Text 475, 69 rader
Skriven 2005-04-28 03:05:08 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

GENERAL AUDIENCE: POPE TELLS WHY HE CHOSE NAME OF BENEDICT

VATICAN CITY, APR 27, 2005 (VIS) - In his first general audience, which was
held this morning in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 15,000 people, the
Pope again gave thanks to God for having elected him as Peter's successor, and
explained why he chose the name of Benedict.

The Holy Father spoke of the feelings he was experiencing at the beginning of
his ministry: "awe and gratitude to God, Who surprised me more than anyone in
calling me to succeed the Apostle Peter; and interior trepidation before the
greatness of the task and the responsibilities which have been entrusted to me.
However, I draw serenity and joy from the certainty of God's help, that of His
most Holy Mother the Virgin Mary, and of the patron saints. I also feel
supported by the spiritual closeness of all the people of God whom, as I
repeated last Sunday, I continue to ask to accompany me with persistent
prayer."

"Resuming the Wednesday general audiences," he went on, "I wish to speak of the
name I chose on becoming bishop of Rome and pastor of the universal Church. I
chose to call myself Benedict XVI ideally as a link to the venerated Pontiff,
Benedict XV, who guided the Church through the turbulent times of the First
World War. He was a true and courageous prophet of peace who struggled
strenuously and bravely, first to avoid the drama of war and then to limit its
terrible consequences. In his footsteps I place my ministry, in the service of
reconciliation and harmony between peoples, profoundly convinced that the great
good of peace is above all a gift of God, a fragile and precious gift to be
invoked, safeguarded and constructed, day after day and with everyone's
contribution.

"The name Benedict also evokes the extraordinary figure of the great 'patriarch
of western monasticism,' St. Benedict of Norcia, co-patron of Europe with Cyril
and Methodius. The progressive expansion of the Benedictine Order which he
founded exercised an enormous influence on the spread of Christianity
throughout the European continent. For this reason, St. Benedict is much
venerated in Germany, and especially in Bavaria, my own land of origin; he
constitutes a fundamental point of reference for the unity of Europe and a
powerful call to the irrefutable Christian roots of European culture and
civilization."

The Pope appealed to St. Benedict for help "to hold firm Christ's central
position in our lives. May he always be first in our thoughts and in all our
activities!"

Before concluding, Benedict XVI announced that, just as at the beginning of his
pontificate John Paul II had continued the reflections on Christian virtues
begun by Pope John Paul I, in coming weekly audiences he would resume "the
comments prepared by John Paul II on the second part of the Psalms and
Canticles, which are part of Vespers. From next Wednesday, I will begin
precisely from where his catechesis was interrupted after the general audience
of January 26."

The Holy Father read out brief summaries of his catechesis, which he had
delivered in Italian, in various other languages: English, French, Spanish and
German. He then gave brief greetings to various groups in Croatian, Slovenian
and Polish and concluded by addressing the 1,000 faithful from the archdiocese
of Spoleto-Norcia, Italy, who were accompanied by Archbishop Riccardo Fontana.
AG/ST BENEDICT/... VIS 050427 (570)

SUMMARY

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