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DAILY WORLD NEWS
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07.19.2008 - Eighteenth Year - Num. 138 |
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SUMMARY OF POPE'S APOSTOLIC TRIP TO
- Renewal for the
- Transform Your Lives by
Accepting the Holy Spirit ___________________________________________________________ RENEWAL
FOR THE VATICAN CITY, 19 JUL 2008 (VIS) - At
In his homily the Pope made reference to the new altar, which he
dedicated during the ceremony, pointing out that "in today's liturgy the
Church reminds us that, like this altar, we too have been consecrated, set
'apart' for the service of God and the building up of His Kingdom. All too
often, however, we find ourselves immersed in a world that would set God
'aside'. In the name of human freedom and autonomy, God's name is passed
over in silence, religion is reduced to private devotion, and faith is
shunned in the public square. At times this mentality, so completely at
odds with the core of the Gospel, can even cloud our own understanding of
the Church and her mission.
"We too", he added, "can be tempted to make the life of faith a
matter of mere sentiment, thus blunting its power to inspire a
consistent vision of the world and a rigorous dialogue with the many other
visions competing for the minds and hearts of our
contemporaries.
"Yet history", he continued, "shows that the question of God will
never be silenced, and that indifference to the religious dimension of
human existence ultimately diminishes and betrays man himself. Is that not
the message which is proclaimed by the magnificent architecture of this
cathedral? Is that not the mystery of faith which will be proclaimed from
this altar at every celebration of the Eucharist?"
"Wherever man is diminished, the world around us is also
diminished; it loses its ultimate meaning and strays from its goal. What
emerges is a culture, not of life, but of death. How could this be
considered 'progress'? It is a backward step, a form of regression which
ultimately dries up the very sources of life for individuals and all of
society".
After indicating that "today's liturgy offers an eloquent symbol of
that progressive spiritual transformation to which each of us is called",
the Pope expressed the hope that "this celebration, in the presence of the
Successor of Peter, may be a moment of rededication and renewal for the
whole Church in Australia".
He went on: "Here I would like to pause to acknowledge the shame
which we have all felt as a result of the sexual abuse of minors by some
clergy and religious in this country. Indeed, I am deeply sorry for the
pain and suffering the victims have endured, and I assure them that, as
their pastor, I too share in their suffering. These misdeeds, which
constitute so grave a betrayal of trust, deserve unequivocal condemnation.
They have caused great pain and have damaged the Church's witness. I ask
all of you to support and assist your bishops, and to work together with
them in combating this evil. Victims should receive compassion and care,
and those responsible for these evils must be brought to justice. It is an
urgent priority to promote a safer and more wholesome environment,
especially for young people".
Turning then to address young religious and seminarians, the Pope
encouraged them to "enter sincerely and deeply into the discipline and
spirit of your programmes of formation. Walk in Christ's light daily
through fidelity to personal and liturgical prayer, nourished by
meditation on the inspired word of God. ... Make the daily celebration of
the Eucharist the centre of your life".
"Model your lives daily", he told them, "on the Lord's own loving
self-oblation in obedience to the will of the Father. You will then
discover the freedom and joy which can draw others to the Love which lies
beyond all other loves as their source and their ultimate
fulfilment.
"Never forget that celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom means
embracing a life completely devoted to love, a love that enables you to
commit yourselves fully to God's service and to be totally present to your
brothers and sisters, especially those in need. The greatest treasures
that you share with other young people - your idealism, your generosity,
your time and energy - these are the very sacrifices which you are placing
upon the Lord's altar. May you always cherish this beautiful charism which
God has given you for His glory and the building up of the
Church!"
Following Mass, Benedict XVI returned to Cathedral House where he
had lunch with Australian bishops and his entourage. PV- TRANSFORM YOUR LIVES BY ACCEPTING THE HOLY
SPIRIT
The prayer vigil began with the racecourse in darkness, gradually
illuminated by torches borne by dancers on the podium, representing the
opening to the Holy Spirit. Subsequently, the World Youth Day cross and
flag were positioned on the stage in anticipation of the Pope's arrival,
who entered accompanied by 12 pilgrims while the assembly sang the hymn
"Our Lady of the Southern Cross".
An indigenous woman lit the candles carried by the 12 pilgrims, who
in their turn lit those of the assembly and of the bishops. Seven young
people then invoked the Holy Spirit through the intercession of the
patrons of WYD.
"Tonight we focus our attention on how to become witnesses", the
Pope told the young people in his address. "You are already well aware
that our Christian witness is offered to a world which in many ways is
fragile. The unity of God's creation is weakened by wounds which run
particularly deep when social relations break apart, or when the human
spirit is all but crushed
through the exploitation
and abuse of persons. Indeed, society today is being fragmented by a
way of thinking that is inherently short-sighted, because it disregards the full horizon
of truth, the truth about God and about us. By its nature, relativism fails to see the
whole picture. It ignores the very principles
which enable us to live and flourish in unity, order and
harmony".
