THE CHURCH LIVES ON AND IS GUIDED BY THE GOSPEL

VATICAN CITY, NOV 6, 2005 (VIS) - At midday today, the Pope appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace in order to pray the Angelus with thousands of faithful gathered below in St. Peter's Square.

  The Pope recalled how on November 18, 1965, Vatican Council II "approved the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation 'Dei Verbum,' which constitutes one of the mainstays of the entire conciliar edifice. This document deals with the Revelation and its transmission, with the inspiration and interpretation of Holy Scripture, and with its fundamental importance in the life of the Church."

  "The Apostles and their successors, the bishops," he went on, "are the depositories of the message, entrusted by Jesus to His Church that it might be passed on intact to all generations. Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, as well as sacred Tradition, contain that message, the understanding of which develops in the Church with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. It is this Tradition that makes the entire canon of Holy Books known, rendering them correctly understandable and effective so that God, Who spoke to the patriarchs and the prophets, does not cease to speak to the Church and, through her, to the world."

  After highlighting how "the Church does not live off herself but off the Gospel, and from the Gospel draws constant guidance for her journey," Benedict XVI said: "'Dei Verbum' gave a powerful boost to the evaluation of the Word of God, whence derived a profound renewal of the life of the ecclesial community, especially in preaching, catechesis, theology, spirituality and ecumenical relations."

  "The Word of God, through the action of the Holy Spirit, guides believers towards the fullness of truth. Among the many fruits of this biblical springtime," the Holy Father mentioned, "the spread of the ancient practice of 'lectio divina,' or the 'spiritual reading' of Holy Scripture." This, he explained, "consists in dwelling at length over a biblical text, reading and re-reading it, ... that it may serve as nourishment for meditation and contemplation, irrigating real life with vital lymph. In order for 'lectio divina' to be effective, mind and heart must be illuminated by the Holy Spirit, in other words by the very Inspirer of Holy Scripture, and they must adopt an attitude of 'religious listening'."

  The Pope stressed that this was "the attitude typical of Most Holy Mary," as in the image of the annunciation when "she welcomed the heavenly messenger while intent on meditating upon Holy Scripture."

  He concluded: "Let us pray that, like Mary, the Church may be a docile handmaiden of the Divine Word, ever proclaiming it with firm faith so that 'the whole world may believe, by believing it may hope, and by hoping it may love'."
ANG/DEI VERBUM/...                                VIS 20051107 (480)