Text 40, 52 rader
Skriven 2004-11-16 08:00:10 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service - Press Release
===================================================
Hello All!

              The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                        Vatican Information Service.
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               VIS-Press releases

AUDIENCE: DO NOT BASE YOUR LIFE ON FALSE VALUES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2004 (VIS) - Today's general audience was celebrated in
two parts. The first took place in St. Peter's Basilica where the Holy Father
addressed the faithful in German and English, following which he went to the
Paul VI Hall to meet with other pilgrims.

The Pope spoke about Psalm 61 in which "two types of trust are contrasted. They
are two fundamental choices, one good and one perverse, which entail two types
of moral conduct. There is above all trust in God.'God is my rock and my
salvation; my fortress, I shall not be shaken'."

"There also exists," he continued, "another type of trust, of an idolatrous
nature, which the psalmist focuses on with critical attention. It is a trust
that moves one to seek safety and stability in violence, covetousness and
riches."

John Paul II referred to "the first false god, the violence which humanity
unfortunately continues to resort to even in these bloody days. Accompanying
this idol is an immense procession of wars, oppression, perversions, torture
and killing, inflicted without any trace of remorse."

"The second false god is robbery which is expressed in extortion, social
injustice, usury, political and economic corruption. Too many people cultivate
the 'illusion' of satisfying in this way their own greed. Finally, riches is
the third idol to which 'man's heart attaches itself' in the false hope of
being saved from death and being assured of gaining power and prestige."

The Pope indicated that "if we were conscious of our mortality and of the
limits of man, we would not choose to trust in idols, nor would we organize our
life on a series of fragile and inconsistent pseudo-values. We would aim rather
for another type of trust, one whose center is in the Lord, source of eternity
and peace."

"The Second Vatican Council applied to priests the invitation of this psalm 'to
keep our heart detached from riches'. . However, this call to reject perverse
trust and to choose trust that brings us to God is valid for all and must
become a guiding star in our daily behaviour, moral decisions, in our choice of
lifestyle."
AG/PSALM 61/.VIS 041110 (360)

SUMMARY

--- MPost/386 v1.21
 * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS New Orleans 1-504-897-6006 USR 33.6k (1:396/45)