"Unity and
reconciliation cannot be achieved through our efforts alone. God
has made us for one another and only in God and His Church can we find the
unity we seek. Yet, in the face of imperfections and disappointments -
both individual and institutional - we are sometimes tempted to construct
artificially a 'perfect' community. That temptation is not new. The
history of the Church includes many examples of attempts to bypass or
override human weaknesses or failures in order to create a perfect unity,
a spiritual utopia".
Yet, the Pope went on, "such attempts to construct unity in fact
undermine it. To separate the
Holy Spirit from Christ present in the Church's institutional structure
would compromise the unity of the Christian community, which is precisely
the Spirit's gift! ... Unfortunately the temptation to 'go it
alone' persists. Some today portray their local community as somehow
separate from the so-called institutional Church, by speaking of the
former as flexible and open to the Spirit and the latter as rigid and
devoid of the Spirit.
"Unity is of the essence of the Church", he added, "it is a gift we
must recognise and cherish. Tonight, let us pray for the resolve to
nurture unity: contribute to it! resist any temptation to walk away! For
it is precisely the comprehensiveness, the vast vision, of our faith -
solid yet open, consistent yet dynamic, true yet constantly growing in
insight - that we can offer our world".
"Be watchful!
Listen!" the Holy Father told his audience. "Through the dissonance and
division of our world, can you hear the concordant voice of humanity?" he
asked them. What emerges, he said, is "the same human cry for recognition, for belonging, for
unity. Who satisfies that essential human yearning to be one, to be
immersed in communion, ... to be led to truth? The Holy Spirit! This is
the Spirit's role: to bring Christ's work to fulfilment. Enriched with the
Spirit's gifts, you will have the power to move beyond the piecemeal, the
hollow utopia, the fleeting, to offer the consistency and certainty of
Christian witness!"
"The Holy Spirit has been in some ways the neglected person of the
Blessed Trinity. A clear understanding of the Spirit almost seems beyond
our reach", said Pope Benedict, going on to explain, however, that St.
Augustine comes to our aid with his three "particular insights" about the Holy Spirit "as the bond of
unity within the Blessed Trinity: unity as communion, unity as
abiding love, and unity as giving and gift".
St. Augustine affirms, Benedict XVI recalled, "that the two words
'Holy' and 'Spirit' refer to what is divine about God; in other words what
is shared by the Father and the Son: their communion. So, if the distinguishing characteristic of
the Holy Spirit is to be what is shared by the Father and the
Son, Augustine concluded that the Spirit's particular quality is unity".
"True unity could never be founded upon relationships which deny
the equal dignity of other persons. Nor is unity simply the sum total of
the groups through which we sometimes attempt to 'define' ourselves. In
fact, only in the life of communion is unity sustained and human identity
fulfilled: we recognise the common need for God, we respond to the
unifying presence of the Holy Spirit, and we give ourselves to one another
in service".
Augustine's second insight concerns love, the Pope explained.
"Ideas or voices which lack love - even if they seem sophisticated or
knowledgeable - cannot be 'of the Spirit'", he said. "Furthermore, love
has a particular trait: ... to abide. By its nature love is enduring".
Thus "we catch a further glimpse of how much the Holy Spirit offers our
world: love which dispels uncertainty; love which overcomes the fear of
betrayal; love which carries eternity within; the true love which draws us
into a unity that abides!"
As for the third insight, "the Holy Spirit as gift", Benedict XVI
said: "The Holy Spirit is God eternally giving Himself; like a
never-ending spring He pours forth nothing less than Himself. In view of
this ceaseless gift, we come to see the limitations of all that perishes,
the folly of the
consumerist mindset. We
begin to understand why the quest for novelty leaves us unsatisfied and
wanting. Are we not looking for an eternal gift? The spring that will never run
dry?" "Dear young people, we have seen that it is the
Holy Spirit Who brings about the wonderful communion of believers in Jesus
Christ. True to His nature as giver and gift alike, He is even now working
through you. Inspired by the insights of
"Let us invoke the Holy Spirit: He is the artisan of God's works",
the Pope concluded. "Let His gifts shape you! Just as the Church travels
the same journey with all humanity, so too you are called to exercise the
Spirit's gifts amidst the ups and downs of your daily life. Let your faith mature through your
studies, work, sport, music and art. Let it be sustained by prayer and
nurtured by the Sacraments. ... In the end, life is not about
accumulation. It is much more than success. To be truly alive is to be
transformed from within, open to the energy of God's love. In
accepting the power of the Holy Spirit you too can transform your
families, communities and nations. Set free the gifts! Let wisdom,
courage, awe and reverence be the marks of
greatness!"
Having concluded his remarks, 24 catechumens was presented to the
Holy Father, upon whom he will impart the Sacrament of Confirmation
tomorrow. The prayer vigil will continue through the night, with the
Eucharist adoration alternating with moments of silence in preparation for
tomorrow's PV-AUSTRALIA/VIGIL/RANDWICK |
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You can find more
information at: www.vatican.va - www.vis.pcn.net |
