Castel Gandolfo (AsiaNews) – Today’s general audience was a very special one.  Perhaps for the first time Benedict XVI explicitly addressed his words to "people living 'as if God did not exist'", asking them "not to be afraid of the Truth", in the example of St. Augustine and St. Monica who are celebrated on the 28 and 29 of this month.

Before the faithful gathered in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, he addressed " those who are at a difficult moment in their faith journey, or those who do not participate much in the life of the Church, to those who live 'as if God did not exist', have no fear of the Truth, never stop your journey towards it, never cease to seek the profound truth about yourselves and things with the inner eye of the heart. God will not fail to gift the Light to see and Warmth to help the heart feel that He loves us and wants to be loved"

"Fear of the Truth" is typical of "our age when it seems that relativism is paradoxically the 'truth' that should guide thinking, choices and behaviour." Against relativism, the Pope presented some aspects of life of St. Augustine, "a man - he said - that has never lived with superficiality; his thirst, and constant restless search for Truth is one of the basic characteristics of his existence.  He , however, never sought a “pseudo-truth incapable of giving lasting peace to the heart ", but "that truth which gives meaning to existence and it is' the house 'where the heart finds peace and joy".

"His - he added - was not an easy road: he thought he would encounter the Truth in a prestigious career, in the possession of things, the voices that promise instant happiness, he made mistakes, he experienced sadness and faced setbacks but - and this is important – he never stopped, he was never satisfied with what gave him only a glimmer of light, he was able to look deep within himself and he realized, as he writes in the Confessions, that that Truth, that God he was endeavouring to find, was more intimate to him than he himself was, He was always beside him, He had never abandoned him, He was waiting to enter permanently into his life,(see III, 6, 11, X, 27, 38). As I said in commenting on the recent movie about his life, Augustine felt, in his restless search, it was not he who had found the Truth, but Truth itself, which is God, pursued him and found him. "

Recalling the episode of the dialogue between Augustine and his mother Monica at Ostia, the pontiff stressed the "fundamental belief in the journey towards the Truth: creatures must be silent to allow for a silence in which God can speak. This is always true in our time: sometimes there is a sort of fear of silence, of meditation, of contemplation of our actions, the deeper meaning of life, people often prefer to live only the present moment, imagining that it will bring lasting happiness; we prefer to live, because it seems easier, with superficiality, without thinking, we are afraid to seek the truth or perhaps afraid that the truth will pursue us, grab us and change our life, as it did St. Augustine".

For Benedict XVI, Augustine – whom he encountered while studying - "has become a good 'companion'" in his life and ministry. 'It is important - he added – to also have some' fellow travellers' along the path of our Christian life: for example a spiritual director, confessor, people with whom one can share experiences of faith, but I think the Virgin Mary and the Saints”.

Precisely for this reason, he urged all Christians "to know the Saints better, starting with those after whom you are named, reading their life and writings. Be assured that they will become good guides to love the Lord even more and help for your human and Christian growth”.

After the audience and greetings, the Pope made an appeal to Mogadishu (Somalia), where guerrilla groups yesterday attacked a hotel killing 32 people and six parliamentarians gathered there. "I am close - said the pope - to the bereaved families and all those in Somalia who are suffering from hate and instability. I hope that with the help of the international community, there will be unstinting efforts to restore respect for life and human rights”.

Photo: CPP