HOMILIES, ANGELUS, AND OTHER SPIRITUAL TEXTS

Here is a translation of the Holy Father's catechesis at the General Audience in St. Peter's Square this morning:

Dear brothers and sisters!

Tomorrow is the start of the Paschal Triduum, the fulcrum of the entire liturgical year. Aided by the sacred rites of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the solemn Easter Vigil, we will relive the mystery of the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord.

These are days to re-instill in us a more vivid desire to adhere to Christ and to follow him generously, knowing that He loved us to the point of giving his life for us. What indeed does the the holy Triduum remind us if not this sublime manifestation of God’s love for man?

Let us learn therefore to celebrate the Paschal Triduum taking to heart St. Augustine’s exhortation: “Now let us consider attentively the three holy days of the crucifixion, the burial and the resurrection of the Lord. Of these three mysteries we fulfill in the present that which is symbolized by the Cross, while we fulfill through faith and hope that which is symbolized by the burial and resurrection.” (Ep 55, 14,24: Nuova Biblioteca Agostiniana (NBA) XXI/II, Roma 1969, p. 477).

The Paschal Triduum opens tomorrow, Maundy Thursday, with the morning Mass “in Cena Domini” (at the Lord’s Supper), even if on the morning of this day, another liturgical celebration is normally held, the Mass of the Chrism, during which, gathered around their Bishop, all the priests in every diocese renew their sacerdotal vows, and take part in the blssing of the oils for the catechumens (for baptism), for the sick, and for Chrism, and so we shall do that tomorrow here in St. Peter’s.

Besides the institution of the priesthood, we commemorate on this holy day the total offering that Christ made of himself to mankind in the sacrament of the Eucharist. On the same night when he was betrayed, He left us, as the Sacred Scripture reminds us, the “new commandment”, mandatum novum, of fraternal love, by performing the moving gesture of washing the feet (of his apostles), recalling a humble service that was rendered by slaves.

This singular day, which evokes great mysteries, will close with a Eucharistic adoration, in memory of the Lord’s agony in the garden of Gethsemane. Gripped by great anguish, the Gospel tells us, Jesus asked his people to keep watch with Him in prayer: “Stay and pray with me” (Mt 26,38), but the disciples fell asleep.

Even today, the Lord tells us, “Stay and pray with me.” And we see how we, his disciples today, often fall asleep. That was, for Jesus, the hour of his abandonment and solitude, which was followed during the night, by his arrest and the start of his sorrowful path to Calvary.

Focused on the mystery of the Passion, Good Friday, a day of fasting and penitence, is entirely oriented towards the contemplation of Jesus on the Cross. In the churches, the story of the Passion is retold and the words of the prophet Zachariah resound: “They will turn their eyes on him whom they have pierced.” (Jn 19,37).

So on Good Friday we want to truly look on the pierced heart of Christ, in which, St. Paul writes, “are hidden all the treasures of wisdow and of knowledge” (Col 2,3), indeed in which “all the fullness of divinity resides corporally” (Col 2,9). For this, the apostle could affirm decisively that he did not want to know anything else “except that it is Jesus Christ who was crucified.” (1 Cor 2,2).

It is true. The Cross reveals, “the width, the length, the height and the depth” – the cosmic dimensions, that is – of a love that surpasses everything known, beyond everything that was known, which fills us with “all the fullness of God” (cfr Eph 3, 18-19).

In the mystery of the Crucified Lord is fulfilled “that turning of God against himself in which he gives himself in order to raise man up and save him – this is love in its most radical form.”(Deus caritas est, 12).The Cross of Christ, Pope St. Leo the Great wrote in the 5th century, “is the fountain of all blessings and the origin of all graces” (Disc. 8 on the passion of the Lord, 6-8; PL 54, 340-342).

On Holy Saturday, the Church, uniting itself spiritually with Mary, remains in prayer at the sepulcher where the body of the Son of God rests inert as if at rest after the creative labor of redemption realized through his death (cfr Heb 4,1-13).

Late at night, the solemn Easter vigil begins, during which in every Church the joyous chanting of the Gloria and the Paschal Alleluia will rise from the hearts of the newly baptized and from the entire Christian community, rejoicing because Christ is risen and has triumphed over death.

Dear brothers and sisters, for a fruitful celebration of Easter, the Church asks the faithful these days to approach the sacrament of Penitence, which is like a kind of death and resurrection for each of us. In the early Christian community, the rite of Reconciliation of the Penitents, presided by the Bishop, was held on Maundy Thursday. The historical conditions have certainly changed, but to prepare oneself for Easter with a good confession remains an obligation to value in full, because it offers us the possibility to start life anew and to truly have a new beginning in the joy of the Resurrected Christ and in communion with the pardon that He gives us.

