in Sinai, extends today to the point of surmounting every barrier of race, culture, space and time. As opposed to what occurred with the tower of Babel, when people wanted to build a way to heaven with their hands, they ended up by destroying their very capacity to understand one another mutually. The Pentecost of the Spirit, with the gift of tongues, shows that his presence unites and transforms confusion into communion. Man's pride and egoism always creates divisions, builds walls of indifference, hatred and violence.

The Holy Spirit, on the contrary, makes hearts capable of understanding everyone's languages, as it re-establishes the bridge of authentic communication between earth and heaven. The Holy Spirit is love.

But, how is it possible to enter into the mystery of the Holy Spirit? How can the secret of love be understood? The Gospel passage takes us today to the Cenacle, where, the Last Supper being over, an experience of disconcert saddened the apostles. The reason was that Jesus' words aroused disturbing questions: He spoke of the world's hatred of him and of his own, he spoke of his mysterious departure; much remained to be said but at that moment the apostles were not able to bear the weight (cf. John 16:12).

To console them, he explained the meaning of his departure: He would go, but he would return; meanwhile, he would not abandon them, would not leave them orphans. He would send the Consoler, the Spirit of the Father, and the Spirit would enable them to know that Christ's work is a work of love: love of him who gave himself, love of the Father who has given him.

This is the mystery of Pentecost: The Holy Spirit illuminates the human spirit and, on revealing Christ crucified and risen, indicates the way to become more like him, that is, to be "expression and instrument of love that comes from him" ("Deus Caritas Est," No. 33). The Church, gathered with Mary, as at her birth, today implores: "Veni Sancte Spiritus!" -- "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of thy love!" Amen.

[Translation by ZENIT]

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]
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Papal Address to Patrons of Vatican Museums
"Artistic Treasures Witness to the Church's Unchanging Faith"

VATICAN CITY, JUNE 1, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is Benedict XVI's greeting to Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, whom he received in audience today.

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Your Eminences,
Your Excellencies,
Dear Friends,

I am pleased to greet the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums on the occasion of your pilgrimage to Rome for the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Vatican Museums. At the same time, I thank you for your continuing interest, which is motivated not only by a sense of stewardship for the incomparable cultural patrimony of the Vatican Museums, but also by a generous commitment to the Church's evangelizing mission.

In every age Christians have sought to give expression to faith's vision of the beauty and order of God's creation, the nobility of our vocation as men and women made in his image and likeness, and the promise of a cosmos redeemed and transfigured by the grace of Christ. The artistic treasures which surround us are not simply impressive monuments of a distant past. Rather, for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who contemplate them year after year, they stand as a perennial witness to the Church's unchanging faith in the Triune God who, in the memorable phrase of St. Augustine, is himself "Beauty ever ancient, ever new" ("Confessions," X, 27).

Dear friends, may your support of the Vatican Museums bear abundant spiritual fruits in your own lives and advance the Church's mission of bringing all people to the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ, "the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15), in whose Eternal Spirit all creation is reconciled, restored and renewed. To you, your families and associates, I cordially impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of enduring joy and peace in the Lord.

[Original text in English]

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]

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Message to New Movements and Communities

VATICAN CITY, JULY 16, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is Benedict XVI's message to the 2nd World Congress of Ecclesial Movements and New Communities, which was held in Rome from May 31 to June 2.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

While we look forward to the meeting with the members of more than 100 ecclesial movements and new communities, scheduled for Saturday, June 3 in St. Peter's Square, I am pleased to offer you, the representatives of all these ecclesial associations gathered at Rocca di Papa for your World Congress, a warm greeting with the Apostle's words: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope" (Romans 15:13).

The memory of the previous World Congress of Ecclesial Movements, held in Rome from May 26-29, 1998, is still vivid in my mind and in my heart. In my capacity as the then-prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith I was asked to speak at it, with a lecture on the theological locus of ecclesial movements.

That Congress culminated in the memorable meeting with beloved Pope John Paul II on May 30, in St. Peter's Square, during which my predecessor expressed his approval of the ecclesial movements and new communities, which he described as "signs of hope" for the good of the Church and humanity.

Today, aware of the ground covered since then on the path marked out by the pastoral concern, affection and teachings of John Paul II, I would like to congratulate the Pontifical Council for the Laity in the persons of Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko, president, Bishop Josef Clemens, secretary, and their coworkers, for the important and worthwhile initiative of this World Congress.

Its theme: "The beauty of being Christian and the joy of communicating it," is inspired by something I said in the homily inaugurating my Petrine Ministry. This theme is an invitation to reflect on what the essential features of the Christian event are: in fact, we encounter in it the One who in flesh and blood visibly and historically brought to earth the splendor of God's glory.

The words of Psalm 45[44]:2 apply to him: "You are the fairest of the sons of men." And paradoxically, the prophet's words also refer to him: "He had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him" (Isaiah 53:2).

In Christ the beauty of truth and the beauty of love converge; but love, as people know, also calls for the willingness to suffer, a willingness which for those who love one another can even extend to the sacrifice of life (cf. John 15:13)!

Christ, who is "the beauty of every beauty," as St. Bonaventure used to say (Sermones Dominicales, 1:7), is made present in the hearts of men and women and attracts them to their vocation which is love. It is thanks to this extraordinary magnetic force that reason is drawn from its torpor and opened to the Mystery. Thus, the supreme beauty of God's merciful love is revealed and at the same time, the beauty of the human being who, created in the image of God, is regenerated by grace and destined to eternal glory.

Through the ages, Christianity has been communicated and disseminated thanks to the newness of life of persons and communities capable of bearing an incisive witness of love, unity and joy.

This force itself has set a vast number of people in "motion," from generation to generation. Was it not perhaps the beauty born from faith on the saints' faces that spurred so many men and women to follow in their footsteps?

Basically, this also applies to you: through the founders and initiators of your movements and communities you have glimpsed the face of Christ shining with special brightness and set out on your way.

Christ still continues today to make resound in the hearts of so many that "come, follow me" which can decide their destiny. This normally happens through the witness of those who have had a personal experience of Christ's presence. On the faces and in the words of these "new creatures," his light becomes visible and his invitation audible.

I therefore say to you, dear friends of the movements: act so as to ensure that they are always schools of communion, groups journeying on in which one learns to live in the truth and love that Christ revealed and communicated to us through the witness of the apostles, in the heart of the great family of his disciples.

May Jesus' exhortation ceaselessly re-echo in your hearts: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Bring Christ's light to all the social and cultural milieus in which you live. Missionary zeal is proof of a radical experience of ever renewed fidelity to one's charism that surpasses any kind of weary or selfish withdrawal.

Dispel the darkness of a world overwhelmed by the contradictory messages of ideologies! There is no valid beauty if there is not a truth to recognize and follow, if love gives way to transitory sentiment, if happiness becomes an elusive mirage or if freedom degenerates into instinct.

How much evil the mania for power, possession and pleasure can spawn in the lives of people and nations! Take the witness of the freedom with which Christ set us free (cf. Galatians 5:1) to this troubled world.

The extraordinary fusion between love of God and love of neighbor makes life beautiful and causes the desert in which we often find ourselves living to blossom anew. Where love is expressed as a passion for the life and destiny of others, where love shines forth in affection and in work and becomes a force for the construction of a more just social order, there the civilization is built that can withstand the advance of barbarity.

Become builders of a better world according to the ordo amoris in which the beauty of human life is expressed.

Today, the ecclesial movements and new communities are a luminous sign of the beauty of Christ and of the Church, his Bride. You belong to the living structure of the Church. She thanks you for your missionary commitment, for the formative action on behalf of Christian families that you are increasingly developing and for the promotion of vocations to the ministerial priesthood and consecrated life which you nurture among your members.

She is also grateful to you for your readiness not only to accept the active directives of the Successor of Peter, but also of the bishops of the various local Churches who, with the Pope, are custodians of truth and charity in unity. I trust in your prompt obedience.

Over and above the affirmation of the right to life itself, the edification of the Body of Christ among others must always prevail with indisputable priority.

Movements must approach each problem with sentiments of deep communion, in a spirit of loyalty to their legitimate pastors.

May you be sustained by participating in the prayer of the Church, whose liturgy is the most exalted expression of the beauty of God's glory, and in a certain way a glimpse of heaven upon the earth.

I entrust you to the intercession of the one whom we invoke as the Tota pulchra, the "All Fair," an ideal of beauty that artists have always sought to reproduce in their works, the "woman clothed with the sun" (Revelation 12:1) in whom human beauty encounters the beauty of God.

With these sentiments, I extend a special apostolic blessing to you all as a pledge of my constant affection.

From the Vatican, May 22, 2006

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

© Copyright 2006 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]

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On Social Communication
21 May 2006
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Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The book of the Acts of the Apostles states that Jesus, after his resurrection, appeared to the disciples during 40 days and afterward "as they were looking on, he was lifted up" (Acts 1:9). It was the Ascension, the feast we will celebrate on Thursday, May 25, though in some countries it is transferred to next Sunday.

The meaning of this last gesture of Jesus is twofold. Above all, ascending on "high," he unequivocally reveals his divinity: He returns to where he came from, that is, to God, after having fulfilled his mission on earth. Moreover, Christ ascends to heaven with the humanity he had assumed and which has resurrected from the dead: That humanity is ours, transfigured, divinized, made eternal. The Ascension, therefore, reveals the "supreme vocation" ("Gaudium et Spes," no. 22) of every human person -- called to the eternal life of the kingdom of God, kingdom of love, light and peace.

Celebrated on the feast of the Ascension, is the World Day of Social Communications, initiated by the Second Vatican Council, and now in its 40th year. Its theme this year is "The Media: Network of Communication, Communion and Cooperation." The Church looks with attention at the media, because it is an important vehicle to spread the Gospel and to foster solidarity between peoples, calling attention to the great problems that still mark them profoundly.

Today, for example, the initiative Walk the World, initiated by the United Nations World Food Program, seeks to sensitize governments and public opinion on the need for concrete and timely action to guarantee all, particularly children, "freedom from hunger." With prayer I am close to this demonstration, which is taking place in Rome and in other cities on some 100 countries.

I earnestly hope that, thanks to the contribution of all, the plague of hunger will be surmounted which still afflicts humanity, putting in great danger the hope of life of millions of people. I am thinking, above all, of the urgent and tragic situation in Darfur, Sudan, where strong difficulties persist to satisfy even the primary food needs of the population.

With the usual recitation of the Regina Caeli, we particularly entrust today to the Virgin Mary our brothers oppressed by the scourge of hunger, all those who come to their aid and those who, through the means of social communication, contribute to consolidate between peoples the bonds of solidarity and peace. We also pray to Our Lady to make fruitful the apostolic trip to Poland that, God willing, I will make from Thursday to next Sunday in memory of our beloved Pope John Paul II.

[Translation by ZENIT]

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Catechesis and Vocation (Excerpts)
20 May 2006

Here is the address Benedict XVI to prelates of the episcopal conference of Atlantic Canada, who in recent days were granted individual audiences, on the occasion of their five-yearly visit to Rome.

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. . . Like many countries, however, Canada is today suffering from the pervasive effects of secularism. The attempt to promote a vision of humanity apart from God's transcendent order and indifferent to Christ's beckoning light, removes from the reach of ordinary men and women the experience of genuine hope.

One of the more dramatic symptoms of this mentality, clearly evident in your own region, is the plummeting birth rate. This disturbing testimony to uncertainty and fear, even if not always conscious, is in stark contrast with the definitive experience of true love which by its nature is marked by trust, seeks the good of the beloved, and looks to the eternal (cf. "Deus Caritas Est," no. 6).

Faced with the many social ills and moral ambiguities which follow in the wake of a secularist ideology, Canadians look to you to be men of hope, preaching and teaching with passion the splendor of the truth of Christ who dispels the darkness and illuminates the way to renew ecclesial and civic life, educating consciences and teaching the authentic dignity of the person and human society.

Particularly in districts which also suffer from the painful consequences of economic decline, such as unemployment and unwanted emigration, ecclesial leadership bears much fruit when, in its concern for the common good, it generously seeks to support civil authorities in their task of promoting regeneration in the community.

In this regard, I note with satisfaction the success of the anniversary events celebrated last year in the Archdiocese of St. John's, marked by a spirit of cooperation with various civic authorities. Such initiatives manifest recognition of the need for spiritual strength at the heart of society. In fact, "it is quite impossible to separate the response to people's material and social needs from the fulfillment of the profound desires of their hearts" (Papal Message for Lent 2006).

3. Dear Brothers, your reports clearly indicate the seriousness with which you are responding to the need for pastoral renewal. I understand that with aging clergy and many isolated communities the challenges are great. Yet, if the Church is going to satisfy the thirst of men and women for truth and authentic values upon which to build their lives no effort can be spared in finding effective pastoral initiatives to make Jesus Christ known.

Thus it is of great importance that the catechetical and religious education programs which you are implementing continue to deepen the faithful's understanding and love of our Lord and his Church, and reawaken in them the zeal for Christian witness which has its root in the sacrament of baptism.

In this regard, particular care must be taken to ensure that the intrinsic relationship between the Church's magisterium, individuals' faith, and testimony in public life is preserved and promoted. Only in this way can we hope to overcome the debilitating split between the Gospel and culture (cf. "Evangelii Nuntiandi," no. 20).

Of notable importance are your Catechists. They have embraced with great courage the burning desire that was St. Paul's: "Deliver ... as of primary importance what I also received" (1 Corinthians 15:3). Teaching the faith cannot be reduced to a mere transmission of "things" or words or even a body of abstract truths. The Church's tradition is alive! It is the permanent actualization of the active presence of the Lord Jesus among his people, brought about by the Holy Spirit and expressed in the Church in every generation.

In this sense it is like a living river that links us to the origins which are ever present and which leads us to the gates of eternity (cf. Catechesis of the General Audience, April 26, 2006). Through you, I acknowledge the fine service of the catechists in your dioceses and encourage them in their duty and privilege of making known to others the extraordinary "yes" of God to humanity (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:20).

Further, I directly appeal in a special way to the young adults of your dioceses to take up the rewarding challenge of catechetical service and share in the satisfaction of handing on the faith. Their example of Christian witness to those younger than themselves will strengthen their own faith, while bringing to others the happiness that flows from the sense of purpose and meaning in life which the Lord reveals.

4. In your plan of pastoral renewal, you are faced with the delicate task of the reorganization of parishes and also of dioceses. This can never be carried out in an appropriate way by simple social models of restructuring. Without Christ, we can do nothing (cf. John 15:5). Prayer roots us in truth, reminds us incessantly of the primacy of Christ and, in union with him, the primacy of the interior life and of holiness.

The parishes are therefore, rightly considered above all as houses and schools of communion. Consequently, the reorganization of parishes is essentially an exercise of spiritual renewal. This calls for a pastoral promotion of holiness, so that the faithful remain attentive to the will of God, from whom we share true life, becoming participants of the divine nature (cf. "Dei Verbum," no. 2).

Such holiness, or such profound communion through Christ and in the Spirit, is affirmed among other things by an authentic pedagogy of prayer, by an introduction to the lives of the saints and to simple forms of spirituality that embellish and stimulate the life of the Church, by regular participation in the sacrament of reconciliation, and by a convincing catechesis on Sundays "the day of faith," "the day one cannot do without," "the day of Christian hope"(cf. "Dies Domini," nos. 29-30; 38).

I am certain that the rediscovery of Jesus Christ made flesh, our savior, will lead to a rediscovery of the personal, social and cultural identity of the faithful. Far from confusing the diversity and complementarity of the charisms and functions of ordained ministers and lay faithful, a reinforced Catholic identity will revive the passion for evangelization, which is proper to the vocation of every believer and of the nature of the Church (cf. Instruction "Le prêtre, pasteur et guide de la communauté paroissiale," nos. 23-24).

5. Within the universal call to holiness (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:3) is found the particular vocation to which God summons every individual. In this regard, I encourage you to remain vigilant in your duty to promote a culture of vocation.

Your reports attest to the admiration you have of your priests who labor with great generosity for the Church's mission and the good of those whom they serve. I pray that their daily journey of conversion and self-giving love will awaken in young men the desire to respond to God's call to humble priestly ministry in his Church.

Additionally you have with good reason underlined the fine contribution of religious sisters and brothers to the mission of the Church. This deep appreciation of consecrated life is rightly accompanied by your concern for the decline in religious vocations in your country.

A renewed clarity is needed to articulate the particular contribution of religious to the life of the Church: a mission to make the love of Christ present in the midst of humanity (cf. Instruction "Starting Afresh From Christ: A Renewed Commitment to Consecrated Life in the Third Millennium," no. 5). Such clarity will give rise to a new "kairos," with religious confidently reaffirming their calling and, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, proposing afresh to young people the ideal of consecration and mission.

I again assure religious priests, brothers and sisters of the vital witness they provide by placing themselves without reserve in the hands of Christ and of the Church, as a strong and clear proclamation of God's presence in a way understandable to our contemporaries ("Homily for the World Day of Consecrated Life," Feb. 2, 2006).

6. Dear Brothers, with affection and fraternal gratitude I offer these reflections to you and assure you of my prayers as you seek to shepherd the flocks entrusted to you. United in your proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ, go forward now in hope! With these sentiments I commend you to the protection of Mary, mother of the Church, and to the intercession of St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. To you and to the priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful of your dioceses, I cordially impart my apostolic blessing.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]
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Papal Address to India's New Ambassador (Excerpts)
"No Citizen Should Ever Have to Experience Discrimination"
18 May 2006

. . . India's ongoing efforts to build a democratic and free society are grounded in her conviction of the need to respect the variety of cultures, religions and ethnic groups which make up the nation and shape the aspirations of her sons and daughters. The Indian people are rightly proud of the stability of their political institutions, while at the same time recognizing the formidable challenges involved in promoting justice, combating all forms of violence and extremism, and establishing a climate of serene and respectful dialogue, cooperation and good will between the different components of their vast and diverse society.

As the nation continues to enjoy significant economic growth, these democratic values should serve as the inspiration and the sure foundation for sound social policies aimed at enabling all citizens to share in this growth and to enjoy its benefits.

In this regard, I wish to assure you of the wish of India's Catholic community to share fully in the life of the nation in a spirit of collaboration and concern for the common good. You have graciously acknowledged the contribution which the spiritual heirs of St. Thomas the Apostle and St. Francis Xavier have made to the growth of modern India, especially in the fields of education and human development.

The Church sees these works as a fundamental part of her mission of proclaiming the innate dignity and rights of each human person made in the image and likeness of God, as well as an important service to the building of a just, peaceful and pluralistic society. When the gifts and talents of all citizens, men and women, young and old, wealthy and poor alike, are valued and developed, the way is opened to a future of prosperity and social harmony for the whole nation.

I very much appreciate your reference to India's rich spiritual heritage and commitment to religious tolerance and respect. In view of this commitment, no citizen of India, especially the weak and the underprivileged, should ever have to experience discrimination for any reason, especially based on ethnic or religious background or social position. The recent re-establishment of the National Integration Council and the creation this year of the Ministry for Minority Affairs offer practical means of upholding constitutionally guaranteed equality of all religions and social groups.

While protecting the right of each citizen to profess and practice his or her faith, they also facilitate efforts to build bridges between minority communities and Indian society as a whole, and thus foster national integration and the participation of all in the country's development. The disturbing signs of religious intolerance which have troubled some regions of the nation, including the reprehensible attempt to legislate clearly discriminatory restrictions on the fundamental right of religious freedom, must be firmly rejected as not only unconstitutional, but also as contrary to the highest ideals of India's founding fathers, who believed in a nation of peaceful coexistence and mutual tolerance between different religions and ethnic groups.

Here I cannot fail to express the Holy See's appreciation of India's desire to settle through negotiation and peaceful means the long-standing dispute with neighboring Pakistan. Last year's earthquake in Kashmir, with its tragic loss of life and widespread material destruction, showed the urgent need for joint efforts in responding to the emergency, providing relief to the victims and undertaking the immense work of rebuilding. Increased dialogue and cooperation should also prove helpful in meeting a number of other challenges in the region, including the threat of violence linked to political and religious extremism.

As experience has shown, this troubling phenomenon, which is often the fruit of situations of poverty, lack of education, and scant respect for the rights of others, is best combated by concerted efforts to resolve these underlying social problems at their roots. Where the innate dignity and freedom of each man and woman is acknowledged, respected and promoted at every level of society, the foundations are laid for a future of justice, freedom and peace.

Your Excellency, as you undertake the mission of representing the Republic of India to the Holy See, please accept my personal good wishes for the success of your important work. Be assured that you may always count on the offices of the Roman Curia to assist and support you in the fulfillment of your high responsibilities. Upon you and your family, and upon all the beloved Indian people, I cordially invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.

[Original text in English; adapted here]

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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The Danger of an Alternative Utopia
18 May 2006
Here are excerpts from an address which Benedict XVI delivered to the new ambassador of Moldova to the Holy See
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. . . Although Catholics constitute only a small proportion of the population, they are proud of the rich cultural heritage of their homeland and are eager to play their part in national life, contributing particularly in the area of social assistance. It should be stressed that such activity flows from the very nature and mission of the Church, which include a commitment to promote the dignity of the human person and to come to the aid of those who suffer hardship of any kind.

The Church is committed to full respect for liberty of conscience, and as such she encourages governments to take steps to guarantee this precious freedom for all their citizens.. . . . I pray that your country may continue to make progress towards the noble goal of peace, which corresponds to the deepest yearnings and hopes of people everywhere.

