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Skriven 2006-06-10 10:58:40 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service - Press Release
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                The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                          Vatican Information Service.
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                               VIS-Press releases

PETER, CUSTODIAN OF COMMUNION WITH CHRIST

VATICAN CITY, JUN 7, 2006 (VIS) - The foundation of the Church upon the rock
represented by St. Peter the Apostle, custodian of communion with Christ,
provided the theme for Benedict XVI's catechesis during his general audience
today, which was held in St. Peter's Square in the presence of more than 50,000
people.

The Pope began by recalling how the Gospel of St. John, "in recounting the
first meeting of Jesus with Simon, brother of Andrew, records a curious event:
Jesus 'looked at him and said: so you are Simon, the son of John? You shall be
called Cephas (which means Peter)'."

"This fact takes on particular significance if we consider how, in the Old
Testament, a change of name often accompanied a new mission," said the Pope
before going on to mention a number of evangelical episodes that highlight "the
will of Christ to attribute to Peter a special importance within the Apostolic
college," such as when He stayed in Peter's house in Capernaum, or chose his
boat on the Lake of Gennesaret.

"Peter himself," the Holy Father continued, "was aware of his special position:
it was often he who would speak, also in the name of the others, asking for
explanation of a difficult parable or the exact meaning of a precept. ...
Equally decided was the profession of faith which, again in name of the Twelve,
he made near Caesarea Philippi. To Jesus Who asks: 'But who do you say that I
am?' it is Peter who replies: 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'

"In response," the Pope added, "Jesus then pronounced the solemn declaration
that defined, once and for all, Peter's role in the Church: 'And I tell you,
you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church. ... I will give you the
keys of the kingdom, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Benedict XVI went on: "The three metaphors Jesus uses are themselves very
clear: Peter will be the rock foundation upon which the building of the Church
rests; he will hold the keys of the kingdom of heaven to open and close to whom
he will; and finally, he can bind and loosen in the sense that he can impose or
prohibit whatever he considers necessary for the life of the Church. ... This
describes ... what would later be qualified with the term 'primacy of
jurisdiction'."

After the resurrection, Peter was the first of the Apostles to witness the
appearance of Jesus, and this again marks "the continuity between his primacy
among the Apostles and the preeminence he would continue to have in the
community that came into being following the events of Easter."

"The fact that a number of the key texts referring to Peter are associated with
the Last Supper, during which Christ conferred upon him the ministry of
confirming his brethren, shows how the Church, which was born from the Paschal
remembrance celebrated in the Eucharist, has, in the ministry entrusted to
Peter, one of her constitutive elements."

"This is primacy for all time. Peter must be the custodian of communion with
Christ. He must guide [people] to communion with Christ, and guide in such a
way that the net does not break but supports that great universal communion by
which together we can be with Christ, Who is Lord of us all. This is his
responsibility, guaranteeing communion with Christ, with Christ's charity, and
the implementation of that charity in daily life."

"Let us pray that the primacy of Peter, entrusted to weak human beings, may
always be exercised in this original sense that the Lord intended; and that it
be ever more recognized in its true significance by the brethren not yet in
full communion with us."

During a brief ceremony held following the general audience, the Pope was
granted honorary citizenship of the German town of Altotting.
AG/PETER:FOUNDATION CHURCH/... VIS 060607 (680)

SUMMARY

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