VATICAN CITY, 9 SEP 2011 (VIS) - Today in the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Nigel Marcus Baker, the new British ambassador to the Holy See.
Addressing the diplomat in English, the Pope recalled his own visit to the United Kingdom last year for the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, and expressed the hope that a "fresh awareness" of the new blessed's writings would "bear new fruit among those searching for solutions to the political, economic and social questions of our age".
"The Holy See and the United Kingdom continue to share a common concern for peace among nations, the integral development of peoples throughout the world, ... and the spread of authentic human rights, especially through the rule of law and fair participative government, with a special care for the needy and those whose natural rights are denied", said the Holy Father.
He also mentioned the recent visit made by Queen Elizabeth II to the Republic of Ireland, describing it as "an important milestone in the process of reconciliation that is happily becoming ever more firmly established in Northern Ireland, despite the unrest that occurred there during this past summer. I take this opportunity once again to encourage all who would resort to violence to put aside their grievances, and to seek instead a dialogue with their neighbours for the peace and prosperity of the whole community".
The Holy Father pointed out that the British government "wishes to employ policies that are based on enduring values that cannot be simply expressed in legal terms. This is especially important in the light of events in England this summer. When policies do not presume or promote objective values, the resulting moral relativism ... tends instead to produce frustration, despair, selfishness and a disregard for the life and liberty of others. Policy makers are therefore right to look urgently for ways to uphold excellence in education, to promote social opportunity and economic mobility, and to examine ways to favour long-term employment".
"The sustainable development of the world's poorer peoples through well-targeted assistance remains a worthy goal", the Pope went on. "Such assistance should always aim to improve their lives and their economic prospects. As you know, development is also of benefit to donor countries, not only through the creation of economic markets, but also through the fostering of mutual respect, solidarity, and above all peace through prosperity for all the world's peoples".
Pope Benedict concluded his remarks by noting that the promotion of "models of development which employ modern knowledge to husband natural resources will also have the benefit of better protecting the environment for emerging and developed countries alike".
CD/ VIS 20110909 (460)
Friday, September 9, 2011
AUDIENCES
VATICAN CITY, 9 SEP 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Archbishop Bruno Musaro, apostolic nuncio to Cuba.
- Bishop Vincenzo Paglia of Terni-Narni-Amelia, Italy, accompanied by Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Sant'Egidio Community.
AP/ VIS 20110909 (40)
- Archbishop Bruno Musaro, apostolic nuncio to Cuba.
- Bishop Vincenzo Paglia of Terni-Narni-Amelia, Italy, accompanied by Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Sant'Egidio Community.
AP/ VIS 20110909 (40)
Thursday, September 8, 2011
CHURCH INSTITUTIONS MUST EXPRESS THE LOVE OF GOD
VATICAN CITY, 8 SEP 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo, the Holy Father received a group of twenty-three prelates from the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India who are currently completing their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.
Speaking to the group in English, Benedict XVI recalled how "the Church in India is blessed with a multitude of institutions which are intended to be expressions of the love of God for humanity through the charity and example of the clergy, religious and lay faithful who staff them. By means of her parishes, schools and orphanages, as well as her hospitals, clinics and dispensaries, the Church makes an invaluable contribution to the well-being not only of Catholics, but of society at large".
Among the Church's main institutions are schools which, said the Holy Father, should help pupils to develop their spiritual, intellectual and moral faculties, as well as fomenting their capacity for sound judgment. At the same time, schools should focus on "the heritage bequeathed ... by former generations, thus fostering a sense of values and preparing their pupils for a happy and productive life".
The truth of salvation must remain at the foundation of all the Church's endeavours, so that her members may "bear witness to the love of God for all humanity as they enter into contact with the world, providing a solid Christian testimony in friendship, respect and love, and striving not to condemn the world but to offer it the gift of salvation" through word and example.
Finally, the Pope focused on the work carried out by religious in India. They are, he said, "a source of spiritual fruitfulness for the entire Christian community, as they ... inspire others to respond with trust, humility and joy to the invitation of the Lord to follow Him".
AL/ VIS 20110908 (310)
Speaking to the group in English, Benedict XVI recalled how "the Church in India is blessed with a multitude of institutions which are intended to be expressions of the love of God for humanity through the charity and example of the clergy, religious and lay faithful who staff them. By means of her parishes, schools and orphanages, as well as her hospitals, clinics and dispensaries, the Church makes an invaluable contribution to the well-being not only of Catholics, but of society at large".
Among the Church's main institutions are schools which, said the Holy Father, should help pupils to develop their spiritual, intellectual and moral faculties, as well as fomenting their capacity for sound judgment. At the same time, schools should focus on "the heritage bequeathed ... by former generations, thus fostering a sense of values and preparing their pupils for a happy and productive life".
The truth of salvation must remain at the foundation of all the Church's endeavours, so that her members may "bear witness to the love of God for all humanity as they enter into contact with the world, providing a solid Christian testimony in friendship, respect and love, and striving not to condemn the world but to offer it the gift of salvation" through word and example.
Finally, the Pope focused on the work carried out by religious in India. They are, he said, "a source of spiritual fruitfulness for the entire Christian community, as they ... inspire others to respond with trust, humility and joy to the invitation of the Lord to follow Him".
AL/ VIS 20110908 (310)
AUDIENCES
VATICAN CITY, 8 SEP 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Two prelates of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Thomas Antony Vazhapilly of Mysore.
- Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo of Shimoga.
- Ali Achour, ambassador of Morocco, on his farewell visit.
- Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Italy.
AL:AP/ VIS 20110908 (70)
- Two prelates of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Thomas Antony Vazhapilly of Mysore.
- Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo of Shimoga.
- Ali Achour, ambassador of Morocco, on his farewell visit.
- Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Italy.
AL:AP/ VIS 20110908 (70)
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
DIALECTIC OF PRAYER: HUMAN CRY AND DIVINE RESPONSE
VATICAN CITY, 7 SEP 2011 (VIS) - This morning Benedict XVI travelled by helicopter from the Apostolic Palace in Castelgandolfo to the Vatican for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.
Continuing a series of catecheses on the subject of "the school of prayer", the Holy Father turned his attention to Psalm 3 which recounts David's flight from Jerusalem when Absalom rose against him. "In the Psalmist's lament", the Pope said, "each of us may recognise those feelings of pain and bitterness, accompanied by faith in God, which, according the biblical narrative, David experienced as he fled from his city".
In the Psalm, the king's enemies are many and powerful, and the imbalance between David's forces and those of his persecutors "justifies the urgency of his cry for help". Nonetheless his adversaries "also seek to break his bond with God and to undermine the faith of their victim by insinuating that the Lord cannot intervene". Thus, the aggression "is not only physical, it also has a spiritual dimension" aimed at "the central core of the Psalmist's being. This is the extreme temptation a believer suffers: the temptation of losing faith and trust in the closeness of God", the Holy Father said.
Yet, as the Book of Wisdom says, the unrighteous are mistaken because "the Lord ... is like a shield protecting those who entrust themselves to Him. He causes them to raise their heads in sign of victory. Man is no longer alone ... because the Lord hears the cry of the oppressed. ... This intertwining of human cry and divide response is the dialectic of prayer and the key to reading the entire history of salvation. A cry expresses a need for help and appeals to the faithfulness of the other. To cry out is an act of faith in God's closeness and His willingness to listen. Prayer express the certainty of a divine presence which has already been experienced and believed, and which is fully manifested in the salvific response of God".
Psalm 3 presents us "a supplication replete with faith and consolation. By praying this Psalm we share the sentiments of the Psalmist: a just but persecuted figure which would later be fulfilled in Jesus. In pain, danger and the bitterness of misunderstanding and offence, the words of this Psalm open our hearts to the comforting certainty of faith. God is always close, even in times of difficulty, problems and darkness. He listens, responds and saves.
"However", the Pope added, "it is important to be able to recognise His presence and to accept His ways: like David during his humiliating flight from his son Absalom, like the persecuted righteous of the Book of Wisdom and, finally and fully, like the Lord Jesus on Golgotha. In the eyes of the unrighteous it appeared that God did not intervene and that His Son died, but for believers it was at that precise moment that true glory was manifested and definitive salvation achieved".
The Pope concluded: "May the Lord give us faith, may He come in aid of our weakness and help us to pray in moments of anguish, in the painful nights of doubt and the long days of pain, abandoning ourselves trustingly to Him, our shield and our glory".
AG/ VIS 20110907 (550)
Continuing a series of catecheses on the subject of "the school of prayer", the Holy Father turned his attention to Psalm 3 which recounts David's flight from Jerusalem when Absalom rose against him. "In the Psalmist's lament", the Pope said, "each of us may recognise those feelings of pain and bitterness, accompanied by faith in God, which, according the biblical narrative, David experienced as he fled from his city".
In the Psalm, the king's enemies are many and powerful, and the imbalance between David's forces and those of his persecutors "justifies the urgency of his cry for help". Nonetheless his adversaries "also seek to break his bond with God and to undermine the faith of their victim by insinuating that the Lord cannot intervene". Thus, the aggression "is not only physical, it also has a spiritual dimension" aimed at "the central core of the Psalmist's being. This is the extreme temptation a believer suffers: the temptation of losing faith and trust in the closeness of God", the Holy Father said.
Yet, as the Book of Wisdom says, the unrighteous are mistaken because "the Lord ... is like a shield protecting those who entrust themselves to Him. He causes them to raise their heads in sign of victory. Man is no longer alone ... because the Lord hears the cry of the oppressed. ... This intertwining of human cry and divide response is the dialectic of prayer and the key to reading the entire history of salvation. A cry expresses a need for help and appeals to the faithfulness of the other. To cry out is an act of faith in God's closeness and His willingness to listen. Prayer express the certainty of a divine presence which has already been experienced and believed, and which is fully manifested in the salvific response of God".
Psalm 3 presents us "a supplication replete with faith and consolation. By praying this Psalm we share the sentiments of the Psalmist: a just but persecuted figure which would later be fulfilled in Jesus. In pain, danger and the bitterness of misunderstanding and offence, the words of this Psalm open our hearts to the comforting certainty of faith. God is always close, even in times of difficulty, problems and darkness. He listens, responds and saves.
"However", the Pope added, "it is important to be able to recognise His presence and to accept His ways: like David during his humiliating flight from his son Absalom, like the persecuted righteous of the Book of Wisdom and, finally and fully, like the Lord Jesus on Golgotha. In the eyes of the unrighteous it appeared that God did not intervene and that His Son died, but for believers it was at that precise moment that true glory was manifested and definitive salvation achieved".
The Pope concluded: "May the Lord give us faith, may He come in aid of our weakness and help us to pray in moments of anguish, in the painful nights of doubt and the long days of pain, abandoning ourselves trustingly to Him, our shield and our glory".
AG/ VIS 20110907 (550)
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