Knowing that we are sinners but trusting in divine mercy, let us reconcile ourselves with Christ in order to taste more intensely the joy that he communicates to us through His resurrection. The pardon that is given to us by Christ in the sacrmanet of Penitence is the fountain of an interior and exterior peace which makes us apostles of peace in a world which unfortunately continues to see divisions, suffering, the drama of injustices, hate and violence, of the incapacity to reconcile among ourselves in order to start anew with sincere forgiveness.

But we also know that evil does not have the last word, because Christ, who was crucified and resurrected, triumphs, and his triumph is manifested in the power of divine mercy. His resurrection gives us this certainty: Notwithstanding all the darkness in this world, evil does not have the last word. Sustained by this certainty we can commit ourselves with more courage and enthusiasm so that a more just world can be born.

I wish this with all my heart for all of you, dear brothers and sisters, that you may prepare yourselves with faith and devotion for the coming Easter festivity, in the company of the Most Holy Mary who, after following her divine Son in His hours of passion and on the cross, shared the glory of His resurrection.

Later, he gave this synthesis in English:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Tomorrow evening, we begin the Easter Triduum, the fulcrum of the entire liturgical year. Through the sacred rites we relive the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord, reawakening the desire to follow Jesus more closely.

Holy Thursday commemorates Christ’s total giving of himself to humanity in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Through ‘the washing of feet’, it also recalls in a dramatic way the new commandment to love one another.

On Good Friday, we listen to the account of the Passion and contemplate Christ on the Cross. This is love in its most radical form: God gives His very self, in order to raise us up and save us.

During Holy Saturday the Church is spiritually united with Mary, praying by the tomb of the Son of God who lies at rest after completing his work of redemption.

Then, at the solemn Easter Vigil, the joyful Gloria and Easter Alleluia rise forth from the hearts of the whole Christian community, because Christ is risen and has defeated death!

Dear friends, to prepare for Easter the Church asks us to approach the sacrament of Penance. Trust in the mercy of God! The gift of Christ’s pardon is the source of peace! Indeed, this sacrament makes us apostles of peace for our world which longs to be healed of divisions, suffering, injustice and violence. Evil does not have the last word. Christ, crucified and risen, has triumphed. Encouraged by this truth, let us, with enthusiasm, build a society inspired by the Gospel!

I warmly welcome all the English-speaking pilgrims present, including the pupils and staff from De Lisle Catholic College. May your Holy Week pilgrimage be a time of great spiritual encouragement and renewal. I invoke an abundance of God’s blessings upon you and your families, and I wish everyone a happy and holy Easter!

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 12/04/2006 16.38]

First of all, Papas voice sounded strong and healthy again, no signs of a cold!

The crowd was amazing, a wonderful cosy atmosphere again, the Spanish people sang a little song for Papa which he seemed to enjoy, the Italian pilgrims were quite loud and Papa said something at the end of the audience especially to them, I assume he thanked the people of Castel for the warm welcome.

The Holy Father today led the recitation of the Regina Caeli with the faithful gathered in the courtyard of teh Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo. The event was linked by radio and television to St. Peter's Square. The Regina Caeli is prayed in place of the Angelus during the whole of Eastertide. Here is a translation of his words before the prayer:
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Dear brothers and sisters!

In the light of the Paschal mystery which the liturgy makes us celebrate all this week, I am happy to be back with you here and to renew the most beautiful Christian announcement: Christ is risen, alleluia!

The typical Marian character of this appointment of ours leads us to live the spiritual joy of Easter in communion with the most Holy Mary, thinking of what her joy must have been for the resurrection of Jesus.

In praying the Regina caeli, which in Eastertide takes the place of the Angelus, we turn to the Virgin and invoke her to rejoice because He whom she carried in her womb has arisen: “Quia quem meruisti portare, resurrexit, sicut dixit”.

Mary guarded in her heart the “good news” of the Resurrection, source and secret of true joy and authentic peace that Christ, who died and rose again, won for us by his sacrfice on the Cross.

We ask Mary that, just as she accompanied us in the days of the Passion, she may continue to guide our steps in this time of spiritual joy, so that we may grow ever more in knowing and loving the Lord and becoming witnesses and apostles of his peace.

In the context of Easter, I am happy to share with you today the joy of a very significant anniversary: 500 years ago, on April 18 1506, Pope Julius II laid the first stone for the new Basilica of St. Peter’s, which the whole world admires today for the imposing harmony of its features.

