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Skriven 2007-06-07 06:40:06 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service (Press Release)
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                               VIS-Press releases

CYPRIAN: CHRISTIANS DO NOT SAY MY FATHER BUT OUR FATHER

VATICAN CITY, JUN 6, 2007 (VIS) - St. Cyprian, "the first African bishop to
achieve the crown of martyrdom," was the subject of Benedict XVI's catechesis
during his general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square in the
presence of 40,000 people.

Cyprian, said the Pope, "was born in Carthage to a rich pagan family" and
"converted to Christianity at the age of 35. ... He became a priest and later a
bishop. In the brief period of his episcopate, he had to face the first two
persecutions authorized by imperial edict, that of Decius (250) and that of
Valerian (257-258)," following which many faithful "renounced their faith, or
at least failed to comport themselves correctly when under trial. These were
the so-called 'lapsi,' that is, the 'lapsed'."

Cyprian was "severe but not inflexible towards the 'lapsi,' giving them the
chance of forgiveness after an exemplary penance." The saint also "showed great
humanity and was pervaded by the most authentic evangelical spirit in exhorting
Christians to offer fraternal help to pagans during the plague." But he was
"irremovable in combating the corruption and sins that devastated the moral
life, especially that of avarice."

"Cyprian wrote many treatises and letters, all of them associated with his
pastoral ministry. Little given to theological speculations, he wrote above all
for the edification of the community and to encourage the faithful to good
behavior."

In the saint's works, the Holy Father explained, "the Church is by far the
topic most dear to him. He distinguishes between the visible hierarchical
Church and the invisible mystical Church, at the same time forcefully affirming
that the Church is one, founded upon Peter. He never tires of repeating that
'whoever abandons the chair of Peter, upon which the Church is founded, deludes
himself if he believes he remains in the Church'."

Hence, "the indispensable characteristic of the Church is unity, as symbolized
by the seamless robe of Christ; a unity that finds its foundation in Peter and
its perfect realization in the Eucharist," said the Holy Father. He then
referred to Cyprian's teaching on prayer "which highlights how in the Our
Father Christians are shown the correct way to pray." That prayer refers to
"us" and "our" rather than to "me" and "mine," said the Pope, "so that he who
prays does not pray only for himself. Ours is a public and community prayer.
... The Christian does not say 'my Father,' but 'our Father,' even when praying
in the privacy of a closed room, because he knows that everywhere and in all
circumstances, he is a member of the one Body."

"Cyprian, then, lies at the origins of that fruitful theological-spiritual
tradition that sees the heart as the privileged place of prayer. ... It is
there that God meets and talks to man, ... and man listens to God."

"Let us make our own that 'understanding heart' about which the Bible and the
Fathers speak," the Pope concluded. "We have such great need of it."
AG/CYPRIAN/...VIS 070606 (510)

SUMMARY

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