The interest shown by your government in advancing dialogue with all the states of Europe is welcomed by the Holy See as a sign of hope for the Continent. For too long, Moldova suffered from the imposition of a totalitarian utopia of "justice without freedom." The West, by contrast, continues to be exposed to the danger of an alternative utopia of "freedom without truth," issuing from a false understanding of "tolerance."

If the common good of Europe's citizens is truly to be served, it is essential to avoid both of these harmful partial visions and to rediscover the authentic freedom that proceeds from our shared heritage of faith in Jesus Christ, alive in his Church, the source of hope for Europe (cf. postsynodal apostolic exhortation "Ecclesia in Europa," No. 98). The voice and the experience of your people need to be heard in European debate, so that lessons may be learned from recent experience.

In this way a brighter future may be built that is based on a commitment to truth, and this, as I maintained in my Address to the Diplomatic Corps at the start of this year (Jan. 9), is the soul of justice, it is the means whereby the right to freedom is established and strengthened and it opens the way to forgiveness and reconciliation. . . Upon you, your family and all the people of Moldova I cordially invoke God's abundant blessings.

[Original text in English]
(c) Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]
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Pope's Address to Australia's New Envoy
The Young Are Rediscovering "Quest for Goodness and Truth"
18 May 2006

. . . The steadfast resolve of the Holy See to promote the cause of peace stands at the heart of her diplomatic activity. With firm conviction and in a spirit of service she reminds all people that if peace is to be authentic and lasting it must be built on the bedrock of the truth about God and about man. Consequently, the irrepressible yearning for peace present in the heart of every person -- regardless of particular cultural identity -- can be satisfied only if it is understood as the fruit of an order planned and willed by the love of God, planted in human society by its divine Founder, and respected by humanity in its thirst for ever more perfect justice (cf. Message for the 2006 World Day of Peace, No. 3).

Your Excellency, you have rightly indicated that practical commitment to ensuring the rule of justice and promoting peace is a widely recognized trait of your people. Tangible expression of this is found in their leadership of peacekeeping operations, generous assistance with aid projects, and readiness to contribute to the requirements of international stability and security necessary for social and economic advancement across the globe.

Australia's missions in Solomon Islands, East Timor and Afghanistan are highly respected by the international community and bear noble witness to the truth that all people are members of one and the same human family, receiving their essential and common dignity from God and capable of transcending every social and cultural limitation (cf. "Centesimus Annus," No. 38).

The laudable resolve to work for peace on an international scale must be matched with an equal determination to attain justice at the local level. I know that your government has assiduously addressed concerns regarding the reception of refugees, in order to ensure that humanitarian considerations are incorporated within immigration detention policy and duly monitored.

In regard to the Aboriginal people of your land, there is still much to be achieved. Their social situation is cause for much pain. I encourage you and the government to continue to address with compassion and determination the deep underlying causes of their plight. Commitment to truth opens the way to lasting reconciliation through the healing process of asking for forgiveness and granting forgiveness -- two indispensable elements for peace. In this way our memory is purified, our hearts are made serene, and our future is filled with a well-founded hope in the peace which springs from truth (cf. Address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, Jan. 9).

Your Excellency, as I welcome you to the Vatican my thoughts turn with joy to the visit I shall make, God willing, to Sydney for World Youth Day 2008. In this regard, I wish to thank the people of Australia, and particularly the prime minister and government, for the enthusiasm with which they have embraced this visit and for the practical assistance already being given to its organization.

More than an event, World Youth Day is a time of deep ecclesial renewal, especially among the young, the fruits of which will benefit the whole of your society. In countries such as yours, where the disquieting process of secularization is much advanced, many young people are themselves coming to realize that it is the transcendent order that steers all life along the path of authentic freedom and happiness. Against the tide of moral relativism which, by recognizing nothing as definitive, traps people within a futile and insatiable bid for novelty, the young generation is rediscovering the satisfying quest for goodness and truth. In so doing they look to both Church and civil leaders to dispel any eclipse of the sense of God and to allow the light of truth to shine forth, giving purpose to all life and making joy and contentment possible for everyone.

It is this same respect for transcendent order that has led Australians to recognize the fundamental importance of marriage and stable domestic life at the heart of society, and to expect that political and social forces -- including the media and entertainment industries -- recognize, support and protect the irreplaceable value of families. They appreciate that pseudo-forms of "marriage" distort the Creator's design and undermine the truth of our human nature, confusing a false sense of freedom with the true freedom of choosing the definitive gift of the permanent "yes" which spouses promise to each other. I therefore encourage the people of Australia to continue to take up the challenge of forging a pattern of life, both individually and as a community, in harmony with God's loving plan for all humanity.

For her part the Catholic Church in Australia continues to support marriage and family life, and to uphold the Christian foundations of civic life. She is much involved in the spiritual and intellectual formation of the young, especially through her schools. Additionally her charitable apostolate extends to immigrant communities and those living on the margins of society and, through her mission of service, she will respond generously to new social challenges as they arise.

Your Excellency, I am sure that your appointment will further strengthen the bonds of friendship which already exist between Australia and the Holy See. As you take up your new responsibilities you will find that the various offices of the Roman Curia are most ready to assist you in the fulfillment of your duties. Upon you, your family and your fellow citizens, I cordially invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]
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Papal Address to Assembly of Council for Migrants
"Christians Must Open Their Hearts to the Lowly and the Poor"

VATICAN CITY, JUNE 7, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address Benedict XVI delivered to the participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, held May 15 in the Clementine Hall.

* * *

Your Eminences,
Venerable Brothers in the episcopate and in the priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am pleased to welcome you on the occasion of the plenary session of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. First of all, I greet Cardinal Renato Martino, who I thank for the words with which he introduced our meeting. I also greet the secretary, the members and the consultors of this pontifical council and especially those recently appointed, and I address to all a cordial thought with best wishes for the success of your work.

The theme chosen for this session -- "Migration and Itinerancy from and toward Islamic Majority Countries" -- concerns a social reality that is becoming ever more present. Therefore, human mobility with regard to Muslim countries calls for a specific reflection, not only because of the extent of the phenomenon, but above all because the Islamic identity is both religious and cultural.

The Catholic Church realizes with increasing awareness that interreligious dialogue is part of her commitment to the service of humanity in the contemporary world. This conviction has become, as one says, "daily bread" especially fit for those who work in contact with migrants, refugees and with different categories of itinerant people.

We are living in times in which Christians are called to cultivate a style of dialogue open to the religious question, without failing to present to the interlocutors the Christian proposal consistent with her own identity. So, one increasingly feels the importance of reciprocity in dialogue, reciprocity that the instruction "Erga Migrantes Caritas Christi" rightly defines as a "principle" of great importance. It treats of a "relationship based on mutual respect," and before that on an "attitude of heart and spirit" (No. 64).

The importance and delicacy of this commitment is witnessed by the efforts that are made in many communities to weave relations of mutual awareness and esteem with immigrants, which appear ever more useful to overcome prejudice and a closed mentality.

In its action of reception and dialogue with migrants and itinerant peoples, the Christian community has as its constant reference point Christ, who left to his disciples, as a rule of life, the new commandment of love. Christian love is, by its nature, prevenient. This is why single believers are called to open their arms and their hearts to every person, from whatever nation they come, allowing the authorities responsible for public life to enforce the relevant laws held to be appropriate for a healthy coexistence.

Continually stimulated to witness the love that the Lord Jesus taught, Christians must open their hearts especially to the lowly and the poor, in whom Christ himself is present in a singular way. Acting in this way, they manifest the most qualifying characteristic of their own Christian identity: the love that Christ lived and continually transmits to the Church through the Gospel and the sacraments.

Obviously, it is to be hoped that Christians who emigrate to nations with an Islamic majority will also be welcomed and their religious identity respected.

Dear brothers and sisters, I willingly welcome this occasion to thank you for what you do in favor of an organic and efficient pastoral service for migrants and itinerant peoples, putting your time, your competency and your experience at this service. May it escape no one that this is a significant frontier in the new evangelization in the current globalized world.

I encourage you to pursue your work with renewed zeal, while, for my part, I follow you with attention and I accompany you with prayer, so that the Holy Spirit may make your initiative fruitful for the good of the Church and the world.

May Mary Most Holy watch over you, she who lived her faith as a pilgrimage in the different circumstances of her earthly life. May the Holy Virgin help every man and every woman to know her Son Jesus and to receive from him the gift of salvation. With this wish I impart my blessing to all of you and to those dear to you.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]

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"The Secret of Spiritual Fruitfulness Is Union With God"
14 May 2006

Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today before praying the midday Regina Caeli with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

On this Fifth Sunday of Easter the liturgy presents the Gospel passage of John in which Jesus, speaking to the disciples at the last supper, exhorts them to remain united to him like the branches of the vine. It is a truly significant parable, as it explains with great effectiveness that the Christian life is a mystery of communion with Jesus: "He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

The secret of spiritual fruitfulness is union with God, union that is realized above all in the Eucharist, also called Communion. I want to underline this mystery of unity at this time of the year, in which many parish communities celebrate children's first Communion.

I express special greetings to all children who in these weeks encounter Jesus Christ in the Eucharist for the first time, hoping that they will become branches of the vine, which is Jesus, and grow to be true disciples of his.

A way to remain united to Christ, as branches on the vine, is to have recourse to the intercession of Mary, whom we venerated yesterday, May 13, in a particular way, recalling the apparitions of Fatima where, in 1917, she appeared on several occasions to three children, the little shepherds Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia.

The message she entrusted to them, in continuity with that of Lourdes, was an intense call to prayer and conversion, a truly prophetic message, above all if one considers that the 20th century was scourged by unheard-of destructions, caused by wars and totalitarian regimes, as well as extensive persecutions against the Catholic Church.

Moreover, on May 13, 1981, 25 years ago, the servant of God, Pope John Paul II, felt that he was saved miraculously from death by the intervention of a "maternal hand," as he himself said, and the whole of his pontificate was marked by what the Virgin had said at Fatima.

Although there is no lack of anxieties and sufferings, and although there are still reasons for apprehension about the future of humanity, what the "Lady in white" promised the little shepherds is consoling: "At the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph."

With this conviction, we now turn to Mary most holy, thanking her for her constant intercession and asking her to continue to watch over the path of the Church and of humanity, especially families, mothers and children.

[Translation by ZENIT]
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Marriage and Family
11 May 2006

Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered when receiving participants in the congress promoted by the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family.

* * *

Lord Cardinals,
Venerated Brothers in the Episcopate and Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters:

With great joy I meet with you on this 25th anniversary of the foundation of the John Paul II Pontifical Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family, in the Pontifical Lateran University. I greet you all with affection and I offer my heartfelt thanks to Monsignor Livio Melina for the kind words he addressed to me in your name.

The beginnings of your institute are related to a very special event: precisely on May 13, 1981, in St. Peter's Square, my beloved predecessor, John Paul II, suffered the well-known grave attempt on his life during the audience in which he should have announced the creation of your institute. This event is of special importance in the present commemoration, which we celebrate shortly after the anniversary of his death. You wished to highlight it through the appropriate initiative of a congress dedicated to the theme "The Legacy of John Paul II on Marriage and the Family: to Love Human Love."

With reason you feel this legacy in a totally special manner, as you are the recipients and continuators of the vision that was one of the pivots of his mission and reflections: God's plan for marriage and the family. It is a legacy that is not simply an ensemble of doctrines and ideas, but is, above all, a teaching gifted with a luminous unity on the meaning of the human love of life. The presence of numerous families in this audience is a particularly eloquent testimony of how the teaching of this truth is accepted and has borne fruits.

The idea to "teach to love" was already with the young priest Karol Wojtyla and subsequently energized him, as a young bishop, when he faced the difficult moments that followed the publication of the prophetic and always timely encyclical of my predecessor Paul VI, "Humanae Vitae." It was in that circumstance that he understood the need to undertake a systematic study of this topic.

This constituted the substratum of that teaching that he later offered to the whole Church in his "Catechesis on Human Love." He underlined in this way the two fundamental elements that you have tried to reflect on more profoundly in these years and that configure the very novelty of your institute as an academic reality with a specific mission within the Church.

The first element is that marriage and the family are rooted in the innermost core of the truth about man and his destiny. Sacred Scripture reveals that the vocation to love is part of that authentic image of God that the Creator willed to imprint in his creature, calling man to become similar to him precisely in the measure in which man is open to love. The sexual difference entailed in the body of man and woman is not, therefore, a simple biological fact, but bears a much more profound meaning: It expresses that way of love with which man and woman become only one flesh; they can realize an authentic communion of persons open to the transmission of life and cooperate in this way with God in the procreation of new human beings.

A second element characterizes the novelty of John Paul II's teaching on human love: his original way of reading God's plan in the convergence between revelation and human experience. In Christ, in fact, fullness of the revelation of the Father's love, is also manifested the full truth of man's vocation to love, which can only be found fully in the sincere giving of oneself.

In my recent encyclical I wished to underline how, precisely, through love "the Christian image of God and the resulting image of mankind and its destiny" is expressed ("Deus Caritas Est," No. 1). That is, he made use of the way of love to reveal the mystery of his Trinitarian life.

In addition, the profound relationship that exists between the image of God-Love and human love enables us to understand that "monogamous marriage corresponds to the image of the monotheist God. Marriage based on an exclusive and definitive love becomes the icon of the relationship of God with his People and vice versa, God's way of loving becomes the measure of human love" (ibid., No. 11). This indication still remains to a large extent to be explored.

In this way the task is outlined that the Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family has in the whole of its academic structures: to illuminate the truth of life as a way of plenitude for all forms of human existence. The great challenge of the New Evangelization, which John Paul II proposed with so much drive, needs to be supported with a profound authentic reflection on human love, as this love is a privileged way that God has chosen to reveal himself to the world and in this love he calls it to communion in the Trinitarian life.

This approach also enables us to overcome a conception enclosed in merely private love, which is so widespread today. Authentic love is transformed into a light that guides the whole of life toward plenitude, generating a humanized society for man. The communion of life and love, which is marriage, becomes in this way an authentic good for society. To avoid the confusion with other types of unions based on weak love is something especially urgent today. Only the rock of total and irrevocable love between man and woman is capable of being the foundation of a society that becomes a home for all people.

The importance that the work of the institute entails in the mission of the Church explains its own configuration: In fact, John Paul II had approved only one institute with different premises spread over the five continents, with the objective of being able to offer a reflection that shows the wealth of the only truth in the plurality of cultures.

This unity of vision in research and teaching, despite the diversity of places and sensitivities, represents a value that you must guard, developing the riches rooted in every culture. This characteristic of the institute has demonstrated itself to be particularly appropriate for the study of a reality such as marriage and the family. Your work can show how the gift of creation lived in the different cultures has been elevated to grace of redemption by Christ.

To be able to carry out your mission well as faithful heirs of the institute's founder, our beloved John Paul II, I invite you to contemplate Mary Most Holy, as the Mother of Beautiful Love. The redeeming love of the incarnate Word must become for each marriage and each family "fountains of living water in the midst of a thirsting world" ("Deus Caritas Est," No. 42). To all of you, dear professors, students of yesterday and today, to all the staff, as well as the families of your Institute, I express my best wishes, accompanied by a special blessing.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [translation by ZENIT]


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On Vocations
7 May 2006

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Dear Brothers and Sisters:

On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, in which the World Day of Prayer for Vocations is observed, I have had the joy of ordaining in St. Peter's Basilica 15 new priests of the Diocese of Rome.

Together with them, I think of all those that, in all parts of the world receive priestly ordination at the same time. In thanking the Lord for the gift of these new priests at the service of the Church, we put them in Mary's hands, while invoking her intercession so that the number will grow of those who accept Christ's invitation to follow him on the path of the priesthood and consecrated life.

This year, the theme of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations is "Vocation in the Mystery of the Church." In the message I have addressed to the entire ecclesial community for this occasion, I recalled the experience of Jesus' first disciples that, after meeting him on the lake and in the villages of Galilee, were captivated by his attractiveness and love.

The Christian vocation always implies renewing this personal friendship with Jesus Christ, which gives meaning to one's life and makes it available for the Kingdom of God.

The Church lives from this friendship, nourished by the word and the sacraments, holy realities entrusted in a particular way to the ministry of bishops, priests and deacons, consecrated by the sacrament of holy orders. For this reason, as I underlined in the same message, the mission of the priest is irreplaceable and, although in some regions there is a lack of clergy, there is no doubt that God continues to call adolescents, youths and adults to leave all to dedicate themselves to the preaching of the Gospel and the pastoral ministry.

Another special way of following is the vocation to the consecrated life, which is expressed in a poor, chaste and obedient life, totally dedicated to God, in contemplation and prayer, placed at the service of brothers, especially the little ones and the poor.

However, let us not forget that Christian marriage is a vocation to holiness in the full sense of the word, and that the example of holy parents is the first favorable condition for the flowering of priestly and religious vocations.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us invoke the intercession of Mary, mother of the Church, for the priests, and men and women religious; let us pray, moreover, so that the seeds of the vocation that God sows in the hearts of the faithful will mature and bear fruits of holiness in the Church and the world.
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Benedict XVI's Address to Papal Foundation (Excerpts)
5 May 2006

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. . . Our Easter faith gives us hope that the risen Lord will truly transform the world. In his resurrection we recognize the fulfilment of God's promise to the exiled people of Israel: "I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel" (Ezekiel 37:12). Truly, the risen Christ gives renewed hope and strength to many in our world today who suffer injustice or deprivation and who long to be able to live with the freedom and dignity of the children of God.

Christ promised to send the Holy Spirit to enkindle the hearts of believers, moving them to love their brothers and sisters as Christ loved them, and to witness through their charitable activity to the Father's love for all humanity (cf. "Deus Caritas Est," 19).

The fruit of that gift of the Spirit can be clearly seen in the assistance that the Papal Foundation gives in Christ's name to developing countries, in the form of aid projects, grants and scholarships. I am most grateful for your support and for the help you give me in carrying out my mission to care for Christ's flock in every corner of the world.

I assure you that your love of the Church and your dedication to the practice of Christian charity is deeply appreciated. As we prepare to celebrate the great outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, I encourage you to continue in your generous commitment, so that the flame of divine love may continue burning brightly in the hearts of believers everywhere. Commending you to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of the Church, I cordially impart my apostolic blessing.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]
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Mary, a Woman Who Loves
1 May 2006

Here is a Vatican translation of the address Benedict XVI gave during his May 1 visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love, on the outskirts of Rome. The Pope gave it at the conclusion of the recitation of the rosary.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It is a comfort to be with you today to recite the holy rosary at this Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love, where the faithful express the devout affection for the Virgin Mary that is rooted in the soul and history of the Roman people.

Special joy springs from the thought of thus renewing the experience of my beloved predecessor John Paul II, who, on the first day of the month of May in 1979, exactly 27 years ago, made his first visit to this shrine as Pontiff.

I greet with affection the rector, Monsignor Pasquale Silla, and thank him for his cordial address. With him, I greet the other priests, Oblate Sons of Our Lady of Divine Love, and the sisters, Daughters of Our Lady of Divine Love, who are joyfully and generously devoted to serving in the shrine and the whole range of its different good works. I greet the vicar, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, and the auxiliary bishop of the Southern Sector of Rome, Bishop Paolo Schiavon, and all of you, dear brothers and sisters, who are here in large numbers.

We have recited the holy rosary going through the five joyful mysteries, which portray to the eyes of the heart the beginnings of our salvation, from Jesus' conception in the Virgin Mary's womb, brought about by the Holy Spirit, until he was found in the temple of Jerusalem when he was 12 years old, listening to the teachers and asking them questions.

We have repeated and made our own the Angel's words: "Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" and also the words with which St. Elizabeth welcomed the Virgin who went with haste to help and serve her: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"

We have contemplated the docile faith of Mary, who trusted in God without reserve and put herself entirely in his hands. Like the shepherds, we too have felt close to the Child Jesus lying in the manger and recognized and adored him as the eternal Son of God who, through love, became our brother, hence, our one Savior.

We too entered the temple with Mary and Joseph, to offer the Child to God and to carry out the rite of purification: And here, together with salvation, we felt ourselves anticipating, in the words of the elderly Simeon, the contradictory sign of the cross, and of the sword that beneath the cross of the Son was to pierce the Mother's soul, thereby making her not only the Mother of God but also Mother of us all.

Dear brothers and sisters, in this shrine we venerate Mary Most Holy with the title "Our Lady of Divine Love."

Thus, full light is shed on the bond that united Mary with the Holy Spirit from the very beginning of her existence when, as she was being conceived, the Spirit, the eternal Love of the Father and of the Son, made their dwelling within her and preserved her from any shadow of sin; then again, when the same Spirit brought the Son of God into being in her womb; and yet again when, with the grace of the Spirit, Mary's own words were fulfilled through the whole span of her life: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord"; and lastly, when, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary was taken up physically to be beside the Son in the glory of God the Father.

"Mary," I wrote in the encyclical "Deus Caritas Est," "is a woman who loves.... As a believer who in faith thinks with God's thoughts and wills with God's will, she cannot fail to be a woman who loves" (No. 41). Yes, dear brothers and sisters, Mary is the fruit and sign of the love God has for us, of his tenderness and mercy. Therefore, together with our brothers in the faith of all times and all places, we turn to her in our needs and hopes, in the joyful and sorrowful events of life. My thoughts go at this moment, with deep sympathy, to the family in the Island of Ischia, hit by yesterday's disaster.