I wish to remember with gratitude the Supreme Pontiffs who sought to build this extraordinary work over the tomb of the Apostle Peter.

I remember with admiration the artists who contributed with their genius to construct and adorn it, as I am grateful to the staff of the Fabbrica di San Pietro for their distinguished work in the maintenance and safekeeping of this singular work of art and of faith.

May the happy occasion of the 500th anniversary reawaken in all Catholics the desire to be “living stones” (1Pt 2,5) for the construction of the Holy Church in which the light of Christ shines (cfr Llumen gentium, 1) through charity which is lived and demonstrated before the world (cfr Jn 13, 34-35).

May the Virgin Mary – who in the Lorettan litany we invoke as ‘Causa nostra laetitia', cause of our joy – obtain for us that we may always experience the joy of being part of the spiritual edifice of the Church, the “community of love” born from the Heart of Christ.

To the English-speaking pilgrims, he said after the prayer:

I am happy to greet all the English-speaking visitors present here today. Commending ourselves to the intercession of Our Blessed Lady, the Queen of Heaven, let us rejoice in the new and holy life that the Risen Christ has given to us. Upon all of you I invoke God’s abundant blessings of peace and joy!

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 17/04/2006 14.20]

i missed it:(

I hope Maryjos and Leticia were there. Actually, I suppose we would have probably already heard about it on the network news if they were. You know Maryjos.

The Holy Father flew by helicopter this morning from Castel Gandolfo to and from the Vatican, for the Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square, returning to his summer residence afterwards. Here is a translation of his discourse today, in which is usual catechesis was preceded by very emotional words recalling his election to the Chair of Peter one year ago today.



Dear brothers and sisters!

At the start of the general audience today, which takes place in the joyous atmosphere of Eastertide, I would like, together with you, to thank the Lord, who after having called me exactly a year ago to serve the Church as Successor to the Apostle Peter – thank you for your joy, thank you for our acclamation – has not failed to assist me with His indispensable help.

How time flies! It has been a year since, in a manner absolutely unexpected and surprising for me, the Cardinals assembled in Conclave decided to choose my humble person to succeed the beloved and lamented Servant of God John Paul II.

I remember with emotion the first impression I received from the central Loggia of the Basilica, shortly after hy humble election, with the faithful gathered in this same Piazza. That has remained imprinted in my heart and in my mind, along with so many others afterwards, which gave me a chance to experience how true it was what I said during the solemn celebrtaion with which I solmenly started the exercise of the Petrine ministry: “I am very conscious that I do not have to carry alone that which I could never really do by myself.”

I continue to feel more and more that I could never carry this task by myself, this mission. But I also feel how you carry it together with me in a great communion, so that together we can carry the Lord’s mission forward.

The heavenly protection of God and the saints has been of irreplaceable support for me, and I am comforted by your nearness, dear friends, who have not failed to give me your indulgence and your love.

Thank you from my very heart to everyone who in various ways are at my side or who follow me spiritually from afar with their affection and their prayers. To each of you, I ask that you continue to sustain me by praying to God that He may grant me to be a gentle and firm Shepherd of his Church.

The evangelist John narrates that Jesus, shortly after His Resurrection, called Peter to take care of his flock (cfr Jn 21, 15,23). Who could have humanly iimagined at the the time the growth that has since marked that little group of disciples over the course of centuries?

Peter and the apostles, and later their successors, first in Jerusalem and then to the very ends of the earth, have courageously spread the evangelical message whose fundamental and essential nucleus is constituted by the Paschal mystery: the passion, the death and the resurection of Christ.

The Church celebrates this mystery at Easter and prolongs it in joyous resonance throughout the following days: we sing Alleluia for the triumph of Christ over evil and death. “The celebration of Easter according to a date on the calendar,” Pope Saint Leo the Great said, "reminds us of the eternal feast which overcomes all human time.”

The present Easter, he further notes, is the foreshadowing of the future Easter. "And so we celebrate the passage from an annual faest to a feast that will be eternal.”

The joy of these days extends to the entire liturgical year, particularly every Sunday, a day dedicated to remembering the resurrection of the Lord.

On Sunday, which is like a “little Easter” every week, the liturgical assembly gathered for Holy Mass proclaim in the Creed that Jesus rose again the third day, and we add that we await “the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting.”

