Pope: in Germany I confirmed that indeed "where there is God the is a future"
At the general audience, Benedict XVI retraces the steps of his visit to Germany. God is not a danger to democracy and freedom. Just as religion requires freedom, so freedom needs religion. In the Bundestag I exposed the "foundation of law and free State of law, that is, the measure of all law, inscribed by the Creator in the very being of His creation."
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Confirmation that "where there is God, there is a future", that God is not a danger to democracy and freedom, and that as religion needs freedom, so too freedom needs religion, sharing "the joy of being Catholic," seeing that "faith in my native German has a young face, it is alive, it has a future": this is Benedict XVI summary of his visit to Germany from 22 to 25 of this month, retraced by the same Pope in his address to over 20 thousand people in St. Peter's Square for the general audience.
"Intense and wonderful days", "a great celebration of faith", an opportunity to "meet and speak to the people of God", but also an opportunity, at the Bundestag, the German Parliament, to "expose the foundation of law and free State of law, that is, the measure of all law, inscribed by the Creator in the very being of His creation. Therefore we must broaden our concept of nature, understanding it not only as a set of functions but beyond this as the language of the Creator to help us discern right from wrong".
Again during the Berlin leg of the visit, Benedict XVI recalls the meeting with representatives of the Jewish community, with whom "highlighted the fruits achieved thus far in the dialogue between the Catholic Church and Judaism in Germany” and the meeting with members of the Muslim community, “agreeing with them about the importance of religious freedom for the peaceful development of humanity".
The stage in Thuringia, the "land of the Protestant Reformation", was particularly dedicated to ecumenism. In Erfurt, the city where Martin Luther entered the Augustinian community and was ordained a priest, the Pope was "very pleased" with the meeting of the Council of Reformed Protestant Churches in Germany: "a cordial meeting that, in dialogue and in prayer, drew us more deeply towards Christ. We have again seen the importance of our common witness of faith in Jesus Christ in today's world which often ignores God or has no interest in Him. Our common efforts in the path towards full unity are necessary, but we are always well aware that neither the faith or unity so longed for are a product of our own. A faith created by ourselves is of no value, and true unity is rather a gift from God "," only Christ can give us this unity, and we will be ever more united in the extent to which we return to Him and allow ourselves to be transformed by Him ".
Benedict XVI described the celebration of vespers at the Marian shrine of Etzelsbach as “particularly moving”, a region that "always remained Catholic throughout the various vicissitudes of history" whose inhabitants "have courageously opposed the dictatorships of Nazism and communism."
In Erfurt, reminding patrons saints of Thuringia and "the shining example of the faithful who witnessed to the Gospel during the totalitarian regimes, I invited the faithful to be the saints of today, good witnesses of Christ, and to help build our society . In fact, they have always been saints and people imbued with the love of Christ to really transform the world". During the visit to Erfurt, Benedict XVI also had occasion to "meet some victims of sexual abuse by clergymen, whom I wanted to assure of my sorrow and my closeness to their suffering."
Of Freiburg, the Pope recalled the "very festive reception" and the prayer vigil with thousands of young people. "I was happy to see that faith in my native German has a young face, it is alive and has a future”. "I transmitted flame of the Paschal candle, symbol of light that is Christ, to the young people exhorting them: You are the light of the world. I repeated to them that the Pope is confident in the active collaboration of the youth; with the grace of Christ, they are able to bring the fire of God’s love to the world. "
Again in Freiburg, Benedict XVI met with the seminarians, "I wanted to show them the beauty and grandeur of their calling from the Lord" and representatives of the Orthodox Churches "to whom we Catholics feel very close. In fact, it is from this broad commonality that the common task to be leaven for the renewal of our society is derived. "
And finally in the great celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday at the Freiburg airport his thanks to volunteers from the charitable initiatives of the German Church. "I recalled that their valuable service will always be fruitful when it is born of an authentic faith and lives in union with the bishops and the Pope, in union with the Church. Finally, before my return, I talked to a thousand Catholics involved in the Church and in society, suggesting some reflections on the action of the Church in a secularized society, on the invitation to be free from material and political burdens to reflect God more transparently".
"Intense and wonderful days", "a great celebration of faith", an opportunity to "meet and speak to the people of God", but also an opportunity, at the Bundestag, the German Parliament, to "expose the foundation of law and free State of law, that is, the measure of all law, inscribed by the Creator in the very being of His creation. Therefore we must broaden our concept of nature, understanding it not only as a set of functions but beyond this as the language of the Creator to help us discern right from wrong".
Again during the Berlin leg of the visit, Benedict XVI recalls the meeting with representatives of the Jewish community, with whom "highlighted the fruits achieved thus far in the dialogue between the Catholic Church and Judaism in Germany” and the meeting with members of the Muslim community, “agreeing with them about the importance of religious freedom for the peaceful development of humanity".
The stage in Thuringia, the "land of the Protestant Reformation", was particularly dedicated to ecumenism. In Erfurt, the city where Martin Luther entered the Augustinian community and was ordained a priest, the Pope was "very pleased" with the meeting of the Council of Reformed Protestant Churches in Germany: "a cordial meeting that, in dialogue and in prayer, drew us more deeply towards Christ. We have again seen the importance of our common witness of faith in Jesus Christ in today's world which often ignores God or has no interest in Him. Our common efforts in the path towards full unity are necessary, but we are always well aware that neither the faith or unity so longed for are a product of our own. A faith created by ourselves is of no value, and true unity is rather a gift from God "," only Christ can give us this unity, and we will be ever more united in the extent to which we return to Him and allow ourselves to be transformed by Him ".
Benedict XVI described the celebration of vespers at the Marian shrine of Etzelsbach as “particularly moving”, a region that "always remained Catholic throughout the various vicissitudes of history" whose inhabitants "have courageously opposed the dictatorships of Nazism and communism."
In Erfurt, reminding patrons saints of Thuringia and "the shining example of the faithful who witnessed to the Gospel during the totalitarian regimes, I invited the faithful to be the saints of today, good witnesses of Christ, and to help build our society . In fact, they have always been saints and people imbued with the love of Christ to really transform the world". During the visit to Erfurt, Benedict XVI also had occasion to "meet some victims of sexual abuse by clergymen, whom I wanted to assure of my sorrow and my closeness to their suffering."
Of Freiburg, the Pope recalled the "very festive reception" and the prayer vigil with thousands of young people. "I was happy to see that faith in my native German has a young face, it is alive and has a future”. "I transmitted flame of the Paschal candle, symbol of light that is Christ, to the young people exhorting them: You are the light of the world. I repeated to them that the Pope is confident in the active collaboration of the youth; with the grace of Christ, they are able to bring the fire of God’s love to the world. "
Again in Freiburg, Benedict XVI met with the seminarians, "I wanted to show them the beauty and grandeur of their calling from the Lord" and representatives of the Orthodox Churches "to whom we Catholics feel very close. In fact, it is from this broad commonality that the common task to be leaven for the renewal of our society is derived. "
And finally in the great celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday at the Freiburg airport his thanks to volunteers from the charitable initiatives of the German Church. "I recalled that their valuable service will always be fruitful when it is born of an authentic faith and lives in union with the bishops and the Pope, in union with the Church. Finally, before my return, I talked to a thousand Catholics involved in the Church and in society, suggesting some reflections on the action of the Church in a secularized society, on the invitation to be free from material and political burdens to reflect God more transparently".
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