In the month of May an increasing number of people come here as pilgrims from the parishes of Rome and also from many other districts, to pray and to enjoy the beauty and restful tranquility of these places. From here, from this Shrine of Divine Love, we therefore expect powerful help and spiritual support for the Diocese of Rome, for myself, its Bishop, and for the other bishops my collaborators, for the priests, for families, for vocations, for the poor, the suffering and the sick, for the children and for the elderly, for the entire beloved Italian nation.

We are expecting in particular the inner energy to fulfill the vow made by the Roman people on June 4, 1944, when they solemnly asked Our Lady of Divine Love that this city be preserved from the horrors of war, and they were heard: the vow and the promise, that is, to correct and improve one's own moral conduct to bring it more into line with that of the Lord Jesus.

Today too, there is a need to convert to God, to God who is Love, so that the world may be freed from war and terrorism. We are unfortunately reminded of this by the victims, such as the servicemen who fell last Thursday in Nasiriyah in Iraq, whom we entrust to the motherly intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace.

Dear brothers and sisters, from this Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love, I therefore renew the invitation I expressed in the encyclical "Deus Caritas Est": "To practice love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world" (No. 39). Amen!

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]

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The Resurrection and Mary, Mother and Teacher
30 April 2006

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 30, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of Benedict XVI's address today before praying the midday Regina Caeli with tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square.

* * *

During Eastertide, the liturgy offers us numerous incentives to strengthen our faith in the risen Christ. On this Third Sunday of Easter, for example, St. Luke recounts that the two disciples of Emmaus, after having recognized "the breaking of the bread," left full of joy for Jerusalem to inform the others what had happened to them. And, in fact, while they were speaking, the Lord himself appeared showing his hands and feet with the signs of the passion.

In face of the apostles' incredulous surprise, Jesus asked that he be given baked fish and he ate it before them (cf. Luke 24:35-43). In this and other accounts there is a constant invitation to surmount incredulity and to believe in Christ's resurrection, as disciples are called, in fact, to be witnesses of this extraordinary event.

Christ's resurrection is the central event of Christianity, a fundamental truth that must be reaffirmed with vigor at all times, as to deny it in different ways, as has been attempted and continues to be attempted, or to transform it into a merely spiritual event is to make our faith vain. "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:14).

In the days that followed the Lord's resurrection, the apostles remained gathered together, comforted by the presence of Mary and, after the Ascension, persevered with her in prayer, awaiting Pentecost. The Virgin was for them mother and teacher, a role she continues to carry out for Christians of all times. Every year, during Eastertide, we live this experience more intensely and, perhaps, precisely for this reason, popular tradition has consecrated the month of May, which normally falls between Easter and Pentecost, to Mary.

Therefore, the month that begins tomorrow helps us to rediscover the maternal role that she carries out in our lives so that we may always be docile disciples and courageous witnesses of the risen Lord.

Let us entrust the needs of the Church and of the world to Mary, especially at this moment marked by not a few shadows. Invoking also the intercession of St. Joseph, who we remember particularly tomorrow, thinking of the labor world, we address her with the Regina Caeli prayer, which enables us to relish the comforting joy of the presence of the risen Christ.

[Translation by ZENIT]

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The Proper Attitude toward Children and Youth
28 April 2006

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 28, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is the message Benedict XVI addressed to the participants in the plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, whose president is Mary Ann Glendon.

* * *

To Professor Mary Ann Glendon
President of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences

As the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences meets for its Twelfth Plenary Session, I send cordial greetings to you and all the Members, and I offer prayerful good wishes that the research and discussion which mark this annual meeting will not only contribute to the advancement of knowledge in your respective fields, but will also assist the Church in her mission to bear witness to an authentic humanism, grounded in truth and guided by the light of the Gospel. Your present Session is devoted to a timely theme: "Vanishing Youth? Solidarity with Children and Young People in an Age of Turbulence."

Certain demographic indicators have clearly pointed to the urgent need for critical reflection in this area. While the statistics of population growth are indeed open to varying interpretations, there is general agreement that we are witnessing on a planetary level, and in the developed countries in particular, two significant and interconnected trends: on the one hand, an increase in life expectancy, and, on the other, a decrease in birthrates. As societies are growing older, many nations or groups of nations lack a sufficient number of young people to renew their population.

This situation is the result of multiple and complex causes -- often of an economic, social and cultural character -- which you have proposed to study. But its ultimate roots can be seen as moral and spiritual; they are linked to a disturbing deficit of faith, hope and, indeed, love. To bring children into the world calls for self-centered eros to be fulfilled in a creative agape rooted in generosity and marked by trust and hope in the future. By its nature, love looks to the eternal (cf. "Deus Caritas Est," No. 6). Perhaps the lack of such creative and forward-looking love is the reason why many couples today choose not to marry, why so many marriages fail, and why birthrates have significantly diminished.

It is children and young people who are often the first to experience the consequences of this eclipse of love and hope. Often, instead of feeling loved and cherished, they appear to be merely tolerated. In "an age of turbulence" they frequently lack adequate moral guidance from the adult world, to the serious detriment of their intellectual and spiritual development. Many children now grow up in a society which is forgetful of God and of the innate dignity of the human person made in God's image. In a world shaped by the accelerating processes of globalization, they are often exposed solely to materialistic visions of the universe, of life and human fulfillment.

Yet children and young people are by nature receptive, generous, idealistic and open to transcendence. They need above all else to be exposed to love and to develop in a healthy human ecology, where they can come to realize that they have not been cast into the world by chance, but through a gift that is part of God's loving plan. Parents, educators and community leaders, if they are to be faithful to their own calling, can never renounce their duty to set before children and young people the task of choosing a life project directed towards authentic happiness, one capable of distinguishing between truth and falsehood, good and evil, justice and injustice, the real world and the world of "virtual reality."

In your own scientific approach to the various issues treated in the present Session, I would encourage you to give due consideration to these overarching issues and, in particular, the question of human freedom, with its vast implications for a sound vision of the person and the achievement of affective maturity within the broader community. Inner freedom is in fact the condition for authentic human growth. Where such freedom is lacking or endangered, young people experience frustration and become incapable of striving generously for the ideals which can give shape to their lives as individuals and as members of society. As a result, they can become disheartened or rebellious, and their immense human potential diverted from meeting the exciting challenges of life.

Christians, who believe that the Gospel sheds light on every aspect of individual and social life, will not fail to see the philosophical and theological dimensions of these issues, and the need to consider that fundamental opposition between sin and grace which embraces all the other conflicts which trouble the human heart: the conflict between error and truth, vice and virtue, rebellion and cooperation, war and peace. Nor can they help but be convinced that faith, lived out in the fullness of charity and communicated to new generations, is an essential element in the building of a better future and safeguarding intergenerational solidarity, inasmuch as it anchors every human effort to build a civilization of love in the revelation of God the Creator, the creation of men and women in his image, and the victory of Christ over evil and death.

Dear friends, as I express my gratitude and support for your important research, pursued in accordance with the methods proper to your respective sciences, I encourage you never to lose sight of the inspiration and help which your studies can give to the young men and women of our time in their efforts to live productive and fulfilling lives. Upon you and your families, and upon all associated with the work of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences I cordially invoke God's blessings of wisdom, strength and peace.

From the Vatican, 27 April 2006

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

[Original text: English]

(c) Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]
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Papal Address to Bishops of Ghana
24 April 2006

Here is the address Benedict XVI delivered to the bishops of Ghana, on receiving them in audience at the conclusion of their five-yearly visit to Rome.

* * *

Dear Brother Bishops,

In these days of joyful celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, I welcome you, the bishops of Ghana, on the occasion of your pilgrimage to Rome for your visit "ad limina apostolorum." Through you I offer my warm affection to the priests, religious and lay faithful of your dioceses. In a special way, I thank Bishop Lucas Abadamloora for the kind words of greeting he offered me on your behalf. I wish to recognize in particular Ghana's native son, Cardinal Peter Poreku Dery, who recently joined the ranks of the College of Cardinals, and I also take this opportunity to greet Cardinal Peter Turkson, archbishop of Cape Coast.

You have all come to Rome, this city where the Apostles Peter and Paul gave of themselves completely in imitation of Christ: Peter just a short distance from where we are today and Paul along the Ostian way. As good and faithful servants of the Gospel, it is my constant prayer that, like the Princes of the Apostles, "God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfill every good resolve and work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him" (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).

Your country has made great strides in recent years to deal with the scourge of poverty and to strengthen the economy. Notwithstanding this laudable progress, much still remains to be done to overcome this condition which impedes a large portion of the population. Extreme and widespread poverty often results in a general moral decline leading to crime, corruption, attacks on the sanctity of human life or even a return to the superstitious practices of the past. In this situation, people can easily lose trust in the future.

The Church, however, shines forth as a beacon of hope in the life of the Christian. One of the most effective ways in which she does this is by helping the faithful gain a better understanding of the promises of Jesus Christ. Accordingly, there is a particular and pressing need for the Church, as a beacon of hope, to intensify her efforts to provide Catholics with comprehensive programs of formation which will help them to deepen their Christian faith and thus enable them to take their rightful place both in the Church of Christ and in society.

An essential part of any adequate formation process is the role of the lay catechist. It is appropriate, therefore, that I offer a word of gratitude to the many committed men and women who selflessly serve your local Church in this way. As Pope John Paul II noted in his postsynodal apostolic exhortation "Ecclesia in Africa": "in the midst of the Christian community the catechists' responsibility is to be acknowledged and held in respect" (cf. No. 91).

I know that these faithful men and women are often impeded in their task by a lack of resources or hostile environments, and yet they remain undaunted messengers of Christ's joy. Mindful of how grateful local Churches are for the assistance offered by catechists, I encourage you and your priests to continue to do all you can to ensure that these evangelists receive the spiritual, doctrinal, moral and material support they require to carry out their mission properly.

In many countries, including your own, young people constitute almost half of the population. The Church in Ghana is young. In order to reach out to today's youth it is necessary that the Church address their problems in a frank and loving way. A solid catechetical foundation will strengthen them in their Catholic identity and give them the necessary tools to confront the challenges of changing economic realities, globalization and disease. It will also assist them in responding to the arguments often put forward by religious sects. Consequently, it is important that future pastoral planning at both national and local levels carefully takes into account the needs of the young and tailors youth programs to address these needs appropriately (cf. "Christifideles Laici," No. 46).

It is also the Church's task to assist Christian families to live faithfully and generously as true "domestic churches" (cf. "Lumen Gentium," No. 11). In fact, sound catechesis relies on the support of strong Christian families which are never selfish in character, constantly directed toward the other and founded upon the sacrament of matrimony. In reviewing your quinquennial reports, I noted that many of you are concerned about the proper celebration of Christian marriage in Ghana. I share your concern and therefore invite the faithful to place the sacrament of matrimony at the center of their family life.

While Christianity always seeks to respect the venerable traditions of cultures and peoples, it also seeks to purify those practices which are contrary to the Gospel. For this reason it is essential that the entire Catholic community continue to stress the importance of the monogamous and indissoluble union of man and woman, consecrated in holy matrimony. For the Christian, traditional forms of marriage can never be a substitute for sacramental marriage.

The gift of self to the other is also at the heart of the sacrament of holy orders. Those who receive this sacrament are configured in a particular way to Christ the Head of the Church. They are therefore called to give of themselves completely for the sake of their brothers and sisters. This can only happen when God's will is no longer seen as something imposed from without, but becomes "my own will based on the realization that God is in fact more deeply present to me than I am to myself" (cf. "Deus Caritas Est," No. 17).

The priesthood must never be seen as a way of improving one's social standing or standard of living. If it is, then priestly gift of self and docility to God's designs will give way to personal desires, rendering the priest ineffective and unfulfilled. I therefore encourage you in your continuous endeavors to ensure the suitability of candidates for the priesthood and to guarantee proper priestly formation for those who are studying for the sacred ministry. We must strive to help them discern Christ's will and nurture this gift so that they may become effective and fulfilled ministers of his joy.

My dear brothers, I am aware that this year is a special Jubilee for the Church in Ghana. In fact, just yesterday, April 23, was the 100th anniversary of the arrival of missionaries in the northern part of your country. It is my special prayer that missionary zeal will continue to fill you and your beloved people, strengthening you in your efforts to spread the Gospel. As you return to your homes, I ask that you take consolation from the words the Apostle Peter offered to the early Christians: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). Commending your ministry to Mary, Queen of the Apostles, I cordially impart my apostolic blessing to you and to all those entrusted to your pastoral care.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [original text in English; adapted]

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On Divine Mercy
23 April 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

This Sunday the Gospel of John recounts that the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples, gathered in the cenacle, on the evening of the "first day of the week" (John 20:19), and that he showed himself to them again in the same place "eight days later" (John 20:26).

From the beginning, therefore, the Christian community began to live a weekly rhythm, highlighted by the encounter with the risen Lord.

It is what is also emphasized by the Second Vatican Council's constitution on the sacred liturgy, which affirms: "The Church, by an apostolic tradition, which has its origin in the same day of the resurrection of Christ, celebrates the paschal mystery every eight days, on the day that is called with reason 'day of the Lord' or Sunday" ("Sacrosanctum Concilium," No. 106).

The evangelist also recalls that in both apparitions the Lord Jesus showed the disciples the signs of the crucifixion, very visible and tangible also in his glorious body (cf. John 20:20,27). Those sacred wounds, in the hands, the feet and the side, are an inexhaustible source of faith, hope and love in which each one can drink, especially souls most thirsty of Divine Mercy.

In consideration of this, the Servant of God John Paul II, valuing the spiritual experience of a humble religious, St. Faustina Kowalska, wanted the Sunday after Easter to be dedicated in a special way to divine mercy, and providence disposed that he should die precisely on the vigil of that day (in the hands of Divine Mercy).

The mystery of the merciful love of God was at the center of the pontificate of my venerated predecessor. Let us recall, in particular, the encyclical "Dives in Misericordia" of 1980, and the dedication of the new shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow, in 2002.

The words he pronounced on that last occasion were as a synthesis of his magisterium, evidencing that devotion to Divine Mercy is not a secondary, but an integral dimension of a Christian's faith and prayer.

May Mary most holy, mother of the Church, whom we now address with the Regina Caeli, obtain for all Christians to live in fullness Sunday as the "week's Easter," relishing the beauty of the encounter with the risen Lord and drinking from the source of his merciful love, to be apostles of his peace.

[Translation by ZENIT]

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Pontiff's Address to Jesuits (Excerpts)
22 April 2006


. . . Your visit today gives me the opportunity to thank the Lord with you for having granted your Society the gift of men of extraordinary holiness and exceptional apostolic zeal, such as St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis Xavier and Blessed Peter Faber. For you they are the fathers and founders: It is therefore appropriate that in this centenary year you commemorate them with gratitude and look to them as enlightened and reliable guides on your spiritual journey and in your apostolic activities.

St. Ignatius of Loyola was first and foremost a man of God who in his life put God, his greatest glory and his greatest service, first. He was a profoundly prayerful man for whom the daily celebration of the Eucharist was the heart and crowning point of his day.

Thus, he left his followers a precious spiritual legacy that must not be lost or forgotten. Precisely because he was a man of God, St. Ignatius was a faithful servant of the Church, in which he saw and venerated the Bride of the Lord and the Mother of Christians. And the special vow of obedience to the Pope, which he himself describes as "our first and principal foundation" (MI, Series III, I., p. 162), was born from his desire to serve the Church in the most beneficial way possible.

This ecclesial characteristic, so specific to the Society of Jesus, lives on in you and in your apostolic activities, dear Jesuits, so that you may faithfully meet the urgent needs of the Church today.

Among these, it is important in my opinion to point out your cultural commitment in the areas of theology and philosophy in which the Society of Jesus has traditionally been present, as well as the dialogue with modern culture, which, if it boasts on the one hand of the marvelous progress in the scientific field, remains heavily marked by positivist and materialist scientism.

Naturally, the effort to promote a culture inspired by Gospel values in cordial collaboration with the other ecclesial realities demands an intense spiritual and cultural training. For this very reason, St. Ignatius wanted young Jesuits to be formed for many years in spiritual life and in study. It is good that this tradition be maintained and reinforced, also given the growing complexity and vastness of modern culture.

Another of his great concerns was the Christian education and cultural formation of young people: hence, the impetus he gave to the foundation of "colleges," which after his death spread in Europe and throughout the world. Continue, dear Jesuits, this important apostolate, keeping the spirit of your founder unchanged.

In speaking of St. Ignatius, I cannot overlook the fact that the fifth centenary of St. Francis Xavier's birth was celebrated last April 7. Not only is their history interwoven through long years in Paris and Rome, but a single aspiration -- one might say, a single passion -- stirred and sustained them, even in their different human situations: the passion for working for the ever greater glory of God-the-Trinity and for the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ to the peoples who did not know him.

St. Francis Xavier, whom my Predecessor Pius XI, of venerable memory, proclaimed the "Patron of Catholic Missions," saw as his own mission "opening new ways of access" to the Gospel "in the immense continent of Asia." His apostolate in the Orient lasted barely 10 years, but in the four and half centuries that the Society of Jesus has existed it has proven wonderfully fruitful, for his example inspired a multitude of missionary vocations among young Jesuits and he remains a reference point for the continuation of missionary activity in the great countries of the Asian continent.

If St. Francis Xavier worked in the countries of the Orient, his confrere and friend since the years in Paris, Blessed Peter Faber, a Savoiard who was born on April 13, 1506, worked in the European countries where the Christian faithful aspired to a true reform of the Church.

He was a modest, sensitive man with a profound inner life. He was endowed with the gift of making friends with people from every walk of life and consequently attracted many young men to the Society.

Blessed Faber spent his short life in various European countries, especially Germany, where, at the order of Paul III, he took part in the Diets of Worms, Ratisbon and Speyer and in conversations with the leaders of the Reformation. He consequently had an exceptional opportunity to practice the special vow of obedience to the Pope "regarding the missions" and became a model to follow for all future Jesuits.

Dear Fathers and Brothers of the Society, today you look with special devotion at the Blessed Virgin Mary, remembering that on April 22, 1541, St. Ignatius and his first companions made their solemn vows before the image of Mary in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

May Mary continue to watch over the Society of Jesus so that every member may carry in his person the "image" of the crucified Christ, in order to share in his resurrection. I assure you of my remembrance in prayer for this, as I willingly impart my blessing to each of you present here and to your entire spiritual family, which I also extend to all the other religious and consecrated persons who are present at this audience.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]
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Pope's Address on Rome's 2,759th Anniversary (Excerpts)
21 April 2006

* * *
. . . On this very day the birth of Rome is celebrated in memory of the traditional anniversary of the city's foundation, a historical event which, thinking back to the origins of the city, becomes a favorable opportunity for a better understanding of Rome's vocation to be the beacon of civilization and spirituality for the entire world.

Thanks to the convergence of its traditions with Christianity, Rome has fulfilled a special mission down the centuries and still today continues to be an important reference point for the many visitors who are attracted by its rich artistic heritage, closely associated with the city's Christian history.

The concert this evening is also intended to commemorate the first anniversary of my Pontificate. One year ago, after the death of the beloved and unforgettable Pope John Paul II, the Catholic community of Rome was entrusted by divine providence, surprisingly I must say, to my pastoral care.

At my first meeting with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square on the evening of April 19 last year, I personally experienced how generous, open and welcoming the Roman people are. Other occasions have subsequently brought me further encounters with this special human and spiritual warmth.

How can I fail to recall, for example, the embrace with so many people that is renewed every Sunday at the traditional midday meeting for prayer? I also take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the warmth by which I am surrounded and which I gladly reciprocate.

This evening I want to address a heartfelt "thank you" to the community of the city which has desired to combine the commemoration of Rome's birthday with the anniversary of my election as Bishop of Rome. Thank you for this gesture, which I deeply appreciate.

Thank you too for selecting a musical program taken from the works of Mozart, a great composer who left an indelible mark on history. This year is the 250th anniversary of his birth, and various initiatives have accordingly been planned throughout 2006, which has also rightly been named the "Mozartian Year."

The compositions performed by the orchestra and choir of the National Academy of St. Cecilia are marvelous passages by Mozart which are very famous, including some of remarkable religious inspiration. The Ave Verum, for example, which is often sung at liturgical celebrations, is a motet with deeply theological words and a musical accompaniment that moves the heart and invites us to prayer.

Thus, by raising the soul to contemplation, music also helps us grasp the most intimate nuances of human genius, in which is reflected something of the incomparable beauty of the creator of the universe.

I once again thank those who in various capacities have made possible today's event of high artistic value, in particular the performers and musicians and those who work in this auditorium. I assure each one of my remembrance in prayer, strengthened by a special blessing which I now gladly impart to you all, extending it to the whole of the beloved city of Rome.

[Translation issued by the Holy]

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]
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Address on 1st Anniversary of Pontificate and Thoughts on Easter
19 April 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

At the beginning of today's general audience which is taking place in the joyful atmosphere of Easter, I would like to thank the Lord together with you. After calling me, exactly a year ago, to serve the Church as the Successor of the Apostle Peter -- thank you for your joy, thank you for your applause -- he never fails to assist me with his indispensable help.

How quickly time passes! A year has already elapsed since the cardinals gathered in conclave and, in a way I found absolutely unexpected and surprising, desired to choose my poor self to succeed the late and beloved Servant of God, the great Pope John Paul II. I remember with emotion my first impact with the faithful gathered in this same square, from the central loggia of the basilica, immediately after my election.

That meeting is still impressed upon my mind and heart. It was followed by many others that have given me an opportunity to experience the deep truth of my words at the solemn concelebration with which I formally began to exercise my Petrine ministry: "I too can say with renewed conviction: I am not alone. I do not have to carry alone what in truth I could never carry alone" (L'Osservatore Romano, English edition, April 27, 2005, p. 2).

