CONVERSION AND FORGIVENESS RESTORE HARMONY TO THE COSMOS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2002 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall, the pilgrims who participated in the general audience listened to the catechesis prepared by the Pope, who was not present due to the advice of his doctors regarding persistent pains in his right knee.

After the audience, the faithful went to St. Peter's Square, where Pope John Paul II greeted the crowd and imparted his blessing from his private study.

The topic of this Wednesday's general audience was Psalm 64, the "joy of God's creatures for His providence", which introduces the theme of the forgiveness of sins and the acceptance by God.
The Pope writes: "In the Bible, creation is the seat of humanity and sin is an attack on the order and perfection of the world. Conversion and forgiveness, therefore, restore integrity and harmony to the cosmos."

The Holy Father affirms that "God, Who dispels chaos and sin from the world and from history, can overcome and forgive the evil and sin that the believer carries within himself and presents in the temple, confident of the divine purification."

He continues: "All creatures make their way to their Creator and King as though in procession, dancing and singing, giving praise to the Lord and praying. Once again, nature is converted into an eloquent sign of divine action."

The Pope concludes by noting that "the most intense encounter to which the Psalmist refers in his canticle is that which unites creation and redemption. Just as the earth comes to life again in spring due to the act of the Creator, so also man is saved from sin by the act of Redemption."

At 11:30 a.m., the Holy Father appeared at the window of his private study and said to those present: "Thank you for your visit and for your prayers for my quick recovery. We have meditated on the Word of God, taken from Psalm 64, which invites us not to depend on what the world promises but to consider rather what the Creator of the world promises. With these feelings, I urge you to always place your trust in divine providence, source of peace and serenity. Let us continue our Lenten journey with our gaze fixed on Christ." The Pope then sang the Our Father and imparted his apostolic blessing.

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