VATICAN CITY, 14 FEB 2010 (VIS) - At midday today, having completed his morning visit to a shelter for the poor run by Roman diocesan Caritas, the Holy Father appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
Commenting on the Sermon on the Mount, one of the themes of today's liturgy, the Pope explained how "the Beatitudes are rooted in the fact that divine justice exists, exalting those who have been wrongly humiliated and humbling those who have exalted themselves. ... This justice, this Beatitude, will be realised in the Kingdom or Heaven, the Kingdom of God, which comes at the end of time but which is already present in history.
"Wherever the poor are consoled and admitted to the banquet of life", he added, "there the justice of God is already manifest. This is the task the Lord's disciples are called to undertake in modern society", he said, mentioning the Caritas shelter he had visited that morning and praising "people who, all over the world, gratuitously dedicate themselves to such works of justice and love".
Returning then to the question of justice, theme of his Message for Lent 2010, the Pope observed that "Christ's Gospel responds positively to man's thirst for justice, but in an unexpected and surprising way. Christ does not propose a social or political revolution, but a revolution of love which he has already achieved with His cross and His resurrection. It is upon these that the Beatitudes rest, opening a new horizon of justice".
After praying the Angelus, Benedict XVI greeted certain Asian communities, such as the Vietnamese and Chinese, who are currently celebrating their New Year. "These are days of festivity, which those peoples experience as a special moment to strengthen family and generational ties", he said. "My hope is that they may all maintain and augment the rich heritage of spiritual and moral values which are deeply rooted in their culture".
Turning then to greet Polish faithful, the Pope recalled the fact that today marks the Feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, patron saints of Europe. "The values they disseminated in our continent - the sign of the cross, the Gospel of Christ and a life lived according to the Gospel - remain the solid foundation for the spiritual strength of European people and European unity. They are important values for us too in the modern age", he concluded.
ANG/BEATITUDES/... VIS 20100215 (420)
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