And I feel more and more that alone I could not carry out this task, this mission. But I also feel that you are carrying it with me: Thus, I am in a great communion and together we can go ahead with the Lord's mission. The heavenly protection of God and of the saints is an irreplaceable support to me and I am comforted by your closeness, dear friends, who do not let me do without the gift of your indulgence and your love. I offer very warm thanks to all those who in various ways support me from close at hand or follow me from afar in spirit with their affection and their prayers. I ask each one to continue to support me, praying to God to grant that I may be a gentle and firm Pastor of his Church.

The Evangelist John says that precisely after his Resurrection Jesus called Peter to tend his flock (cf. John 21:15,23). Who could have humanly imagined then the development which was to mark that small group of the Lord's disciples down the centuries?

Peter, together with the apostles and then their successors, first in Jerusalem and later to the very ends of the earth, courageously spread the Gospel message, whose fundamental and indispensable core consists in the paschal mystery: the passion, the death and the resurrection of Christ.

The Church celebrates this mystery at Easter, extending its joyous resonance in the days that follow; she sings the alleluia for Christ's triumph over evil and death.

The celebration of Easter in accordance with a date on the calendar, Pope St. Leo the Great remarked, reminds us of the eternal feast that surpasses all human time. Today's Easter, he noted further, is the shadow of the future Easter. For this reason we celebrate it, to move on from an annual celebration to a celebration that will last forever.

The joy of these days extends throughout the liturgical year and is renewed especially on Sunday, the day dedicated to the memory of the Lord's resurrection. On Sunday, as it were, the "little Easter" of every week, the liturgical assembly gathered for holy Mass proclaims in the Creed that Jesus rose on the third day, adding that we wait for "the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come."

This shows that the event of Jesus' death and resurrection constitutes the center of our faith and that it is on this proclamation that the Church is founded and develops.

St. Augustine recalled incisively: "Let us consider, dear friends, the Resurrection of Christ: indeed, just as his Passion stood for our old life, his Resurrection is a sacrament of new life. ... You have believed, you have been baptized; the old life is dead, killed on the Cross, buried in Baptism. The old life in which you lived is buried: The new life emerges. Live well: Live life in such a way that when death comes you will not die (Sermo Guelferb. 9, 3).

The Gospel accounts that mention the appearances of the Risen One usually end with the invitation to overcome every uncertainty, to confront the event with the Scriptures, to proclaim that Jesus, beyond death, is alive forever, a source of new life for all who believe in him.

This is what happened, for example, in the case of Mary Magdalene (cf. John 20:11-18), who found the tomb open and empty and immediately feared that the body of the Lord had been taken away. The Lord then called her by name and at that point a deep change took place within her: Her distress and bewilderment were transformed into joy and enthusiasm. She promptly went to the apostles and announced to them: "I have seen the Lord" (John 20:18).

Behold: Those who meet the risen Jesus are inwardly transformed; it is impossible "to see" the Risen One without "believing" in him. Let us pray that he will call each one of us by name and thus convert us, opening us to the "vision" of faith.

Faith is born from the personal encounter with the Risen Christ and becomes an impulse of courage and freedom that makes one cry to the world: "Jesus is risen and alive for ever."

This is the mission of the Lord's disciples in every epoch and also in our time: "If, then, you have been raised with Christ," St. Paul exhorts us, "seek the things that are above. ... Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth" (Colossians 3:1-2). This does not mean cutting oneself off from one's daily commitments, neglecting earthly realities; rather, it means reviving every human activity with a supernatural breath, it means making ourselves joyful proclaimers and witnesses of the resurrection of Christ, living for eternity (cf. John 20:25; Luke 24:33-34).

Dear brothers and sisters, in the Pasch of his Only-begotten Son, God fully revealed himself, his victorious power over the forces of death, the power of Trinitarian Love. May the Virgin Mary, who was closely associated with the Passion, death and Resurrection of the Son and at the foot of the cross became the Mother of all believers, help us to understand this mystery of love that changes hearts and makes us experience fully the joy of Easter, so that we in turn may be able to communicate it to the men and women of the third millennium.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]

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Pope's Address on Easter Monday: Living Stones
17 April 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am pleased to be with you again in the light of the paschal mystery, which we celebrate in the liturgy throughout this week, and to renew the most beautiful Christian proclamation: "Christ is risen, alleluia!"

The typical Marian character of our meeting leads us to live the spiritual joy of Easter in communion with Mary Most Holy, thinking of what her joy must have been at Jesus' resurrection.

In the prayer of the Regina Caeli that we recite in place of the Angelus in this Easter season, we address the Virgin, asking her to rejoice because the one whom she bore in her womb is risen: "Quia quem meruisti portare, resurrexit, sicut dixit."

Mary treasured in her heart the "Good News" of the resurrection, the source and secret of the true joy and genuine peace that Christ who died and rose again won for us with his sacrifice on the cross.

Let us ask Mary to continue to guide our steps in this period of spiritual joy, just as she accompanied us during the days of the Passion, so that we may grow more and more in the knowledge and love of the Lord and become witnesses and apostles of his peace.

In the context of Easter, I would also like to share with you today the joy of a very important anniversary: It is 500 years, precisely on April 18, 1506, since Pope Julius II laid the foundation stone of the new St. Peter's Basilica, the powerful harmony of whose structure the whole world admires.

I would like to remember with gratitude the Supreme Pontiffs who desired this extraordinary edifice over the tomb of the Apostle Peter. I recall with admiration the artists who contributed with their genius to building and decorating it, and I am also grateful to the personnel of the office of the Vatican's chief engineer, who see so well to the maintenance and preservation of such a singular masterpiece of art and faith.

May the happy occasion of the 500th anniversary reawaken in all Catholics the desire to be "living stones" (1 Peter 2:5) for the construction of the holy Church, in which the "light of Christ" shines forth (cf. "Lumen Gentium," No. 1) through love that is lived and witnessed to before the world (cf. John 13:34-35).

May the Virgin Mary, whom the litany of Loreto makes us invoke as "Causa nostrae laetitiae" -- Cause of our joy -- obtain for us that we always experience the joy of being part of the spiritual edifice of the Church, a "community of love," born from the heart of Christ.

[Translation issued by the Holy See]


 

Benedict XVI's Easter Message: "Jesus Is Risen, and He Gives Us Peace"
16 April 2006
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 16, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of Benedict XVI's Easter message delivered today at midday before he imparted his blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city of Rome and the world).

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

"Christus resurrexit!" -- Christ is risen!

During last night's great vigil we relived the decisive and ever-present event of the Resurrection, the central mystery of the Christian faith. Innumerable paschal candles were lit in churches, to symbolize the light of Christ which has enlightened and continues to enlighten humanity, conquering the darkness of sin and death for ever.

And today echo powerfully the words which dumbfounded the women on the morning of the first day after the Sabbath, when they came to the tomb where Christ's body, taken down in haste from the cross, had been laid. Sad and disconsolate over the loss of their master, they found the great stone rolled away, and when they entered they saw that his body was no longer there.

As they stood there, uncertain and bewildered, two men in dazzling apparel surprised them, saying: "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, he is risen" (Luke 24:5-6). "Non est hic, sed resurrexit" (Luke 24:6). Ever since that morning, these words have not ceased to resound throughout the universe as a proclamation of joy which spans the centuries unchanged and, at the same time, charged with infinite and ever new resonances.

"He is not here ... he is risen." The heavenly messengers announce first and foremost that Jesus "is not here": The Son of God did not remain in the tomb, because it was not possible for him to be held prisoner by death (cf. Acts 2:24) and the tomb could not hold on to "the living one" (Revelation 1:18) who is the very source of life.

Like Jonah in the belly of the whale, so too Christ crucified was swallowed up into the heart of the earth (cf. Matthew 12:40) for the length of a Sabbath. Truly, "that Sabbath was a high day," as St. John tells us (John 19:31): the highest in history, because it was then that the "Lord of the Sabbath" (Matthew 12:8) brought to fulfillment the work of creation (cf. Genesis 2:1-4a), raising man and the entire cosmos to the glorious liberty of the children of God (cf. Romans 8:21).

When this extraordinary work had been accomplished, the lifeless body was suffused with the living breath of God and, as the walls of the tomb were shattered, he rose in glory. That is why the angels proclaim "he is not here," he can no longer be found in the tomb. He made his pilgrim way on earth among us, he completed his journey in the tomb as all men do, but he conquered death and, in an absolutely new way, by an act of pure love, he opened the earth, threw it open toward heaven.

His resurrection becomes our resurrection, through baptism which "incorporates" us into him. The prophet Ezekiel had foretold this: "Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel" (Ezekial 37:12). These prophetic words take on a singular value on Easter Day, because today the creator's promise is fulfilled; today, even in this modern age marked by anxiety and uncertainty, we relive the event of the Resurrection, which changed the face of our life and changed the history of humanity. From the risen Christ, all those who are still oppressed by chains of suffering and death look for hope, sometimes even without knowing it.

May the Spirit of the risen one, in particular, bring relief and security in Africa to the peoples of Darfur, who are living in a dramatic humanitarian situation that is no longer sustainable; to those of the Great Lakes region, where many wounds have yet to be healed; to the peoples of the Horn of Africa, of Ivory Coast, Uganda, Zimbabwe and other nations which aspire to reconciliation, justice and progress. In Iraq, may peace finally prevail over the tragic violence that continues mercilessly to claim victims.

I also pray sincerely that those caught up in the conflict in the Holy Land may find peace, and I invite all to patient and persevering dialogue, so as to remove both ancient and new obstacles. May the international community, which reaffirms Israel's just right to exist in peace, assist the Palestinian people to overcome the precarious conditions in which they live and to build their future, moving toward the constitution of a state that is truly their own.

May the Spirit of the Risen One enkindle a renewed enthusiastic commitment of the countries of Latin America, so that the living conditions of millions of citizens may be improved, the deplorable scourge of kidnapping may be eradicated and democratic institutions may be consolidated in a spirit of harmony and effective solidarity.

Concerning the international crises linked to nuclear power, may an honorable solution be found for all parties, through serious and honest negotiations, and may the leaders of nations and of international organizations be strengthened in their will to achieve peaceful coexistence among different races, cultures and religions, in order to remove the threat of terrorism.

May the risen Lord grant that the strength of his life, peace and freedom be experienced everywhere. Today the words with which the Angel reassured the frightened hearts of the women on Easter morning are addressed to all: "Do not be afraid! ... He is not here; he is risen" (Matthew 28:5-6). Jesus is risen, and he gives us peace; he himself is peace. For this reason the Church repeats insistently: "Christ is risen -- 'Christós anésti.'"

Let the people of the third millennium not be afraid to open their hearts to him. His Gospel totally quenches the thirst for peace and happiness that is found in every human heart. Christ is now alive and he walks with us. What an immense mystery of love! "Christus resurrexit, quia Deus caritas est!" Alleluia!

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]
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The Way of the Cross: May It Infect Us with Mercy
14 April 2006
(Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave at the end of the Way of the Cross held on Good Friday.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We have accompanied Jesus on the Way of the Cross. We have accompanied him here, on the street of martyrs, in the Colosseum, where many suffered for Christ, gave their life for the Lord, and in this way, the Lord has suffered again in so many people.

Thus we have understood that the Way of the Cross is not something of the past and of a specific point on earth. The Lord's cross embraces the world, his Way of the Cross goes across continents and time. We cannot just be spectators on the Way of the Cross. We are involved and must find our place: Where are we?

On the Way of the Cross, there is no possibility to be neutral. Pilate, the skeptic intellectual, tried to be neutral, to stay outside, but precisely by so doing he took his position against justice for the conformism of his career. We must find our place.

In the mirror of the cross we have seen all the suffering of humanity today. On the cross of Christ we have seen today the suffering of abandoned and abused children, the threats against the family, the division of the world between the arrogance of the rich, who do not see Lazarus at the door, and the poverty of so many who suffer due to hunger and thirst.

But we have also seen stations of consolation. We have seen the Mother, whose goodness remains faithful unto death and after death. We have seen the courageous woman who appeared before the Lord, and who was not afraid to show solidarity for this suffering person. We have seen Simon of Cyrene, an African, who carries the cross with Jesus. And finally we have seen in these stations of consolation that, just as suffering does not end, so consolations do not end either.

We have seen how on the way of the cross, Paul found the zeal of his faith and lit the light of love; we have seen how St. Augustine found his way, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Vincent of Paul, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and so we are also invited to find our place, to find together with these great courageous personages, the way with and for Jesus, the way of goodness, truth, courage and love.

Thus, we have understood that the Way of the Cross is not simply a list of what is dark and sad in the world, or a moralism which in the end is ineffective; it is not a cry of protest which changes nothing.

On the contrary, the Way of the Cross is the way of mercy, mercy that puts a limit to evil, as we learned from Pope John Paul II. It is the way of mercy and so the way of salvation. It invites us to undertake the way of mercy and, with Jesus, to put a limit to evil.

Let us pray to the Lord that he help us to be infected with his mercy. Let us pray to Jesus' holy Mother, the Mother of mercy, so that we too will be able to be men and women of mercy and thus contribute to the salvation of the world, to the salvation of the creature-man of God. Amen.

[Translation by ZENIT]
ZE06041501

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Papal Homily at Mass of the Lord's Supper: God Purifies Us
13 April 2006
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 15, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the homily Benedict XVI gave during the Mass of the Lord's Supper, on Holy Thursday, which he celebrated in the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

* * *

"Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end" (John 13:1). God loves his creature, man. He also loves him in his fall and does not abandon him to his fate. He loves to the end. With his love he goes to the end, to the extreme: He descends from his divine glory. He strips himself of his divine glory and takes the clothing of a slave. He descends to the lowest of our fall. He kneels before us and offers us the service of a slave. He washes our dirty feet so that we can be presentable at God's table, so that we will be worthy to sit at his table, something that on our own we could never and would never do.

God is not a remote God, too remote and great to be concerned with our trifles. Given that he is great, he can be interested in our trifles. Given that he is great, the soul of man, the same man created by eternal love, is not something small, but great and worthy of his love. God's holiness is not only an incandescent power, before which we must be terrified. He is the power of love and, for this reason; he is a purifying and regenerating power.

God comes down and makes himself a slave, washes our feet so that we may sit at his table. In this is expressed the whole mystery of Christ. In this the meaning of redemption is made visible. The bath in which he cleanses us is his love ready to face death. Only love has that purifying force that removes our filth and raises us to the heights of God. He himself is the bath that purifies us, who gives himself totally to us to the point of touching the depth of his suffering and death. And he is constantly that love that cleanses us in the sacraments of purification -- baptism and penance -- he kneels continually at our feet and offers us the service of a slave, the service of purification; he makes us capable of God. His love is inexhaustible; he really goes to the end.

"You are clean, but not all of you," says the Lord (John 13:10). In this phrase the great gift of purification is revealed that he offers us, as he wants to sit at table together with us, to become our food. "But not all"; there is the dark mystery of rejection, which with what happened to Judas is made present and must make us reflect in fact on this Holy Thursday, the day in which Jesus gives himself to us. The Lord's love knows no limits, but man can put a limit to it.

"You are clean, but not all of you." What makes man filthy? The rejection of love, not wanting to be loved, not loving. Arrogance, which believes it has no need of purification, which closes itself to God's saving goodness.

Arrogance does not want to confess and recognize that we are in need of purification. In Judas, we see the nature of this rejection in an even clearer way. He judges Jesus according to the categories of power and success. For him, only the reality of power and success exist, love does not count at all. And he is avid: Money is more import than communion with Jesus, more important than God and his love. In this way, he becomes also a liar, he plays the game of double jeopardy with truth; he lives in lies and loses the sense of the supreme truth, God. Thus he is hardened, makes himself incapable of conversion, of beginning the confident return of the prodigal son, and throws a destroyed life away.

"You are clean, but not all of you." The Lord warns us today in the face of that self-sufficiency that puts a limit to his unlimited love. He invites us to imitate his humility, to trust in it, to let ourselves be "infected" by it. He invites us to return home no matter how lost we feel and to let his purifying goodness raise us and makes us enter the communion of the table with him, with God himself.

Let us reflect with one more phrase from this inexhaustible Gospel passage: "I have given you an example" (John 13:15), that "you also ought to wash one another's feet" (John 13:14). In what does washing "one another's feet" consist? What does it mean, specifically? Every good work for the other -- especially for one who suffers and one who is little appreciated -- is a service of washing of the feet. The Lord calls us to this: to come down, to learn humility and the courage of goodness, as well as the willingness to accept rejection, trusting however in goodness and persevering in it.

But there is still a more profound dimension. The Lord removes our filth with the purifying force of his goodness. To wash one another's feet means, above all, to forgive one another tirelessly, to always begin again, though it might seem useless. It means to purify one another by enduring each other mutually and accepting that others endure us; to purify one another, giving one another mutually the sanctifying force of the Word of God and introducing ourselves in the sacrament of divine love.

The Lord purifies us and for this reason we dare to sit at his table. Let us pray that he give all of us the grace to be able to be guests one day and forever at the everlasting nuptial banquet. Amen!

[Translation by ZENIT]
ZE06041503

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On the World Youth Day Cross
9 April 2006

The Pope gave his address after celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square. Also observed on this day was the diocesan-level World Youth Day.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

In a few moments a delegation of German youth will hand over the World Youth Day Cross to their Australian contemporaries. It is the cross that our beloved John Paul II entrusted to young people in 1984, so that they would take it to the world as a sign of Christ's love of humanity. . . . The handover of the cross, after each of the world meetings, has become a "tradition," in the proper sense of a "traditio": a highly symbolic handover, which must be lived with great faith, committing oneself to a journey of conversion in Jesus' steps.

We are taught this faith by Mary Most Holy, who was the first to believe and to bear her own cross together with the Son, experiencing with him afterwards the joy of the resurrection. This is why the WYD Cross is accompanied by the icon of the Virgin, which reproduces that of Mary "Salvation of the Roman People" ["Salus Populi Romani"], venerated in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the oldest basilica in the West dedicated to the Virgin.

After visiting several countries in Africa, to manifest the closeness of Christ and of his Mother to the peoples of that continent affected by so many sufferings, the cross and the Marian icon will be received next February in different regions of Oceania, and eventually travel to dioceses of Australia, until it reaches Sydney in July 2008. It is a spiritual pilgrimage that involves the whole Christian community, particularly young people. . . .

[After the handover of the cross and icon, the Pope added:]

Brothers and Sisters:

In this setting of olives, offered by the region of Puglia, we pray to the Lord with faith that this cross and icon be instruments of peace and reconciliation between people and nations, and invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary on the new pilgrimage, which begins today, so that it will be fruitful.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana


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The Church as a Communion of Believers
5 April 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

In the new series of catecheses, which we began a few weeks ago, we wish to consider the origins of the Church to understand Jesus' original plan and in this way understand what is essential in the Church, which endures with the passing of time. We also want to understand the reason for our being in the Church and how we must commit ourselves to live it at the beginning of a new Christian millennium.

Reflecting on the early Church, we can discover two aspects: The first aspect is forcefully underlined by St, Irenaeus of Lyon, martyr and great theologian of the end of the second century, the first to leave us, in a certain sense, a systematic theology.

St. Irenaeus writes: "Where the Church is, there also is the Spirit of God; and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church and all grace, as the Spirit is truth" ("Adversus Haereses," III, 24, 1: PG 7, 966). Therefore, there is a profound relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Church. The Holy Spirit edifies the Church and gives it truth and, as St. Paul says, infuses love in the hearts of believers (cf. Romans 5:5).

But, in addition, there is a second aspect. This profound relationship with the Spirit does not eliminate our humanity, with all its weakness and, in this way, the community of disciples experienced from the beginning not only the joy of the Holy Spirit, the grace of truth and love, but also trial, made up above all by the contrast between the truths of faith and the resulting lacerations of communion.

Just as a communion of love has existed from the beginning and will exist until the end (cf. 1 John 1:1ff), so, sadly, from the beginning division has also erupted. We must not be surprised by the fact that it exists also today: "They went out from us," says the First Letter of John, "but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us" (2:19).

Therefore, the danger always exists, in the vicissitudes of the world and also in the weaknesses of the Church, of losing the faith and thus, of also losing love and fraternity. Therefore, it is a specific duty of those who believe in the Church of love and want to live in her, to recognize this danger also and to accept that communion is not possible with those who do not abide in the doctrine of salvation (cf. 2 John 9-11).

That the early Church was clearly aware of these possible tensions in the living of communion is shown very well in the First Letter of John. There is no other voice in the New Testament that is raised so forcefully to underline the reality of the duty of fraternal love among Christians, but that same voice addresses with drastic severity adversaries, who have been members of the community but no longer are.

The Church of love is also the Church of truth, understood above all as fidelity to the Gospel entrusted by the Lord Jesus to his own. Christian fraternity is born from the fact of being children of the same Father by the Spirit of truth: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans 8:14). But, to live in unity and peace, the family of the children of God needs someone who will keep them in the truth and guide them with wise and authoritative discernment: This is what the ministry of the apostles is called to do.

And here we come to an important point. The Church is totally of the Spirit, but it has a structure, the apostolic succession, which has the responsibility to guarantee the Church's permanence in the truth given by Christ, from which the capacity to love also proceeds. The first summary of the Acts of the Apostles expresses with great effectiveness the convergence of these values in the life of the early Church: "They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and fellowship ('koinonia'), to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42).

