VATICAN
CITY, 22 DEC 2011 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received
cardinals along with members of the Roman Curia and of the Governance of the
Vatican City State for the traditional exchange of Christmas and New Year's
greetings. Speaking for those present, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the
College of Cardinals, greeted the Pontiff.
In his following address, Benedict XVI reviewed the major events of this
year, which has been marked by "an economic and financial crisis that is
ultimately based on the ethical crisis looming over the Old Continent. Even
if such values as solidarity, commitment to one's neighbour and responsibility
towards the poor and suffering are largely uncontroversial, still the
motivation is often lacking for individuals and large sectors of society to
practise renunciation and make sacrifices". That is why "the key
theme of this year, and of the years ahead, is this: how do we proclaim the
Gospel today?" in a way that the faith may be the living force that is
absent today.
In this respect, the Pope noted that "the ecclesial events of the
outgoing year were all ultimately related to this theme. There were the
journeys to Croatia, to the World Youth Day in Spain, to my home country of
Germany, and finally to Africa - Benin - for the consignment of the
Post-Synodal document on justice, peace, and reconciliation ... Equally
memorable were the journeys to Venice, to San Marino, to the Eucharistic
Congress in Ancona, and to Calabria. And finally there was the important day
of encounter in Assisi for religions and for people who in whatever way are
searching for truth and peace".
Other important steps in the same direction were the establishment of the
Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, which points "towards
next year's Synod on the same theme", and the proclamation of the Year
of Faith.
Without
Revitalizing the Faith, Church Reform Will Remain Ineffective
To all of this is joined the reflection on the need for reform within the
Church. "Faithful believers ... are noticing with concern that regular
churchgoers are growing older all the time and that their number is
constantly diminishing; that recruitment of priests is stagnating; that
scepticism and unbelief are growing. ... There are endless debates over what
must be done in order to reverse the trend. There is no doubt that a variety
of things need to be done. ... The essence of the crisis of the Church in
Europe ... is the crisis of faith. If we find no answer to this, if faith
does not take on new life, deep conviction and real strength from the
encounter with Jesus Christ, then all other reforms will remain
ineffective".
In contrast to the European situation, Benedict XVI asserted that during his
trip to Benin "none of the faith fatigue that is so prevalent here ...
was detectable there. Amid all the problems, sufferings and trials that
Africa clearly experiences, one could still sense the people's joy in being
Christian, buoyed up by inner happiness at knowing Christ and belonging to
His Church. From this joy comes also the strength to serve Christ in
hard-pressed situations of human suffering, the strength to put oneself at
his disposal, without looking round for one's own advantage. Encountering
this faith that is so ready to sacrifice and so full of happiness is a
powerful remedy against the fatigue with Christianity such as we are
experiencing in Europe today".
Another sign of hope is seen in the World Youth Days where "again and
again ... a new, more youthful form of Christianity can be seen", one
possessing five main characteristics. "Firstly, there is a new
experience of catholicity, of the Church's universality. This is what struck
the young people and all the participants quite directly: we come from every
continent, but although we have never met one another, we know one
another" because "the same inner encounter with Jesus Christ has
stamped us deep within with the same structure of intellect, will, and heart.
... In this setting, to say that all humanity are brothers and sisters is not
merely an idea: it becomes a real shared experience, generating joy".
Secondly, "from this derives a new way of living our humanity, our Christianity.
For me, one of the most important experiences of those days was the meeting
with the World Youth Day volunteers: about 20,000 young people, all of whom
devoted weeks or months of their lives" to the preparations. "At
the end of the day, these young people were visibly and tangibly filled with
a great sense of happiness: the time that they had given up had meaning; in
giving of their time and labour, they had found time, they had found life.
... These young people did good, even at a cost, even if it demanded
sacrifice, simply because it is a wonderful thing to do good, to be there for
others. All it needs is the courage to make the leap. Prior to all of this is
the encounter with Jesus Christ, inflaming us with love for God and for
others, and freeing us from seeking our own ego". The Pope recalled
having found the same attitude in Africa from the Sisters of Mother Teresa
"who devote themselves to abandoned, sick, poor, and suffering children,
without asking anything for themselves, thus becoming inwardly rich and free.
This is the genuinely Christian attitude".
The
Joy of Knowing We Are Loved by God
The third element characterizing the World Youth Days is adoration. Benedict
XVI remarked on the crowds' silence before the Blessed Sacrament in Hyde
Park, Zagreb, and Madrid. "God is indeed ever-present", he said.
"But again, the physical presence of the risen Christ is something
different, something new. ... Adoration is primarily an act of faith - the
act of faith as such. God is not just some possible or impossible hypothesis
concerning the origin of all things. He is present. And if He is present,
then I bow down before him. ... We enter this certainty of God's tangible
love for us with love in our own hearts. This is adoration, and this then determines
my life. Only thus can I celebrate the Eucharist correctly and receive the
body of the Lord rightly".
Confession is another essential characteristic of the World Youth Days
because, with this sacrament "we recognize that we need forgiveness over
and over again, and that forgiveness brings responsibility. Openness to love
is present in man, implanted in him by the Creator, together with the
capacity to respond to God in faith. But also present, in consequence of
man's sinful history ... is the tendency ... towards selfishness, towards
becoming closed in on oneself, in fact towards evil. ... Therefore we need
the humility that constantly asks God for forgiveness, that seeks
purification and awakens in us the counterforce, the positive force of the Creator,
to draw us upwards".
Fifthly, and finally, the Pope mentioned the joy that above all depends on
the certainty, based on faith that "I am wanted; I have a task; I am
accepted, I am loved. ... Man can only accept himself if he is accepted by
another. ... This sense of being accepted comes in the first instance from
other human beings. But all human acceptance is fragile. Ultimately we need a
sense of being accepted unconditionally. Only if God accepts me, and I become
convinced of this, do I know definitively: it is good that I exist. ... If
ever man's sense of being accepted and loved by God is lost, then there is no
longer any answer to the question whether to be a human being is good at all.
... Only faith gives me the conviction: it is good that I exist. It is good
to be a human being, even in hard times. Faith makes one happy from deep
within".
In conclusion, the Pontiff thanked the Curia for "for shouldering the
common mission that the Lord has given us as witnesses to His truth" and
them wished all a blessed Christmas.
AC/ VIS
20111222 (1330)
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