Communion is born from faith aroused by the apostolic preaching, it is nourished from the breaking of bread and prayer, and is expressed in fraternal charity and service. We are before the description of the communion of the early Church in the richness of her internal dynamisms and her visible expressions: The gift of communion is kept and promoted in particular by the apostolic ministry, which in turn is a gift for the whole community.

The apostles and their successors therefore are custodians and authoritative witnesses of the deposit of faith given to the Church, and they are also the ministers of charity: two aspects that go together. They must always think of the inseparable character of this double service, which in fact is the same: truth and charity, revealed and given by the Lord Jesus. In this connection, they carry out above all a service of love: the charity they must live and promote cannot be separated from the truth they keep and transmit.

Truth and love are two sides of the same gift, which proceeds from God and which, thanks to the apostolic ministry, is kept in the Church and comes to us in our present [time]! Through the service of the apostles and their successors we also receive the love of the Triune God to communicate the truth that makes us free (cf. John 8, 32)! All this which we see in the early Church leads us to pray for the successors of the apostles, for all bishops, and for the Successors of Peter so that they will really be custodians of truth and at the same time of charity, so that they will really be apostles of Christ, so that their light, the light of truth and charity will never be extinguished in the Church and the world.

(Translation by Zenit)

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

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Pope's Address at Vigil Recalling John Paul II's Death
2 April 2006
Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave from the window of his study, to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray the rosary on the first anniversary of Pope John Paul II's death.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

We have gathered this evening, on the first anniversary of the death of our beloved John Paul II, for this Marian vigil organized by the diocese of Rome. I greet all of you present in St. Peter's Square, beginning with the Cardinal Vicar Camillo Ruini and the auxiliary bishops; I am thinking especially of the cardinals, bishops, priests, men and women religious and all the lay faithful, in particular young people.

Truly the whole city of Rome is gathered here on the occasion of this moving meeting of reflection and prayer. I address a special greeting to Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, metropolitan archbishop of Krakow, connected by video with us, who for many years was a faithful collaborator of the deceased Pope.

A year has already gone by since the death of the Servant of God John Paul II, which occurred almost at this same hour -- it was 9:37 p.m. -- but his memory continues to be particularly alive, as attested by the numerous ceremonies programmed over these days in all parts of the world. He continues to be present in our minds and in our hearts; he continues to communicate to us his love for God and for man; he continues to inspire in all, especially young people, enthusiasm for the good and courage to follow Jesus and his teachings.

How can the evangelical testimony of this great Pontiff be summarized? I will attempt to do so in two words: "fidelity" and "commitment"; total fidelity to God and commitment without reservations to his mission as Pastor of the universal Church. Fidelity and commitment which were even more convincing and moving in the last months, when he embodied in himself what he wrote in 1984 in the apostolic letter "Salvifici Doloris": "suffering is present in the world in order to release love, in order to give birth to works of love toward neighbor, in order to transform the whole human civilization into a 'civilization of love'" (No. 30).

His illness, faced with courage, made everyone pay more attention to human pain, to all physical and spiritual pain; he gave suffering dignity and value, demonstrating that man is not of worth for his efficiency or his appearance, but for himself, because he has been created and loved by God.

With his words and gestures, our beloved John Paul II did not tire of pointing out to the world that, if man allows himself to be embraced by Christ, it does not mortify the richness of his humanity; if he loves Him with all his heart, he will lack nothing. On the contrary, the encounter with Christ makes our life more exciting.

Precisely because he drew ever closer to God in prayer, in contemplation, in love of the Truth and of Beauty, our beloved Pope was able to make himself a fellow traveler of each one of us and to speak with authority even to those who are distant from the Christian faith.

On the first anniversary of his return to the Father's House, we are invited this evening to take up again the spiritual heritage he left us. He stimulates us, among other things, to live tirelessly seeking Truth, as it alone can satisfy our hearts. He encourages us not to be afraid to follow Christ, to take the proclamation of the Gospel to all, which is the leaven of a more fraternal and solidaristic humanity.

May John Paul II help us from heaven to continue on our journey, being docile disciples of Jesus, in order to be, as he himself was fond of saying to young people, "watchmen of the dawn" at the beginning of this third Christian millennium. For this reason, we invoke Mary, Mother of the Redeemer, for whom he always had a tender devotion.

Now I impart from my heart a blessing to all.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [translation by ZENIT]
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John Paul II's Agony and Death Were Like a Prolongation of Easter Triduum
2 April 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

On April 2 of last year, a day like today, our beloved Pope John Paul II lived during these same hours the last phase of his earthly pilgrimage, a pilgrimage of faith, love and hope, which left a profound mark on the history of the Church and of humanity. His agony and death were like a prolongation of the Easter triduum.

We all remember the images of his last Via Crucis on Good Friday: Being unable to go to the Colosseum, he followed it from his private chapel, holding a crucifix in his hands. Then, on Easter Sunday, he imparted the blessing "urbi et orbi," without being able to pronounce the words, just with a gesture of his hand. It was the most painful and moving blessing he left us as the greatest testimony of his determination to fulfill his mission to the end.

John Paul II died as he had lived, animated by the indomitable courage of faith, abandoning himself to God and commending himself to Mary Most Holy. We will remember him tonight with a Marian prayer vigil in St. Peter's Square, where tomorrow I will celebrate a Mass for him.

A year after his passing from earth to the Father's house, we can ask ourselves: What has this great Pope left us, who introduced the Church into the third millennium? His legacy is immense, but the message of his very long pontificate may be summarized in the words with which he wished to introduce it here, in St. Peter's Square, on October 22, 1978: "Open wide the doors to Christ!"

John Paul II incarnated this unforgettable call with his whole person and all his mission as Successor of Peter, especially with his extraordinary program of apostolic trips. On visiting countries around the world, when meeting with crowds, ecclesial communities, rulers, religious leaders and different social realities, he carried out something like a unique and great gesture of confirmation of his initial words.

He always proclaimed Christ, proposing him to all, as the Second Vatican Council did, in response to man's expectations, expectations of freedom, justice and peace. Christ is man's Redeemer -- he liked to repeat -- the only Savior of every person and of the whole human race.

In his last years, the Lord gradually stripped him of everything to assimilate him fully to himself. And when he could no longer travel, and later not even walk and, finally, not even speak, his gesture, his proclamation was reduced to the essential: the gift of himself to the end.

His death was the fulfillment of a coherent testimony of faith, which touched the hearts of many people of good will. John Paul II left us on a Saturday, the day dedicated in particular to Mary, for whom he always felt a filial devotion. We now pray to the heavenly Mother of God that she help us to keep as a treasure all that this great Pope gave us and taught us.

Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [translation by ZENIT]

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"Human Being Must Not Be Sacrificed to Success of Science" (Excerpts)
1 April 2006

Here is a Vatican translation of Benedict XVI's address to participants of a seminar on "The Cultural Heritage and Academic Values of the European University and the Attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area." The seminar had been organized by the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education.

* * *

. . .
In these days, your reflection has focused on the contribution that European universities, enriched by their long tradition, can offer to building the Europe of the third millennium, taking into account the fact that every cultural reality is both a memory of the past and a project for the future.

The Church intends to make her own contribution to this reflection as she has done over the centuries. She has taken a constant interest in the study centers and universities of Europe which, together with "the service of thought," have passed on to the young generations the values of a special cultural patrimony, enriched by two millenniums of humanist and Christian experience (cf. "Ecclesia in Europa," No. 59).

At first, monasticism exercised considerable influence. Its merits, both in the spiritual and religious context, also extend to the economic and intellectual spheres. In Charlemagne's time, real schools were founded with the Church's contribution, and the emperor wanted as many people as possible to benefit from them.

A few centuries later, the university came into being, receiving an essential impetus from the Church. Numerous European universities, from the University of Bologna to those of Paris, Krakow, Salamanca, Cologne, Oxford and Prague, to mention but a few, rapidly developed and played an important role in consolidating the European identity and building up its cultural heritage.

University institutions have always been distinguished by love of wisdom and the quest for truth, as the true purpose of universities, with constant reference to the Christian vision that recognizes the human being as the masterpiece of creation, since he is formed in the image and likeness of God (cf. Genesis 1:26-27).

The conviction that there is a profound unity between truth and good, between the eyes of the mind and those of the heart: "Ubi amor, ibi oculos," as Riccardo di San Vittore said (cf. "Beniamin minor," c. 13), has always been typical of this vision: Love makes one see. Universities came into being from the love of knowledge and from the curiosity of knowing, of knowing what the world is, what man is, but also from a knowledge that leads to action, that leads ultimately to love.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, with a quick glance at the "old" Continent it is easy to see the cultural challenges that Europe faces today, since it is committed to rediscovering its own identity, which is not exclusively economic or political. The basic question today, as in the past, remains the anthropological question: What is man? Where does he come from? Where must he go? How must he go?

In other words, it is a matter of clarifying the conception of the human being on which new projects are based.

And you are rightly asking yourselves which human being, which image of man, does the university intend to serve: an individual withdrawn into the defense of his own interests, a single perspective of interests, a materialistic perspective, or a person who is open to solidarity with others in the search for the true meaning of existence, which must be a common meaning that transcends the individual?

We also wonder what the relationship between the human person, science and technology is. If in the 19th and 20th centuries, technology made amazing progress, at the beginning of the 21st century, further steps were taken: Technology also took charge, thanks to computer science, of part of our mental processes, with consequences that involve our way of thinking and can condition our very freedom.

It must be forcefully stated that the human being cannot and must not ever be sacrificed to the success of science and technology: This is why the so-called anthropological question assumes its full importance.

For us, the heirs of the humanist tradition founded on Christian values, this question should be faced in the light of the inspiring principles of our civilization, which found in European universities authentic laboratories for research and for deepening knowledge.

"From the biblical conception of man Europe drew the best of its humanistic culture," John Paul II noted in his postsynodal exhortation "Ecclesia in Europa," "and, not least, advanced the dignity of the person as a subject of inalienable rights" (No. 25). Thus, "the Church," my venerable Predecessor added, "helped to spread and consolidate those values which have made European culture universal" (ibid.).

But man cannot understand himself fully if he ignores God. This is the reason why, at the time when the Europe of the third millennium is being built, the religious dimension of human existence cannot be neglected.

Here the special role of the university emerges as a scientific universe that is not merely limited to various specializations: In the current situation the university is required not to stop at teaching or imparting technical and professional knowledge, which are very important disciplines but do not suffice, for it must also undertake to play an attentive educational role at the service of the new generations, making use of the legacy of ideals and values that marked the past millenniums.

Thus, universities will be able to help Europe to preserve and rediscover its "soul," revitalizing the Christian roots that brought it into being.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, may God make your work and your efforts benefit the many young people who are the hope of Europe. I accompany this wish with the assurance of a special prayer for each one of you, and I implore the divine blessing for you all.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]

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Pope's Address After Viewing Film on John Paul II (Excerpts)
30 March 2006

Excerpts from an address Benedict XVI gave after viewing the film on John Paul II entitled "Karol: A Pope Who Remained a Man," shown in Paul VI Hall.

* * *

. . . We heard again the initial appeal of his pontificate, so frequently re-echoed in the course of the years: "Open wide the doors to Christ! Do not be afraid!" The motion pictures showed us a Pope in deep contact with God and, for this very reason, always sensitive to the expectations of others.

The film has made us think ideally of his apostolic journeys in every part of the world; it has given us an opportunity to relive his meetings with numerous people, with the great figures of this earth, simple citizens, illustrious personages and unknown people. Among them all, his embrace with Mother Teresa of Calcutta deserves mention. She was linked to John Paul II by an intimate spiritual harmony.

Glued to the spot as though we were present, we heard once again the shots of the tragic attempt on his life in St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981. From it all emerged the figure of a tireless prophet of hope and peace, who trod the paths of the globe to communicate the Gospel to all. His vibrant words condemning the oppression of totalitarian regimes, homicidal violence and war spring to mind; words full of comfort and hope, to express closeness to the relatives of the victims of conflicts and dramatic attacks, such as the one on the twin towers in New York; words of courage and denunciation addressed to the consumer society and the culture of hedonism that simply seek to achieve material well-being, which cannot satisfy the human heart's deep expectations.

These are the sentiments that spontaneously well up in my heart this evening and which I wanted to share with you, dear brothers and sisters, by reviewing, with the help of this film's images, the phases of the unforgettable pontificate of John Paul II. May the beloved Pontiff accompany us from on high and obtain for us from the Lord the grace to be, like him, ever faithful to our mission. My blessing to all of you present here and to your loved ones.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]
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Church Speaks Up for "Promotion of Dignity of the Person"(Excerpts)
30 March 2006

Here are excerpts from the address which Benedict XVI delivered when receiving in audience participants in a congress promoted by the European Popular Party.

* * *

. . . At present, Europe has to address complex issues of great importance . . . By valuing its Christian roots, Europe will be able to give a secure direction to the choices of its citizens and peoples . . . Your support for the Christian heritage, moreover, can contribute significantly to the defeat of a culture that is now fairly widespread in Europe, which relegates to the private and subjective sphere the manifestation of one's own religious convictions. . . . . a certain secular intransigence shows itself to be the enemy of tolerance and of a sound secular vision of state and society. . . . when Churches or ecclesial communities intervene in public debate, expressing reservations or recalling various principles, this does not constitute a form of intolerance or an interference, since such interventions are aimed solely at enlightening consciences, enabling them to act freely and responsibly, according to the true demands of justice. . . As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, the principal focus of her interventions in the public arena is the protection and promotion of the dignity of the person, and she is thereby consciously drawing particular attention to principles which are not negotiable. Among these the following emerge clearly today:

-- protection of life in all its stages, from the first moment of conception until natural death;

-- recognition and promotion of the natural structure of the family -- as a union between a man and a woman based on marriage -- and its defense from attempts to make it juridically equivalent to radically different forms of union which in reality harm it and contribute to its destabilization, obscuring its particular character and its irreplaceable social role;

-- the protection of the right of parents to educate their children.

These principles are not truths of faith, even though they receive further light and confirmation from faith; they are inscribed in human nature itself and therefore they are common to all humanity. The Church's action in promoting them is therefore not confessional in character, but is addressed to all people, prescinding from any religious affiliation they may have. On the contrary, such action is all the more necessary the more these principles are denied or misunderstood, because this constitutes an offense against the truth of the human person, a grave wound inflicted onto justice itself. . . .
[Original text in English; adapted]

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana


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Communion with God and with One Another
29 March 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Through the apostolic ministry, the Church, community assembled by the Son of God made flesh, will live throughout time, building and nourishing communion in Christ and in the Spirit, to which all are called and in which they can experience the salvation given by the Father. The Twelve Apostles -- as the third successor of Peter, Pope Clement, said at the end of the first century -- took care to provide their successors (cf. 1 Clement 42, 4) so that the mission entrusted to them would continue after their death. Throughout the centuries, the Church, structured under the leadership of legitimate pastors, has continued to live in the world as mystery of communion, in which in a certain sense, the Trinitarian communion itself is reflected, the mystery of God himself.

The Apostle Paul already mentions this supreme Trinitarian source when he wishes his Christians: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Corinthians 13:13). These words, probably an echo of the worship of the nascent Church, highlights how the free gift of the Father's love in Jesus Christ is realized and expressed in the communion wrought by the Holy Spirit.

This interpretation, based on the immediate relationship established in the text between the three genitives ("the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit"), presents "communion" as specific gift of the Spirit, fruit of the love given by God the Father and of the grace offered by the Lord Jesus.

Moreover, the context, characterized by the emphasis on fraternal communion, leads us to see in the "koinonia" of the Holy Spirit not only "participation" in divine life in an almost individual way, as if each one was on his own, but also logically "communion" among believers, which the Spirit himself infuses as its author and principal agent (cf. Philippians 2:1).

It might be affirmed that grace, love and communion, referred respectively to Christ, to the Father and to the Spirit, are different aspects of the one divine action for our salvation, action that creates the Church and that makes of the Church -- as St. Cyprian said in the third century -- "a throng gathered together by the unity of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" ("De Oratione Dominica," 23: PL 4, 536, quoted in "Lumen Gentium," 4).

The idea of communion as participation in the Trinitarian life is illuminated with particular intensity in John's Gospel, where the communion of love that unites the Son with the Father and with men is at the same time the model and source of fraternal union, which must unite disciples among themselves: "love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12; cf. 13:34). "That they also may be in us" (John 17:21,22), hence, communion of people with the Trinitarian God and communion of people among themselves. During the time of the earthly pilgrimage, through communion with the Son, the disciple can already participate in his divine life and in that of the Father: "our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3).

This life of communion with God and among ourselves is the very end of the object of the proclamation of the Gospel, the object of conversion to Christianity: "that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us" (1 John 1:3). Therefore, this double communion with God and among ourselves is inseparable.

Wherever communion with God is destroyed, which is communion with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the root and source of communion among ourselves is also destroyed. And wherever communion among ourselves is not lived, communion with the Trinitarian God cannot be alive and true, as we have heard.

Let us now take a further step. Communion -- fruit of the Holy Spirit -- is nourished by the Eucharistic bread (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17) and is expressed in fraternal relations, in a sort of anticipation of the future world. In the Eucharist, Jesus nourishes us, unites us to himself, with the Father and with the Holy Spirit and among ourselves, and this network of unity that embraces the world is an anticipation of the future world in our time.

Given that it is anticipation of the future, communion is a gift which also has very real consequences; it makes us come out of our solitudes, of our own narrow-mindedness, and allows us to participate in the love that unites us to God and among ourselves. To understand the grandeur of this gift, suffice it to think of the divisions and conflicts that afflict relations between individuals, groups and entire nations. And if the gift of unity in the Holy Spirit is lacking, humanity's division is inevitable.

"Communion" is truly good news, the remedy the Lord has given us against the loneliness that threatens all today, the precious gift that makes us feel accepted and loved in God, in the unity of his People, gathered together in the name of the Trinity; it is the light that makes the Church shine as a sign raised among the nations: "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another" (1 John 1:6-7).

The Church thus presents herself, despite all the human frailties that are part of her historical features, as a wondrous creation of love, constituted to make Christ close to every man and woman who truly wishes to encounter him, until the end of times. And in the Church the Lord continues to be our contemporary. Scripture is not something of the past. The Lord does not speak in the past, but speaks in the present, he speaks to us today, gives us light, shows us the way of life, gives us fellowship and in this way prepares us and opens us to the light.

[Translation by ZENIT]


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On Victims of Religious Freedom
"Persevere in the Patience and Charity of Christ"
26 March 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The consistory held recently to name 15 new cardinals was an intense ecclesial experience, which enabled us to relish the spiritual richness of collegiality, on finding ourselves together among brothers of different provenances, all united by the one love of Christ and his Church.

In a certain sense, we relived the reality of the first Christian community, gathered around Mary, Mother of Jesus, and Peter, to receive the gift of the Spirit and be committed to spread the Gospel in the whole world. Fidelity to this mission unto the sacrifice of one's life is the distinctive character of cardinals, as attested by their oath and as symbolized by scarlet, the color of blood.

By a providential coincidence, the consistory was held on March 24, the day in which missionaries were commemorated who fell last year on the frontiers of evangelization and of service to man in different parts of the earth. Thus, the consistory was an occasion to feel closer than ever to all those Christians who suffer persecutions because of the faith. Their witness, of which we receive news daily, and above all the sacrifice of those who have been killed, is for us a reason for edification and motivates us to an ever more sincere and generous evangelical commitment.

My thoughts go especially to those communities that live in countries where religious freedom is lacking or that, in fact, suffer many restrictions, despite its being affirmed on paper. To all of them I send my affectionate encouragement, so that they will persevere in the patience and charity of Christ, seed of the Kingdom of God that is coming, more than that, which is already in the world. To all those working at the service of the Gospel in those difficult situations, I wish to express my most profound solidarity in the name of the whole Church, and at the same time assure them of my daily remembrance in prayer.

The Church advances in history and spreads on earth accompanied by Mary, Queen of the Apostles. As in the cenacle, the Holy Virgin is always for Christians the living memory of Jesus. She animates their prayer and sustains their hope. We ask her to guide us in our daily journey and to protect with special predilection those Christian communities that are going through conditions of particular difficulty and suffering.

[Translation by ZENIT]
© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana


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The Church in Rome Is Vibrant and Alive
19 March 2006
Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered after Sunday Mass, in the parish hall of the Church of God the Merciful Father, in Rome's Tor Tre Teste neighborhood. The Pope delivered the address without referring to notes.

* * *

Dear Parish Priest,
Dear friends:

I see that you are really a living parish, where all collaborate, where one bears the burden of the other -- as St. Paul says -- and in this way you foster the growth of the living edifice of the Lord, which is the Church. The latter was not made of material stones, but of living stones, of baptized people, who feel all the faith's responsibility for others, all the joy of being baptized and of knowing God in the face of Jesus. For this reason, you commit yourselves so that this parish may really grow.

We are nearing Easter and two aspects of Christian life are presented to us: One is a climb, an ascent, which can even be somewhat difficult; the other is always constituted by the light of God, the light of our Lord.

I would simply like to thank you for your commitment. To see so many active persons in a parish, who visit the sick, help those in difficulty, collaborate with the parish priest, ensure a good celebration of the liturgy, is a joy for the Bishop of Rome, which I am, though the concrete activity is carried out by the cardinal vicar.

However, I feel this responsibility and I am really happy to see that Rome, the "old Rome," is a "young Rome" and really lives in lively parishes.

The faith must be promoted because outside of Italy it is thought that in Rome there are only ceremonies and ecclesiastical bureaucracy, but that there is no great ecclesial life. The latter, however, can be seen precisely on the outskirts of Rome. Rome is young, the Church is always young again. For me it is lovely to see this participation and I can only say thank you and encourage you to continue, under the guidance of your parish priest.

And already now, I wish you all a happy Easter!

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [translation by ZENIT; adapted]

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Saint Joseph: Mission Developed in Humility
19 March 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Today, March 19, is the solemnity of St. Joseph, but as it coincides with the third Sunday of Lent, its liturgical celebration is postponed until tomorrow. However, the Marian context of the Angelus invites us to reflect with veneration on the figure of the Most Holy Virgin Mary's spouse, patron of the universal Church. I like to recall that our beloved Pope John Paul II was also very devoted to St. Joseph, to whom he dedicated the apostolic exhortation "Redemptoris Custos," Custodian of the Redeemer, and who surely experienced his assistance at the hour of death.

The figure of this great saint, even though remaining somewhat hidden, is of fundamental importance in the history of salvation. Above all, belonging to the tribe of Judah, he united Jesus to the Davidic lineage, so that, realizing the promises about the Messiah, the son of the Virgin Mary may really be called "son of David."

The Gospel of Matthew highlights in a special way the messianic prophecies which found their fulfillment through Joseph's role: the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem (2:13-15); the byname "Nazarene" (2:22-23). In all this he showed himself, as his spouse Mary, authentic heir of Abraham's faith: faith in God who guides the events of history according to his mysterious salvific plan. His greatness, like Mary's, stands out even more because his mission was developed in humility and in the hiddenness of the house of Nazareth. Moreover, God himself, in the person of his incarnate Son, chose this way and style of life in his earthly existence.

From the example of St. Joseph we all receive a strong invitation to develop with fidelity, simplicity and modesty the task that providence has assigned to us. I am thinking above all of fathers and mothers of families, and I pray that they will always be able to appreciate the beauty of a simple and industrious life, cultivating the conjugal relationship with care and fulfilling with enthusiasm the great and not easy educational mission.

To priests, who exercise paternity over ecclesial communities, may St. Joseph obtain that they love the Church with affection and complete dedication, and support consecrated persons in their joyous and faithful observance of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. May he protect workers worldwide so that they contribute with their different professions to the progress of the whole of humanity, and may he help every Christian to realize the will of God with confidence and love, thus cooperating in the fulfillment of the work of salvation.

[Translated by ZENIT]

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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Excerpts from the Papal Address to Secretariat of State, Representatives
18 March 2006

* * *

Dear Cardinal
and dear representatives of the Holy See to the international organizations,

. . . The relations between states and within the states are just in the degree in which they respect truth. Nonetheless, when truth is disregarded, peace is threatened, law is endangered and then, as a logical consequence, injustices are unleashed. These are the boundaries that divide countries in a much more profound way than the limits drawn up on the geographical maps and frequently are not only external boundaries but also internal to the states.

These injustices also take on new faces. For example, the face of disinterest and confusion that comes to damage the structure of the family, the fundamental cell of society. Or the face of authoritarianism or arrogance which can even become authorized, silencing those who have no voice or strength to be heard, as happens in the case of the injustice which, perhaps today the gravest is that which does away with incipient human life.

"God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong" (1 Corinthians 1:27). May this criterion of divine action, still in vigor today, encourage you not to be surprised, and less still to become discouraged, in the face of difficulties and misunderstandings. In fact, you know that through them you authoritatively participate in the prophetic responsibility of the Church, which strives to continue speaking up in defense of man, even when state politics or the majority of public opinion moves in the opposite direction. The strength of truth, in fact, is found in truth itself, not in the number of approvals it receives. . . .

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana, translation by ZENIT

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Pope's Address to Members of Council for Social Communications
"Assist Those in Media to Promote What Is Good and True"
17 March 2006

Here is the address Benedict XVI gave when receiving in audience the participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. The Pope received them in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace.

* * *

Your Eminences,
Your Excellencies,
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

. . . In my first Message for World Communications Day I chose to reflect on the media as a network which facilitates communication, communion and cooperation. I did so recalling that the decree of the Second Vatican Council, "Inter Mirifica," had already recognized the enormous power of the media to inform the minds of individuals and to shape their thinking. Forty years later we realize, more than ever, the pressing need to harness that power for the benefit of all humanity.

St. Paul reminds us that through Christ we are no longer strangers and aliens but citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, growing into a holy temple, a dwelling place for God (cf. Ephesians 2:19-22). This sublime portrayal of a life of communion engages all aspects of our lives as Christians and for you, in a particular way, points to the challenge to encourage the social communications and entertainment industries to be protagonists of truth and promoters of the peace that ensues from lives lived in accordance with that liberating truth.

As you well know, such a commitment demands principled courage and resolve, on the part of those who own and work within the hugely influential media industry, to ensure that promotion of the common good is never sacrificed to a self-serving quest for profit or an ideological agenda with little public accountability. In reflecting on such concerns I am confident that your study of my beloved Predecessor's apostolic letter "The Rapid Development" will be of great assistance.

I also wished in my message this year to draw particular attention to the urgent need to uphold and support marriage and family life, the foundation of every culture and society. In cooperation with parents, the social communications and entertainment industries can assist in the difficult but sublimely satisfying vocation of bringing up children, through presenting edifying models of human life and love. How disheartening and destructive it is to us all when the opposite occurs! Do not our hearts cry out, most especially, when our young people are subjected to debased or false expressions of love which ridicule the God-given dignity of the human person and undermine family interests?

In conclusion, I urge you to renew your efforts to assist those working in the world of media to promote what is good and true, especially in regard to the meaning of human and social existence, and to denounce what is false, especially pernicious trends which erode the fabric of a civil society worthy of the human person. Let us be encouraged by the words of St. Paul: Christ is our peace: In him we are one (cf. Ephesians 2:14)! And let us work together to build up the communion of love according to the designs of the Creator made known through his Son! To all of you, your colleagues, and the members of your families at home I cordially impart my apostolic blessing.

[Original text: English; adapted]

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana



 

Papal Address to Delegation of American Jewish Committee
"All Three Monotheistic Religions Are Called to Cooperate With One Another"
16 March 2006

* * *

Distinguished members of the American Jewish Committee,

I gladly welcome you to the Vatican, and I trust that this meeting will further encourage your efforts to increase friendship between the Jewish people and the Catholic Church.

The recent celebration of the 40th anniversary of the declaration of the Second Vatican Council "Nostra Aetate" has increased our shared desire to know each other better and to develop a dialogue characterized by mutual respect and love. Indeed, Jews and Christians have a rich common patrimony. In many ways this distinguishes our relationship as unique among the religions of the world. The Church can never forget that chosen people with whom God entered into a holy covenant (cf. "Nostra Aetate," No. 4).

Judaism, Christianity and Islam believe in the one God, Creator of heaven and earth. It follows, therefore, that all three monotheistic religions are called to cooperate with one another for the common good of humanity, serving the cause of justice and peace in the world. This is especially important today when particular attention must be given to teaching respect for God, for religions and their symbols, and for holy sites and places of worship. Religious leaders have a responsibility to work for reconciliation through genuine dialogue and acts of human solidarity.

Dear friends, I pray that your visit today may confirm you in your endeavors to build bridges of understanding across all barriers. Upon all of you I invoke the divine gifts of strength and comfort.

[Original text: English]

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

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Papal Letter to Cuba's Bishops
God Accompanies All Who Live on the Earth
13 March 2006

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On the occasion of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Cuban National Ecclesial Meeting (ENEC), I would like to send an affectionate greeting to the bishops as well as to the priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful of this beloved nation. I would also like to express my spiritual closeness to them in order to give an impetus to their evangelizing tasks.

Human reality is full of events that we are asked to live as salvific, since time and history are peopled by the divine presence that encourages and strengthens.

On this anniversary, therefore, when you think back to past experiences, you should strive to approach this reality as a path of promise and salvation on which you should walk with care and compassion, to discover from experience the signs and symbols of the living God who accompanies you.

Yes, he accompanies all who live on this earth, believers and nonbelievers alike, the near and the far, those who sow and those who scatter, for all are invited to the feast of life that the Father gives to us.

In this regard, it would be good in this anniversary reflection to remember in particular the words that my Predecessor, Pope John Paul II, spoke during his visit to this beloved land: "May Cuba ... open itself up to the world, and may the world open itself up to Cuba" (Arrival Address at José Martí Airport in Havana, Jan. 21, 1998, No. 5; L'Osservatore Romano, English edition, Jan. 28, p. 2).

First of all, however, this opening requires one to examine how to open one's heart and mind to the things of God; how to be reciprocally open to all who live side by side, believing and trusting in one another despite differences in ways of thinking and believing; and lastly, how to be open to the global context, with the challenges of its possibilities and at the same time its difficulties.

Only by setting out from God's gaze, a loving gaze, will it be possible to reach the truth of every person, of every group and of all who live in the same land. The experience of prayer of every Christian in the silence and humility of daily work, in fidelity to the faith professed and in the implicit or explicit proclamation of the Gospel, will be a great help in undertaking this journey.

The profound love of most Cubans for Madre de la Caridad del Cobre, for so long Patronness of this land and one who accompanies its inhabitants with motherly tenderness, will also be a great help.

To her I entrust these meetings for the 20th anniversary of the ENEC so that her closeness may encourage hope and her intercession with her divine Son obtain the gift of strengthening in the faith this part of the People of God.

With these sentiments, I warmly impart my apostolic blessing to all the participants as well as to the various ecclesial communities of Cuba.

From the Vatican, 2 February 2006

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

[Translation issued by the Holy See; adapted]

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Listen to Jesus
12 March 2006
* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Yesterday morning the week of spiritual exercises ended, which were preached here, in the Apostolic Palace, by the retired patriarch of Venice, Cardinal Marco Cé. They were days dedicated entirely to listening to the Lord, who always speaks to us, but who expects more attention from us, especially in the Lenten season.

Today's Gospel passage also reminds us of this, when proposing the account of the transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor. Astonished in the presence of the transfigured Lord, who was speaking with Moses and Elias, Peter, James and John were suddenly enveloped in a cloud from which a voice arose that proclaimed: "This is my beloved Son, listen to him" (Mark 9:7).

When one has the grace to sense a strong experience of God, it is as though seeing something similar to what the disciples experienced during the Transfiguration: For a moment they experienced ahead of time something that will constitute the happiness of paradise. In general, it is brief experiences that God grants on occasions, especially in anticipation of harsh trials. However, no one lives "on Tabor" while on earth.

Human existence is a journey of faith and, as such, goes forward more in darkness than in full light, with moments of obscurity and even profound darkness. While we are here, our relationship with God develops more with listening than with seeing; and even contemplation takes place, so to speak, with closed eyes, thanks to the interior light lit in us by the word of God.

The Virgin Mary herself, notwithstanding the fact that she was the human creature closest to God, walked day after day as though on a pilgrimage of faith (cf. "Lumen Gentium," 58), keeping and meditating constantly in her heart the word that God addressed to her, whether through the sacred Scriptures or through events of the life of her son, in which she recognized and accepted the Lord's mysterious voice.

This is, therefore, the gift and commitment for each one of us in the Lenten Season: To listen to Christ, like Mary. To listen to him in the word, preserved in sacred Scripture. To listen to him in the very events of our lives, trying to read in them the messages of providence. To listen to him, finally, in our brothers, especially in the little ones and the poor, for whom Jesus himself asked our concrete love. To listen to Christ and to obey his voice. This is the only way that leads to joy and love.

Steeped in the Word of God (Excerpts)
What Benedict XVI Liked About Lenten Retreat
11March 2006

Here are excerpts from a Vatican translation of the address Benedict XVI gave at the end of the Roman Curia's spiritual exercises on March 11. Cardinal Marco Cé, retired patriarch of Venice, had preached the retreat.

. . . We cannot bring to the world the Good News which is Christ himself in person if we ourselves are not deeply united with Christ, if we do not know him profoundly, personally, if we do not live on his Words. . . . You have made us attentive to the inner Teacher; you have helped us to listen to the Teacher who speaks with us and within us; you have helped us to respond to and speak with the Lord, listening to his words. . . . You have also restored to us the certainty that in our Bark, despite all the storms of history, is Christ. You have taught us to see anew on the suffering face of Christ, on the face crowned with thorns, the glory of the Risen One. . . . my gaze has necessarily focused on this depiction of the Annunciation of Mary. What fascinated me is this: The Archangel Gabriel holds a scroll in his hand, which I believe is the symbol of Scripture, of the Word of God. And Mary is kneeling within the scroll; that is, she lives her whole life in the Word of God. It is as though she were steeped in the Word. Thus, all her thoughts, her will and her actions are imbued with and formed by the Word. Since she herself dwells in the Word, she can also become the new "Dwelling Place" of the Word in the world. . . . This Marian route calls us to be integrated into the Word of God, to place our lives within the Word of God and thereby let our being be imbued with this Word, so that we may be witnesses in our time of the living Word, of Christ himself. Thus, with new courage and new joy, we journey on toward Easter, toward the celebration of the Mystery of Christ that is always more than a celebration or rite: It is Presence and Truth. And let us pray the Lord to help us return to him and thus also to be guides and pastors of the flock entrusted to our care. . . .

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]

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On Temptation
Lent a Time to "Struggle Against the Spirit of Evil"
5 March 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Last Wednesday we began Lent and today we celebrate the first Sunday of this liturgical time, which stimulates Christians to commit themselves to a journey of preparation for Easter. The Gospel reminds us today that, after being baptized in the Jordan River, Jesus -- moved by the Holy Spirit that rested on him, revealing that he was the Christ -- went for forty days into the Judean wilderness where he resisted the temptations of Satan (cf. Mark 1:12-13). Following their teacher and Lord, Christians also enter spiritually in the Lenten wilderness to face with him "the struggle against the spirit of evil."

The image of the wilderness is a very eloquent metaphor of the human condition. The book of Exodus narrates the experience of the people of Israel that, after having come out of Egypt, wandered in the Sinai desert during 40 years, before reaching the Promised Land.

During this long journey, the Jews experienced all the force and insistence of the tempter that led them to lose confidence in the Lord and to turn back; but, at the same time, thanks to the mediation of Moses, they learned to listen to the voice of the Lord, who was calling them to become his holy people.

Upon meditating on this passage of the Bible, we understand that to fulfill our life in freedom it is necessary to surmount the test that freedom itself implies, that is, temptation. Only if liberated from falsehood and sin, can the human person, thanks to the obedience of faith that opens him to truth, find the full meaning of his existence and have peace, love and joy.

Precisely for this reason, Lent is a favorable time for a careful revision of life in recollection, prayer and penance. The spiritual exercises, which as is traditional, will take place from this afternoon until next Saturday here, in the Apostolic Palace, will help me and my collaborators of the Roman Curia enter with greater awareness in this characteristic Lenten climate.

Dear brothers and sisters, while I ask you that you support me with your prayers, I assure you of my prayer before the Lord so that, for all Christians, Lent will be an occasion of conversion and of a more courageous impulse to holiness. Let us invoke for this reason the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary.

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"Justice and Charity: Inseparable" (Excerpts)

4 March 2006

Here is the Holy See's translation of an address Benedict XVI gave to the Italian Christian Executives (UCID) during an encounter March 4 in Paul VI Hall.

* * *

. . . Christians are called to seek justice always, but possess an inner impulse to love that goes beyond justice itself. The journey of lay Christians, from the mid-19th century to today, has brought them to the awareness that charitable acts must not replace the commitment to social justice. . . .

justice and charity are the two inseparable aspects of the single social commitment of Christians.

It is incumbent on lay faithful in particular to work for a just order in society, taking part in public life in the first person, cooperating with other citizens and fulfilling their own responsibility (cf. "Deus Caritas Est," No. 29).

In doing just this, they are motivated by "social charity" which makes them attentive to people as individuals, to situations of greater difficulty and loneliness, and to needs that are not only material (cf. ibid., No. 28b).

Thanks to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, two years ago the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church was published. It is an especially useful instrument of formation for all who wish to be guided by the Gospel in their work and professional activity.

. . . In particular, I appreciated the resolution to value every person for what he or she is and can give according to one's talents, avoiding every form of exploitation; I also appreciated the recognition of the importance of the family and of personal responsibility. . . .

Dear friends, in a few days' time, we will be celebrating the solemnity of St. Joseph, patron of workers. . . .
For my part I, who bear his name, am pleased today to be able to point him out to you not only as a heavenly protector and intercessor for every worthwhile initiative, but first and foremost as one to whom you can confide your prayer and your ordinary commitment, which are surely marked both by satisfactions and disappointments in your daily life and, I would say, tenacious search for God's justice in human affairs.

St. Joseph himself will help you put into practice Jesus' demanding exhortation: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness" (cf. Matthew 6:33).

May the Virgin Mary also always help you, together with the great witnesses of social charity who have spread the Gospel of charity with their teaching and action.

Lastly, may you be accompanied by the apostolic blessing, which I cordially impart to you who are present here and gladly extend to all the members and to your relatives.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]

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Papal Address on 75th Anniversary of Vatican Radio
3 March 2006
* * *

Your Eminence,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I willingly visit you at your fine headquarters in the Palazzo Pio, which the Servant of God Paul VI wished to make available to Vatican Radio. I offer you all a cordial greeting and I thank you for your welcome. . . .

The evocative images of 75 years ago present the first Vatican Radio Station to us which today might seem modest; but Guglielmo Marconi knew that the path opened by science and technology would have a great influence on human life.

My venerable Predecessor Pius XI was also well aware of the importance that the new means of communication with which the Church was equipping herself would have for the dissemination of the papal magisterium throughout the world.

With original solemnity, he addressed his first radio message on February 12, 1931, which inaugurated the history of your broadcasting station, to "all peoples and to every creature." In the years that followed, the Servant of God Pius XII, with his historic radio messages during the Second World War, enabled all the peoples to hear his words of comfort, advice and passionate exhortations to hope and for peace.

Furthermore, when Communism extended its domination over various nations in Central and Eastern Europe and in other parts of the world, Vatican Radio increased its programs and the languages of its broadcasts, to ensure that the witness of closeness and solidarity offered by the Pope and the universal Church would reach the Christian communities oppressed by totalitarian regimes.

The Second Vatican Council spread an even greater awareness of the importance that the means of communication were to have in the dissemination of the Gospel message in our time, and your radio broadcasting station with effective and modern technical means began to develop ever fuller and more numerous programs.

Today, at last, thanks to the most advanced technologies -- satellite and internet in particular -- you can produce programs in various languages that are relayed and transmitted by numerous broadcasting stations on every continent, thus reaching a wider range of listeners.

Dear friends, we cannot but thank the Lord for all this, and at the same time pray to him to continue to assist you in your work. Call on him with the words written on the main facade of your offices: "'Adsis Christe, eorumque aspira laboribus, qui pro tuo nomine certant' -- Help us, O Christ, and inspire the efforts of those who fight for your Name." Yes! Yours is the "good fight of the faith," as the Apostle Paul said (cf. 1 Timothy 6:12), in order to spread Christ's Gospel.

It consists, as we read in your statutes, in "proclaiming the Christian message with freedom, fidelity and effectiveness, and in linking the center of Catholicism with the various countries of the world: spreading the voice and teachings of the Roman Pontiff; providing information on the activities of the Holy See; reporting on Catholic life in the world; directing people to evaluate current problems in the light of the magisterium of the Church and with constant attention to the signs of the times" (No. 1.3).

This mission is ever up to date, even if the circumstances and ways of carrying it out change with the times. Indeed, Vatican Radio today is no longer a single voice that sounds from a single point as it was with Marconi's first broadcasting station.

Rather, it is a choir of voices that rings out in more than 40 languages and can keep up a dialogue with different cultures and religions; a choir of voices that travels through the air via electromagnetic waves and is broadcast everywhere by means of the increasingly dense telematic network that spans the globe.

Continue, dear friends, to work in the great Areopagus of modern communications, treasuring the extraordinary experience you lived during the great Jubilee of the Year 2000, and especially on the occasion of the death of beloved Pope John Paul II, an event that showed humanity's eagerness to be acquainted with the reality of the Church.

Do not forget, however, that in order to carry out the mission entrusted to you, a proper technical and professional training is of course necessary; above all, though, you must ceaselessly cultivate within you a spirit of prayer and faithful adherence to the teachings of Christ and his Church. May the Virgin Mary, Star of the new evangelization, help and protect you always!

Dear brothers and sisters, as I renew the expression of my gratitude, I gladly impart to everyone present here my blessing, which I extend to your loved ones and to all Vatican Radio listeners.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]

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Benedict XVI's Ash Wednesday Homily
"Christian Life Is a Never-ending Combat"
1 March 2006
* * *

PENITENTIAL PROCESSION PRESIDED BY THE HOLY FATHER IN THE BASILICA OF SANTA SABINA ON THE AVENTINE HILL

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2006

Your Eminences,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood, Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The penitential procession with which we began today's celebration has helped us enter the typical atmosphere of Lent, which is a personal and community pilgrimage of conversion and spiritual renewal.

According to the very ancient Roman tradition of Lenten stations, during this season the faithful, together with the pilgrims, gather every day and make a stop -- statio -- at one of the many "memorials" of the Martyrs on which the Church of Rome is founded.

In the Basilicas where their relics are exposed, Holy Mass is celebrated, preceded by a procession during which the litanies of the Saints are sung. In this way, all those who bore witness to Christ with their blood are commemorated, and calling them to mind then becomes an incentive for each Christian to renew his or her own adherence to the Gospel.

These rites retain their value, despite the passing centuries, because they recall how important it also is in our day to accept Jesus' words without compromises: "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9: 23).

Another symbolic rite, an exclusive gesture proper to the first day of Lent, is the imposition of ashes. What is its most significant meaning?

It is certainly not merely ritualistic, but something very deep that touches our hearts. It makes us understand the timeliness of the Prophet Joel's advice echoed in the First Reading, advice that still retains its salutary value for us: external gestures must always be matched by a sincere heart and consistent behavior.

Indeed, the inspired author wonders, what use is it to tear our garments if our hearts remain distant from the Lord, that is, from goodness and justice? Here is what truly counts: to return to God with a sincerely contrite heart to obtain his mercy (cf. Joel 2: 12-18).

A new heart and a new spirit: We ask for this with the penitential Psalm par excellence, the Miserere, which we sing today with the response, "Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned" (The Sunday Missal).

The true believer, aware of being a sinner, aspires with his whole self -- spirit, heart and body -- to divine forgiveness, as to a new creation that can restore joy and hope to him (cf. Psalm 51[50]: 3, 5, 12, 14).

Another aspect of Lenten spirituality is what we could describe as "combative," as emerges in today's "Collect," where the "weapons" of penance and the "battle" against evil are mentioned.

Every day, but particularly in Lent, Christians must face a struggle, like the one that Christ underwent in the desert of Judea, where for 40 days he was tempted by the devil, and then in Gethsemane, when he rejected the most severe temptation, accepting the Father's will to the very end.

It is a spiritual battle waged against sin and finally, against Satan. It is a struggle that involves the whole of the person and demands attentive and constant watchfulness.

St. Augustine remarks that those who want to walk in the love of God and in his mercy cannot be content with ridding themselves of grave and mortal sins, but "should do the truth, also recognizing sins that are considered less grave..., and come to the light by doing worthy actions. Even less grave sins, if they are ignored, proliferate and produce death" (In Io. evang. 12, 13, 35).

Lent reminds us, therefore, that Christian life is a never-ending combat in which the "weapons" of prayer, fasting and penance are used. Fighting against evil, against every form of selfishness and hate, and dying to oneself to live in God is the ascetic journey that every disciple of Jesus is called to make with humility and patience, with generosity and perseverance.

Following the divine Teacher in docility makes Christians witnesses and apostles of peace. We might say that this inner attitude also helps us to highlight more clearly what response Christians should give to the violence that is threatening peace in the world.

It should certainly not be revenge, nor hatred, nor even flight into a false spiritualism. The response of those who follow Christ is rather to take the path chosen by the One who, in the face of the evils of his time and of all times, embraced the Cross with determination, following the longer but more effective path of love.

Following in his footsteps and united to him, we must all strive to oppose evil with good, falsehood with truth and hatred with love.

In the Encyclical "Deus Caritas Est," I wanted to present this love as the secret of our personal and ecclesial conversion. Referring to Paul's words to the Corinthians, "the love of Christ urges us on" (2 Corinthians 5: 14), I stressed that "the consciousness that, in Christ, God has given himself for us, even unto death, must inspire us to live no longer for ourselves but for him, and, with him, for others" (n. 33).

Furthermore, love, as Jesus says today in the Gospel, must be expressed in practical acts for our neighbor, and especially for the poor and the needy, always subordinating the value of "good works" to the sincerity of the relationship with our "Father who is in Heaven," who "sees in secret" and "will reward" all whose good actions are humble and disinterested (cf. Matthew 6: 1, 4, 6, 18).

The manifestation of love is one of the essential elements in the life of Christians who are encouraged by Jesus to be the light of the world, so that by seeing their "good works," people give glory to God (cf. Matthew 5: 16).

This recommendation to us is particularly appropriate at the beginning of Lent, so that we may understand better and better that "for the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity ... but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being" (Deus Caritas Est, n. 25).

True love is expressed in acts that exclude no one, after the example of the Good Samaritan who, with great openness of heart, helped a stranger in difficulty whom he had met "by chance" along the way (cf. Luke 10: 31).

Your Eminences, venerable Brothers in the Epsicopate and in the Priesthood, dear men and women religious and lay faithful, all of whom I greet with warm cordiality, may we enter the typical atmosphere of this liturgical period with these sentiments, allowing the Word of God to enlighten and guide us.

In Lent we will often hear re-echoing the invitation to convert and to believe in the Gospel, and we will be constantly encouraged to open our spirit to the power of divine grace. Let us cherish the abundance of teachings that the Church will be offering us in these weeks.

Enlivened by a strong commitment to prayer, determined to make a greater effort of penance, fasting and loving attention to our brethren, let us set out towards Easter accompanied by the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and model of every authentic disciple of Christ.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana; translation by Holy See [adapted here]
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On Ash Wednesday:  A Call to Be Converted to Love
1 March 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We begin today, with the liturgy of Ash Wednesday, the 40-day Lenten journey that will lead us to the Easter triduum, memorial of the Lord's passion, death and resurrection, heart of the mystery of our salvation.

It is a propitious time in which the Church invites Christians to be more intensely aware of Christ's redeeming work and to live our baptism more profoundly. In fact, in this liturgical period, from the earliest times the People of God nourished itself abundantly on the Word of God to be reinforced in the faith, going over the whole history of creation and redemption.

With its duration of 40 days, Lent acquires an undoubted evocative force. It tries to recall some of the events that marked the life and history of ancient Israel, also presenting to us again its paradigmatic value: Let us think, for example, of the 40 days of the universal flood, which ended with the covenant established by God with Noah and thus with humanity, and of the 40 days of Moses' stay on Mount Sinai, which were followed by the gift of the tablets of the Law.

Above all, the Lenten season is an invitation to relive with Jesus the 40 days he spent in the desert, praying and fasting, before undertaking his public mission.

Today we also undertake a journey of reflection and prayer with all Christians worldwide to go spiritually to Calvary, meditating on the central mysteries of the faith. In this way, we will prepare ourselves to experience, after the mystery of the Cross, the joy of the Resurrection of Easter.

In all parish communities an austere and symbolic gesture is carried out today: the imposition of ashes. And this rite is accompanied by two formulas full of meaning which constitute an urgent call to acknowledge ourselves sinners and to return to God. The first formula says: "Remember that you art dust and to dust you shall return" (cf. Genesis 3:19). These words, taken from the Book of Genesis, recall the human condition subjected to the sign of corruption and limitation, and are intended to lead us to place our hope in God alone.

The second formula refers to the words pronounced by Jesus at the beginning of his itinerant ministry: "Repent and believe in the Gospel" (Mark 1:15). It is an invitation to make firm and confident adherence to the Gospel the foundation of personal and communal renewal.

The life of a Christian is a life of faith, founded on the Word of God and nourished by it. In the trials of life and in each temptation, the secret of victory consists in listening to the Word of truth and rejecting with determination the lie of evil.

This is the authentic and central program of the Lenten Season: to listen to the Word of truth, to live, speak and do the truth, to reject lies that poison humanity and are the door to all evils. It is urgent, therefore, during these 40 days, to again listen to the Gospel, the Lord's Word, Word of truth, so that in every Christian, in each one of us, the awareness be reinforced of the truth that has been given, that he has given us, to live it and be his witnesses.

Lent stimulates us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and in this way to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what path we must take in life. Thus, the Lenten season offers us an ascetic and liturgical journey that, helping us to open our eyes in face of our weakness, makes us open our hearts to the merciful love of Christ.

In bringing us closer to God, the Lenten journey allows us to see our brothers and their needs with new eyes. Whoever begins to see God, to contemplate the face of Christ, sees his brother with other eyes, discovers his brother, his good, his evil, his needs.

For this reason, Lent, as a time of listening to the truth, it is a propitious moment to be converted to love, as the profound truth -- the truth of God – is, at the same time, love. A love that is able to assume the Lord's attitude of compassion and mercy, as I wished to remind in the Lenten Message, which has as its theme the words of the Gospel: "When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them" (Matthew 9:36).

Conscious of her mission in the world, the Church does not cease to proclaim the merciful love of Christ, who continues to direct his compassionate gaze to the men and peoples of all times: "In the face of the terrible challenge of poverty afflicting so much of the world's population, indifference and self-centered isolation stand in stark contrast to the 'gaze' of Christ. Fasting and almsgiving, which, together with prayer, the Church proposes in a special way during the Lenten Season, are suitable means for us to become conformed to this 'gaze'" (paragraph 3 [of Lenten Message]), the gaze of Christ, and to see ourselves, humanity, others with his gaze. With this spirit, we enter the austere and prayerful climate of Lent, which is, in fact, a climate of love for one's brother.

May they be days of reflection and intense prayer, in which we let ourselves be guided by the Word of God, which the liturgy proposes to us abundantly. May Lent be, moreover, a time of fasting, penance and vigilance over ourselves, aware that the struggle against sin never ends, as temptation is a daily reality and frailty and illusion are everyone's experience.

Finally, may Lent be, through almsgiving, a time to do good to others; may it be an occasion to share the gifts received with our brothers, to pay attention to the needs of the poorest and the abandoned.

May Mary, Mother of the Redeemer, who is teacher of listening and faithful adherence to God, accompany us on this journey of penance. Purified and renewed in mind and spirit, may the Virgin Mary help us to celebrate the great mystery of Christ's Pasch. With these sentiments I wish all a good and fruitful Lent.

[Translation by ZENIT]

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Pope's Address to Greek Orthodox Priests and Seminarians
"Love Cannot Fail to Be a Short Cut to Full Communion"
27 February 2006
Here is a text of the address Benedict XVI gave Feb. 27 to a group of priests and seminarians from the Theological College of the Apostoliki Diakonia of the Greek Orthodox Church.

* * *

Consistory Hall

Your Excellency,
Most Reverend Archimandrites,
Priests, Seminarians and all those taking part in the "study visit" to Rome,

As I welcome you with joy and gratitude on the occasion of the initiative of this visit to Rome, I would like to recall an exhortation that St. Ignatius, the great bishop of Antioch, addressed to the Ephesians: "Take pains to meet more often to give thanks to God and to celebrate his praise. For if you meet frequently, the forces of evil will be overcome and his work of death will be destroyed by the harmony of your faith."

At the beginning of the second millennium, for us Christians of East and West, the forces of evil have also acted in the controversies between us that still endure.

In the past 40 years, however, many comforting signs full of hope have allowed us to glimpse a new dawn, that of the day on which we will fully understand that being rooted and founded in the love of Christ actually means finding a practical way to overcome our divisions through personal and community conversion, the practice of listening to each other and common prayer for our unity.

Among the consoling signs on this journey, which is demanding but indispensable, I would like to recall the recent positive development of relations between the Church of Rome and the Orthodox Church of Greece.

Various forms of collaboration and projects that serve to deepen our understanding of one another and to foster the formation of the youngest generations have followed the memorable meeting on the Areopagus of Athens between my beloved Predecessor, Pope John Paul II, and His Beatitude Christodoulos, archbishop of Athens and All Greece.

The exchange of visits, scholarship and cooperation in the editorial field have proven to be an effective means of furthering dialogue and deepening charity, which is the perfection of life and -- as St. Ignatius also said -- together with the principle, faith, will be able to prevail over the discord of this world.

I warmly thank the Apostoliki Diakonia for this visit to Rome and for the initiatives of formation that it is developing with the Catholic Committee for Cultural Collaboration with the Orthodox Churches in the context of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. I am certain that reciprocal charity will be able to foster our creativity and lead us along new paths.

We must confront the challenges that threaten faith, cultivate the spiritual humus that has nourished Europe for centuries, reaffirm Christian values, promote peace and encounter, even in the most difficult conditions, and deepen those elements of faith and ecclesial life that can lead us to the goal of full communion in truth and in charity, especially now that the official dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church as a whole is resuming its journey with renewed vigor.

In Christian life, faith, hope and charity go hand in hand. Our witness in today's world will be truer and more effective if we realize that the way toward unity demands of all of us more living faith, sounder hope and charity which is truly the deepest inspiration that nourishes our reciprocal relations! Hope, however, should be practiced with patience and humility, and with trust in the One who guides us.

Although it may not seem within our immediate reach, the goal of unity among Christ's disciples does not prevent us from living with one another in charity at all levels, from this moment. There is no place or time in which love modeled on the love of our Teacher, Jesus, is superfluous; love cannot fail to be a short cut to full communion.

I entrust to you the task of conveying my sentiments of sincere brotherly love to His Beatitude Christodoulos. He was with us here in Rome to say the last farewell to Pope John Paul II. The Lord will point out to us the ways and times to renew our encounter in the joyful atmosphere of a meeting among brothers.

May your visit have all its desired success. May my Blessing go with you.

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]

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On Living Lent Well
26 February 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

The Gospel of Mark, theme of the Sunday celebrations of this liturgical year, presents a catechumenal itinerary, which leads the disciple to recognize Jesus as Son of God.

By a fortunate coincidence, today's passage touches on the topic of fasting: As you know, next Wednesday the Lenten season will begin with the rite of ashes and penitential fasting. For this reason, the Gospel is particularly appropriate.

It recounts how while Jesus was seated at table in the publican Levi's house, the Pharisees and followers of John the Baptist asked him why his disciples did not fast as they did. Jesus answered that the wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them; they will fast when the bridegroom is taken from them (cf. Mark 2:18-20).

With these words, Christ reveals his identity of Messiah, Israel's bridegroom, who came for the betrothal with his people. Those who recognize and welcome him are celebrating. However, he will have to be rejected and killed precisely by his own: At that moment, during his Passion and death, the hour of mourning and fasting will come.

As I mentioned, the Gospel episode anticipates the meaning of Lent. As a whole, it constitutes a great memorial of the Lord's passion, in preparation for the Easter resurrection. During this period the 'Alleluia' is not sung and we are invited to practice appropriate forms of penitential denial.

The Lenten season must not be faced with an "old" spirit, as if it were a heavy and tedious obligation, but with the new spirit of the one who has found in Jesus and his paschal mystery the meaning of life, and now feels that everything must make reference to him. This was the attitude of the Apostle Paul, who affirmed that he left everything behind to be able to know Christ "and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11).

May our guide and teacher in our Lenten journey be Mary Most Holy, who, when Jesus went with determination to Jerusalem to suffer the passion, followed him with total faith. As a "new amphora" she received the "new wine" prepared by the Son for the messianic betrothal (cf. Mark 2:22). And, in this way, she was the first to receive under the Cross that grace, poured out by the pierced heart of the son, incarnation of the love of God for humanity, that she herself, had requested with a mother's instinct for the bride and groom of Cana (cf. "Deus Caritas Est," Nos. 13-15).

(Translation by Zenit)
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"St. Joseph and Our Lady of Trust"
25 February 2006

Here is a translation of Benedict XVI's discourse during his Feb. 25 visit to the community of the Roman Major Seminary on the occasion of the feast of Our Lady of Trust.

* * *

Dear Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Presbyterate,
Dear Seminarians,
Brothers and Sisters,

It gives me great pleasure to be with you this evening at the Roman Major Seminary on such a special occasion as the feast of your patroness, Our Lady of Trust.

I greet you all with affection and thank you for having welcomed me so warmly. I greet in particular the cardinal vicar and the bishops present; I greet Monsignor Giovanni Tani, the rector, and I thank him for his words on behalf of the other priests and all the seminarians, to whom I gladly extend my greeting. I then greet the young people and all those from the different parishes of Rome who have come here to spend this joyful moment with us.

I have long been awaiting an opportunity to come in person to visit you who make up the community of the seminary, one of the most important places in the diocese. There are many seminaries in Rome but this one, strictly speaking, is the diocesan seminary, as is recalled by its location here in the Lateran, next to the Cathedral of St. John, the cathedral of Rome.

Consequently, following a tradition dear to beloved Pope John Paul II, I have made the most of today's feast to meet you here, where you pray, study and live in brotherhood, training for your future pastoral ministry.

It really is very beautiful and meaningful that you venerate the Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests, with the special title of Our Lady of Trust. It evokes a twofold meaning: the trust of the seminarians who, with her help, set out on their journey in response to Christ who has called them, and the trust of the Church of Rome, especially that of her bishop, which invokes the protection of Mary, the Mother of every vocation, upon this nursery-garden of priests.

It is with Mary's help, dear seminarians, that today you can prepare for your mission as priests at the service of the Church. A moment ago, when I paused in prayer before the venerable image of Our Lady of Trust in your chapel, which is the heart of your seminary, I prayed for each one of you.

In the meantime, I was thinking once again of the many seminarians who have passed through the Roman Seminary and have subsequently served Christ's Church with love. I am thinking among others of Father Andrea Santoro, recently killed in Turkey while he was praying. And I also called upon the Mother of the Redeemer to obtain for you the gift of holiness.

May the Holy Spirit, who shaped the priestly Heart of Jesus in the Virgin's womb and later at the house in Nazareth, work within you with his grace, preparing you for the future tasks that will be entrusted to you.

It is equally beautiful and appropriate today that together with the Virgin Mother of Trust, we should venerate in a special way her husband, St. Joseph, who has inspired Monsignor Marco Frisina's Oratory this year. I thank him for his sensitivity, for having chosen to honor my holy patron, and I congratulate him on this composition, while I warmly thank the soloists, the choir, the organist and all the members of the orchestra.

This oratory, significantly entitled "Shadow of the Father," affords me an opportunity to emphasize how the example of St. Joseph, a "just man," the Evangelist says, fully responsible before God and before Mary, should be an encouragement to all of you on your way toward the priesthood.

Joseph appears to us ever attentive to the voice of the Lord, who guides the events of history, and ready to follow the instructions, ever faithful, generous and detached in service, an effective teacher of prayer and of work in the hidden life at Nazareth. I can assure you, dear seminarians, that the further you advance with God's grace on the path of the priesthood, the more you will experience what abundant spiritual fruits result from calling on St. Joseph and invoking his support in carrying out your daily duty.

Dear seminarians, please accept my most cordial best wishes for your present and your future. I place them in the hands of Mary Most Holy, Our Lady of Trust. May those who are formed at the Roman Major Seminary learn to repeat the beautiful invocation, "Mater mea, fiducia mea," your distinctive motto that was coined by my Venerable Predecessor Benedict XV.

I pray that these words will be impressed upon the hearts of each one of you and will accompany you always, in your life and in your priestly ministry. Thus, you will be able to spread around you, wherever you may be, the fragrance of Mary's trust which is trust in God's provident and faithful love.

I assure you that you will be present in my prayers every day, for you are the hope of the Church of Rome. And I now cordially and joyfully impart my apostolic blessing to you and to everyone present, as well as to your relatives and to all who are close to you on your way toward the priesthood.
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On Feast of Chair of St. Peter
22 February 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The Latin liturgy celebrates today the feast of the Chair of Peter. It is a very ancient tradition, witnessed in Rome since the end of the fourth century, which renders thanksgiving to God for the mission entrusted to the Apostle Peter and his successors.

"Cathedra" literally means the established seat of the bishop, located in the mother church of a diocese, which for this reason is called "cathedral," and it is the symbol of the authority of the bishop and, in particular, of his "magisterium," that is, of the evangelical teaching that he, insofar as a successor of the apostles, is called to guard and transmit to the Christian community.

When the bishop takes possession of the local Church that is entrusted to him, he, bearing the miter and the shepherd's crosier, sits on the cathedra. From that seat he will guide, as teacher and shepherd, the journey of the faithful in faith, hope and charity.

Which was, then, the "cathedra" if St. Peter? He, chosen by Christ as "rock" on which to build the Church (cf. Matthew 16:18), began his ministry in Jerusalem, after the ascension of the Lord and Pentecost. The first "seat" of the Church was the Cenacle, and in all probability in that room, where Mary, the Mother of Jesus, also prayed with the disciples, a special place was reserved for Simon Peter.

Subsequently, the see of Peter was Antioch, a city situated on the Oronte River in Syria, today Turkey, which at the time was the third metropolis of the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria in Egypt. Of that city, evangelized by Barnabas and Paul, where "for the first time the disciples were called Christians" (Acts 11:26), Peter was the first Bishop.

In fact, the Roman Martyrology, before the reform of the calendar, established also a specific celebration of the Chair of Peter at Antioch. From there, Providence led Peter to Rome, where he concluded with martyrdom his course of service to the Gospel. For this reason, the See of Rome, which had received the greatest honor, received also the task entrusted by Christ to Peter of being at the service of all the local Churches for the building and unity of the whole People of God.

In this way the See of Rome came to be known as that of the Successor of Peter, and the "cathedra" of its Bishop represented that of the apostle charged by Christ to feed all his flock. It is attested by the most ancient Fathers of the Church, as for example St. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon, who in his treatise "Against Heresies" describes the Church of Rome as "greatest and most ancient, known by all; … founded and constituted at Rome by the two glorious Apostles Peter and Paul"; and he adds: "With this Church, because of her outstanding superiority, the universal Church must be in agreement, that is, the faithful everywhere" (III, 3, 2-3).

Tertullian, for his part, affirms: "How blessed this Church of Rome is! The Apostles themselves shed on her, with their blood, the whole of the doctrine" ("La Prescrizione degli Eretici," 36). The Chair of the Bishop of Rome represents, therefore, not only his service to the Roman community, but also his mission of guide of the whole People of God.

To celebrate the "Chair" of Peter, as we do today, means, therefore, to attribute to it a strong spiritual significance and to recognize in it a privileged sign of the love of God, good and eternal Shepherd, who wants to gather the whole of his Church and guide her along the way of salvation.

Among so many testimonies of the Fathers, I would like to refer to that of St. Jerome, taken from a letter of his to the Bishop of Rome, particularly interesting because he makes explicit reference in fact to the "chair" of Peter, presenting it as the safe harbor of truth and peace. Jerome writes thus: "I decided to consult the chair of Peter, where that faith is found exalted by the lips of an Apostle; I now come to ask for nourishment for my soul there, where once you received the garment of Christ. I follow no leader save Christ, so I enter into communion with your beatitude, that is, with the chair of Peter for this I know is the rock upon which the Church is built! ("Le Lettere," I, 15,1-2).

Dear Brothers and Sisters, in the apse of St. Peter's Basilica, as you know, is found the monument to the Chair of the Apostle, a mature work of Bernini, made in the shape of a great bronze throne, supported by the statues of four Doctors of the Church, two from the West, St. Augustine and St. Ambrose, and two from the East, St. John Chrysostom and St. Athanasius.

I invite you to pause before that evocative work, which today it is possible to admire decorated with so many candles, and pray in a particular way for the ministry that God has entrusted to me. Raising one's gaze to the alabaster glass window that opens precisely above the chair, invoke the Holy Spirit, so that he will always sustain with his light and strength my daily service to the whole Church. For this, as for your devoted attention, I thank you from my heart.

[Translation by ZENIT]

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Announcement of Consistory for 15 New Cardinals
22 February 2006

* * *

The feast of the Chair of St. Peter is a particularly appropriate day to announce that, next March 24, I will hold a consistory in which I will name the new members of the College of Cardinals.

This announcement is appropriately framed in the Feast of the Chair, because cardinals have the duty to help and support Peter's Successor in carrying out the apostolic task entrusted to him in the service of the Church.

It is no accident that, in ancient ecclesiastical documents, the popes described the College of Cardinals as "pars corporis nostri" ["part of our body"] (cf. F.X. Wernz, "Ius Decretalium," II, No. 459). The cardinals constitute a sort of senate around the Pope upon which he relies in carrying out the duties associated with his ministry as "permanent and visible source and foundation of unity of faith and communion" (cf. "Lumen Gentium," No. 18).

Therefore, with the creation of the new cardinals I intend to complete the number of 120 member electors of the College of Cardinals, established by Pope Paul VI of venerated memory (cf. "Acta Apostolicae Sedis" 65, 1973, p. 163). These are the names of the new cardinals.

1. Monsignor William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith;

2. Monsignor Franc Rodé, C.M., prefect of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life;

3. Monsignor Agostino Vallini, prefect of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature;

4. Monsignor Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino, archbishop of Caracas;

5. Monsignor Gaudencio B. Rosales, archbishop of Manila;

6. Monsignor Jean-Pierre Ricard, archbishop of Bordeaux;

7. Monsignor Antonio Cañizares Llovera, archbishop of Todelo;

8. Monsignor Nicolas Cheong Jin-Suk, archbishop of Seoul;

9. Monsignor Sean Patrick O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap., archbishop of Boston;

10. Monsignor Stanislaw Dziwisz, archbishop of Krakow;

11. Monsignor Carlo Caffarra, archbishop of Bologna;

12. Monsignor Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, SDB, bishop of Hong Kong.

Moreover, I have decided to elevate to the dignity of cardinal three prelates over the age of 80, in consideration of the service they have rendered to the Church with exemplary faithfulness and admirable dedication.

They are:

1. Monsignor Andrea Cordero Lanza Di Montezemolo, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls;

2. Monsignor Peter Poreku Dery, archbishop emeritus of Tamale, Ghana;

3. Father Albert Vanhoye, S.J., formerly distinguished rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

The new cardinals well reflect the universality of the Church. In fact, they come from various parts of the world and undertake different duties in the service of the People of God.

I invite you to raise a special prayer to the Lord for them, that he may concede them the grace necessary to carry out their mission with generosity.

As I said at the beginning, next March 24 I will hold the announced consistory and the following day, March 25, solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, I will have the joy of presiding over a solemn celebration with the new cardinals.

On that occasion I will invite all the members of the College of Cardinals to participate, with whom I intend to hold a meeting of reflection and prayer the previous day, March 23.

Let us conclude now with the singing of the Pater Noster.

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Pope's Address to Moroccan Ambassador
"Necessary That Religions and Their Symbols Be Respected"
20 February 2006
* * *
Mr. Ambassador,

I am pleased to welcome you, Your Excellency, at the presentation of the letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Morocco to the Holy See.

I thank you for your kind words and for the courteous greetings that His Majesty King Mohammed VI has conveyed to me through you. Please reciprocate by expressing to His Majesty my esteem for the traditional hospitality of acceptance and understanding which for centuries has marked the relations of the Kingdom of Morocco with the Catholic Church. I would be grateful if you will kindly assure His Majesty of my fervent good wishes for himself and for the happiness and prosperity of the noble Moroccan people.

Mr. Ambassador, you have told me of the efforts made by your country that has just celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence, to progress toward a modern, democratic and prosperous future.

One cannot but be delighted at this progress that should enable all Moroccans to live in security and in dignity, so that each one may play an active part in the social and political life of the country. Indeed, an authentic democracy demands consensus on a certain number of essential values, such as the transcendent dignity of the human person, respect for human rights, the "common good" as the purpose and criterion for the regulation of political life (cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, No. 407).

Moreover, an ever closer collaboration among the countries bordering the Mediterranean, which began several years ago, should make it possible to face with determination and perseverance not only matters concerning security and peace in the region, but also the question of the development of societies and people with a renewed awareness of the duty of solidarity and justice. For this reason now, more than ever, the Mediterranean is called to be a place of meeting and dialogue between peoples and cultures.

Among the serious problems that the countries bordering the Mediterranean must face, the phenomenon of migration is a major factor in inter-state relations. Migrants from the less privileged regions in search of a better standard of living are coming in ever-greater numbers to knock at Europe's doors. This gives more and more of them an illegal status and sometimes creates situations that seriously threaten people's dignity and safety.

Consequently, the institutions of the host or transit country must take care not to consider migrants as a commodity or a mere work force, and to respect their fundamental rights and human dignity. The precarious situation of so many foreigners should foster solidarity between the nations concerned and contribute to the development of the migrants' countries of origin.

Indeed, these problems cannot be solved by policies that are exclusively national. It is through greater collaboration between all the countries concerned that effective solutions to these distressing situations will be found.

Mr. Ambassador, you stressed your country's contribution to the dialogue between civilizations, cultures and religions. For her part, in the present international context with which we are familiar, the Catholic Church remains convinced that to encourage peace and understanding between peoples and people, it is urgently necessary that religions and their symbols be respected and that believers not be the object of provocations that wound their outlook and religious sentiments.

However, intolerance and violence as a response to offences can never be justified, for this type of response is incompatible with the sacred principles of religion; consequently, we cannot but deplore the actions of those who deliberately exploit the offence caused to religious sentiments to stir up acts of violence, especially since such action is contrary to religion.

For believers, as for all people of good will, the only path that leads to peace and brotherhood is that of respect for the religious convictions and practices of others, so that the practice of the religion a person has freely chosen may be guaranteed to each one.

Mr. Ambassador, through you I would also like to address a warm greeting to the members of the Catholic community of Morocco and to their pastors. May they have at heart to live their Christian vocation joyfully, witnessing ever more generously to the love of God for all men and women, in fruitful collaboration with them all!

At the time when you are beginning your mission to the Holy See, Your Excellency, I offer you my best wishes for the noble task that awaits you. With my collaborators you will always find the attentive welcome and cordial understanding you may need.

I wholeheartedly invoke an abundance of blessings from the Most High upon you, Your Excellency, upon your family, your collaborators, the Moroccan people and its leaders.

[Translation issued by the Holy See]
ZE06030220

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Sin Must Be Forgiven for the Man to Become Whole
19 February 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

These Sundays the liturgy presents in the Gospel the account of several healings wrought by Christ. Last Sunday, the leper; today is the turn of the paralytic whom four people took on a pallet to Jesus. Seeing their faith, he said to the paralytic: "My son, your sins are forgiven" (Mark 2:5).

Acting thus, he showed that above all he wants to heal the spirit. The paralytic is [an] image of all human beings whom sin prevents from moving freely, from walking on the path of goodness, to give the best of themselves. In fact, evil, nestling in the spirit, binds man with the cords of deceit, anger, envy and other sins and, little by little, paralyzes him.

That is why Jesus, arousing scandal in the scribes present, says first: "Your sins are forgiven," and only afterward, to show the authority that has been conferred on him by God to forgive sins, adds: "Rise, take up your pallet and walk" (Mark 2:11) and heals him completely. The message is clear: Man, paralyzed by sin, needs the mercy of God that Christ has come to give him so that, healed in his heart, the whole of his life can again flourish.

Also today humanity bears the signs of sin, which prevents it from progressing quickly in those values of fraternity, justice and peace which it has also proposed itself in solemn declarations. Why? What blocks its way? What paralyzes this integral development?

We know well that, in the historical plane, the causes are manifold and the problem is complex. But the Word of God invites us to have a look of faith and to have confidence, as those people who carried the paralytic, whom only Jesus can really cure. The basic choice of my predecessors, especially of our beloved John Paul II, was to lead the men of our time to Christ the Redeemer so that, through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, he could heal them.

I have also wanted to proceed on this path. In a particular way, with the first encyclical, "Deus Caritas Est," I wished to indicate, to believers and to the whole world, God as source of authentic love. Only the love of God can renew man's heart, and only if the heart of paralyzed humanity is healed can it get up and walk. The love of God is the true force that renews the world.

Together, let us invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary, so that all men will be open to the merciful love of God, and thus the human family might be profoundly healed from the evils afflicting it.


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Address on World Day of the Sick (Excerpts)
"The Virgin Expressed God's Tenderness for the Suffering"
11 February 2006

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I join you with great joy and I thank you for your warm welcome. . . .

Fourteen years ago, 11 February, the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, became World Day of the Sick. We all know that the Virgin expressed God's tenderness for the suffering in the Grotto of Massabielle. This tenderness, this loving concern, is felt in an especially lively way in the world precisely on the day of the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, re-presenting in the liturgy, and especially in the Eucharist, the mystery of Christ, Redeemer of Man, of whom the Immaculate Virgin is the first fruit.

In presenting herself to Bernadette as the Immaculate Conception, Mary Most Holy came to remind the modern world, which was in danger of forgetting it, of the primacy of divine grace which is stronger than sin and death. And so it was that the site of her apparition, the Grotto of Massabielle at Lourdes, became a focal point that attracts the entire People of God, especially those who feel oppressed and suffering in body and spirit.

"Come to me all of you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28), Jesus said. In Lourdes he continues to repeat this invitation, with the motherly mediation of Mary, to all those who turn to him with trust.

Dear brothers and sisters, this year, together with my collaborators at the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, we wished to focus attention on people affected by mental illness. "Mental health and human dignity" was the theme of the Congress that has taken place in Adelaide, at which the scientific, ethical and pastoral aspects were also examined.

We all know that Jesus stood before man in his wholeness in order to heal him completely, in body, mind and spirit. Indeed, the human person is a unity and his various dimensions can and must be distinguished but not separated. Thus, the Church too always proposes to consider people as such, and this conception qualifies Catholic health-care institutions as well as the approach of the health-care workers employed in them.

At this time I am thinking in particular of families with a mentally-ill member who are experiencing the weariness and the various problems that this entails. We feel close to all these situations, especially where legislation is lacking, public structures are inadequate and natural disasters or, unfortunately, wars and armed conflicts are producing in people serious psychological traumas. These are forms of poverty which attract the charity of Christ, the Good Samaritan, and of the Church, indissolubly united with him in her service to suffering humanity.

I would like today to present symbolically to all the doctors, nurses and other health-care workers and all the volunteers involved in this sector the encyclical "Deus Caritas Est," in the hope that God's love will always be vibrant in their hearts so that it will enliven their daily work, projects, initiatives and especially their relations with the sick.

By acting in the name of charity and in the style of charity, dear friends, you also make a precious contribution to evangelization, for the proclamation of the Gospel needs consistent signs that reinforce it.

And these signs speak the language of universal love, a language that is understandable to all.

In a little while, to re-create the spiritual atmosphere of Lourdes, all the lights in the basilica will be switched off and we will light our candles, symbols of faith and of the ardent invocation of God. The singing of the Ave Maria of Lourdes will invite us to go in spirit to the Grotto of Massabielle, to the feet of the Immaculate Virgin.

With profound faith let us present to her our human condition, our illnesses, a sign of neediness that is common to us all as we journey on in this earthly pilgrimage to be saved by her Son Jesus Christ. May Mary keep our hope alive so that, faithful to Christ's teaching, we renew the commitment to relieving our brethren in their sickness. May the Lord ensure that no one is alone or abandoned in a time of need, but, on the contrary, can live illness too in accordance with human dignity. With these sentiments, I wholeheartedly impart my apostolic blessing to you all: sick people, health-care workers and volunteers.

[Translation issued by the Holy See]
ZE06022302

Fidelity to God's Plan for Nations
27 January 2006

Translation of the address Benedict XVI gave to the Italian Christian Workers' Associations.
* * *

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate
and in the Presbyterate,
Dear Members of the ACLI,

We are meeting today on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Italian Christian Workers' Associations. I greet President Luigi Bobba and warmly thank him for his courteous words that truly touched me; I greet the other leaders and each one of you. I offer a special greeting to the bishops and priests who have accompanied you and who are concerned with your spiritual formation.

The birth of your sodality is due to the farsighted intuition of Pope Pius XII of venerable memory. He desired to form a visible and effective presence of Italian Catholics in the world of work and availed himself of the precious collaboration of Giovanni Battista Montini, then substitute of the Secretariat of State.

Ten years later, on 1 May 1955, the same Pontiff established the feast of St. Joseph the Worker to point out to all the world's workers the way to personal sanctification through work, and thereby to restore the perspective of authentic humanization to the drudgery of daily life.

Today too, the question of work, the focus of rapid and complex changes, never ceases to call the human conscience into question and requires that workers do not lose sight of the basic principle that must guide every practical decision: the good of all human beings and of the whole of society.

Within this basic fidelity to God's original plan, I would like here to re-read briefly, with you and for you, the three "orders" or "fidelities" which in the past you have been committed to embodying in your multiform activity.

The first fidelity that the ACLI are called to live is fidelity to workers. The person is the "measure of the dignity of work" (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, No. 271). For this reason, the magisterium has always recalled the human dimension of the activity of work and has redirected it to its true aim, without forgetting that the biblical teaching on work culminates in the commandment to rest. To require, therefore, that Sunday should not be equated to all other days of the week is a civilized decision.

Other priorities derive from the primacy of the ethical value of human labor: of the person over work (cf. "Laborem Exercens," No. 12), of work over capital (ibid.), of the universal destination of goods over the right to possess private property (ibid., No. 14), in short, the priority of being over having (ibid., No. 20).

This hierarchy of priorities shows clearly that the work environment is fully part of the anthropological issue. Today, a new and unheard-of implication of the social question connected with the protection of life is emerging in this area. We live in a time in which science and technology offer extraordinary possibilities for improving everyone's existence. But a distorted use of this power can seriously and irreparably threaten the destiny of life itself.

Thus, the teaching of beloved John Paul II, who asked us to see life as the new frontier of the social question (cf. "Evangelium Vitae," No. 20), should be reasserted. The protection of life from its conception until its natural end and wherever it is threatened, offended or trampled upon, is the first duty in which an authentic ethic of responsibility is expressed that should be consistently extended to all other forms of poverty, injustice and exclusion.

The second "fidelity" I would like to recommend to you is -- in conformity with the spirit of your Founding Fathers -- fidelity to democracy, which alone can guarantee equality and rights to everyone. Indeed, there is a sort of reciprocal dependence between democracy and justice that impels everyone to work responsibly to safeguard each person's rights, especially those of the weak and marginalized.

This being said, it should not be forgotten that the search for truth is at the same time the condition for the possibility of a real and not only apparent democracy: "As history demonstrates, a democracy without values easily turns into open or thinly disguised totalitarianism" ("Centesimus Annus," No. 46).

From here comes the invitation to work, to increase consensus around a framework of shared references, for otherwise the appeal to democracy risks becoming a mere procedural formality that perpetuates differences and exacerbates problems.

The third task is fidelity to the Church. Only cordial and passionate adherence to the journey of the Church will guarantee that necessary identity which can make itself present in every social milieu of the world without losing the savor and scent of the Gospel.

It is not by accident that John Paul II addressed these words to you on 1 May 1995: "The Gospel alone renews the ACLI"; they still mark out the principal route for your association, since they encourage you to put the Word of God at the center of your life and to see evangelization as an integral part of your mission.

The presence, then, of priests as spiritual guides helps you make the most of your relationship with the local Church and strengthens your commitment to ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.

As associated Christian lay people and workers, always take pains with the formation of your members and leaders, with a view to the special service to which you are called. As witnesses of the Gospel and weavers of fraternal bonds, be present courageously in the crucial areas of social life.

Dear friends, the main theme of your 60th anniversary celebration was the reinterpretation of these historical "fidelities," doing justice to the fourth task with which Venerable John Paul II urged you to "extend the bounds of your social action" (Address to the ACLI, April 27, 2002; L'Osservatore Romano, English edition, June 12, No. 4, p. 11).

May this commitment to the future of humanity always be enlivened by Christian hope. In this way you too, as witnesses of the Risen Jesus, Hope of the world, will help to impress new dynamism upon the great tradition of the Italian Christian Workers' Associations and be able to cooperate under the action of the Holy Spirit to renew the face of the earth.

May God accompany you and the Blessed Virgin protect you, your families and all your projects. I bless you with affection, as I assure you of my special remembrance in prayer.

[Translation of the Italian original distributed by the Holy See]
ZE06022428

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Address to Neocatechumenal Way
12 January 2006
* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I warmly thank you for your visit, which gives me the opportunity to send a special greeting also to the other members of the Neocatechumenal Way scattered in so many parts of the world. I address my thoughts to each one present, starting with the venerable cardinals, bishops and priests. I greet those in charge of the Neocatechumenal Way: Mr. Kiko Argüello, whom I thank for his words on your behalf, Ms. Carmen Hernández and Father Mario Pezzi. I greet the seminarians, the young people and especially the families that are preparing to receive a special missionary "mandate" to go to various nations, especially in Latin America.

This is a task that fits into the context of the new evangelization in which the family plays a role more important than ever. You have asked that the Successor of Peter confer this mandate as my venerable Predecessor John Paul II did in the past, on 12 December 1994, because you intend your apostolic action to take place in the heart of the Church, in total harmony with her directives and in communion with the particular Churches in which you are going to work, making the most of the riches of the charisms that the Lord has awakened through the founders of the Way.

Dear families, the crucifix you will receive will be your inseparable traveling companion while you proclaim with your missionary action that only in Jesus Christ, who died and was raised, is there salvation. You will be his docile and joyful witnesses, walking the highways of every continent in simplicity and poverty, sustained by ceaseless prayer and listening to the Word of God and nourished by participation in the liturgical life of the particular Churches to which you are sent.

The importance in evangelization of the liturgy, and in particular of Holy Mass, has often been stressed by my Predecessors, and your long experience can certainly confirm that the centrality of the mystery of Christ celebrated in the liturgical rites is a privileged and indispensable way to build living and persevering Christian communities.

Precisely to help the Neocatechumenal Way to render even more effective its evangelizing action in communion with all the People of God, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments recently imparted to you in my name certain norms concerning the Eucharistic Celebration, after the trial period that the Servant of God John Paul II conceded. I am sure you will attentively observe these norms that reflect what is provided for in the liturgical books approved by the Church.

By faithfully keeping to every Church directive, you will make your apostolate even more effective, in tune and in full communion with the Pope and the Pastors of every Diocese. And in so doing, the Lord will continue to bless you with abundant pastoral fruits.

In fact, you have been able to do a great deal in these years and numerous vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life have been born in your communities.

Today, however, our attention is addressed particularly to families. More than 200 of them are about to be sent out on mission; these are families who leave without much human support but who are counting first and foremost on the support of divine Providence.

Dear families, you can witness with your history that the Lord does not abandon those who entrust themselves to him. Continue to spread the Gospel of life. Wherever your mission leads you, let yourselves be illumined by the comforting words of Jesus: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides," and again, "Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil" (Matthew 6:33-34). In a world that seeks human certainties and earthly reassurance, show that Christ is the firm rock on which to construct the building of your own existence and that trust placed in him is never in vain.

May the Holy Family of Nazareth protect you and be your model. I assure you of my prayer for you and for all the members of the Neocatechumenal Way, while I affectionately impart to each one the apostolic blessing.
ZE06021922

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"Lord, What Is Man That You Care for Him?"
Commentary on Psalm 143(144):1-8
11 January 2006

* * *

1. Our journey through the Psalter used by the Liturgy of Vespers now brings us to a royal hymn, Psalm 143(144), of which the first part was proclaimed: In fact, the liturgy proposes this hymn dividing it in two sections.

The first part (cf. verses 1 to 8) reveals clearly the literary characteristic of this composition: The psalmist uses quotations from other texts of the Psalms, articulated in a new hymn and prayer.

Given that the psalm belongs to a later period, it is easy to imagine that the king who is exalted no longer has the features of the Davidic sovereign, since Jewish royalty ended with the Babylonian exile in the sixth century B.C., but rather those of the luminous and glorious figure of the Messiah, whose victory is no longer a martial-political event, but an intervention of liberation against evil. The "messiah," Greek word that indicated the "anointed one," is replaced by the "Messiah" par excellence, who in Christian literature has the face of Jesus Christ, "the s