St. Augustine reminds us incisively: “Dearest ones, let us consider the Resurrection of Christ: just as his Passion signified our old life, so is his Resurrection the sacrament of a new life. You have believed, you have been baptized: the old life is dead, killed on the cross, buried in baptism. The old life you lived has been buried, the new one arises. Live well, and live in such a way that when you are dead, you will not die.” (Serm Guelferb. 9,3).

The Gospel stories which refer to the apparitions of the Risen Lord usually end with his invitation to overcome any uncertainty, to confront the event with Scriptures, in order to announce that Jesus, beyond death, is the eternal living one, source of new life for all who believe.

That is what happened, for example, in the case of Mary Magdalene (cfr Jn 20,11-18), who discovers the tomb, open and empty, and fears right away that the body of the Lord has been taken away. The Lord then calls her by name, and at that point, a profound change comes over her: her concern and disorientation change into joy and enthusiasm.

She hurries to the disciples to tell them, “I have seen the Lord. (Jn 20,18). And so we see – whoever encounters Jesus resurrected becomes transformed interiorly: one cannot 'see’ the Risen Lord and not believe in Him.

Let us pray so that He may call each of us by name to convert us, opening us to the vision of faith. Faith is born out of the personal encounter with the resurrected Christ and becomes an impulse of courage and liberty which makes us cry to the world: Jesus has arisen and lives forever.

This is the mission of the Lord’s disciples in every epoch and even in our day: “If you are resurrected with Christ,” St. Paul exhorts us, “look for the things up above, think of the things up above and not those of the earth.” (Col 3, 1-2).

This does not mean estranging ourselves from our daily tasks or ignoring earthly realities; rather it means to live every human activity as a supernatural breath, it means making ourselves heralds and witnesses of the resurrection of Christ, who lives in eternity (cfr Jn 20,25; Lk 24, 33-34).

Dear brothers and sisters, in the Easter of His only Son, God reveals Himself fully- his victorious power over the forces of death, the power of the Trinitarian love. May the Virgin Mary, who was intimately associated with the passion, death and resurrection of her Son, and at the foot of the Cross became the Mother of all believers, help us to understand this mystery of love which changes hearts and allows us to fully partake of
Passchal joy, so that, in turn we can communicate it to the men and women of this third millennium. Amn.


Later, he greeted English-speaking pilgrims:



Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On this, the first anniversary of my election as the Successor of Saint Peter, I thank the Lord for his unfailing help, and I express my gratitude to all those who have supported me by their prayers. I ask you to continue praying that, by God’s grace, I may always be a gentle and firm Shepherd for Christ’s flock.

During these days of Easter, the Church proclaims the Good News of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection. The Paschal Mystery is the core of our faith! Our yearly celebration of Easter is a foretaste of the eternal joy of heaven. This joy is renewed each Sunday at the celebration of the Eucharist, when we proclaim "the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come", and celebrate the new life received in Baptism.

During these days of Easter, all Christians are called to encounter the Risen Lord, to renew their faith in him, to be transformed by the power of his grace, and to share with the men and women of our time the Good News that Christ is truly risen!

I offer a warm welcome to the newly-ordained deacons of the Pontifical Irish College and their families. I also greet the pilgrims from the Diocese of Kerry. Upon all the English-speaking visitors, especially those from Ireland, Switzerland, Australia, Canada and the United States, I invoke an abundance of joy and peace in the Risen Lord.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 20/04/2006 3.01]

Thank you Teresa for this very prompt posting. I watched the audience but my Italian isn't fluent and I couldn't get all that he was saying. How very beautiful his words are. I am very 'commosa' (which seems to be a fave word of his) to read them in their entirety.

Regarding today's audience, depending on whose report you read, there were 50,000 or 60,000 people in attendance and Papa was very moved recalling his election last year and the support he feels from everyone's prayers.

Didn't you all feel that when he was saying "Thank you from my very heart to everyone who in various ways are at my side or who follow me spiritually from afar with their affection and their prayers" he meant US

yes,i noticed that Papa was indeed moved and still very humble in his ways..seeking our continued prayers for his mission as Vicar of Christ!!

yes,Papa we will always pray and support you.

Thanks Teresa! OH - hold thumbs that RAI-International will show todays audience within 15 minutes....... I can't wait, but their schedules show faulty times more than once.... oh, oh, oh...Today, of all days, I want to see and hear him.

Lent is over! Yvonne is back. Hi, Yvonne. Yes, Papa definitely meant us.

At the end of the Holy Father's sereis of greetings to various language-speaking groups at the audience yesterday, he made a special appeal for the Holy Land, using the strongest terms he has yet employed in speaking about terrorism, but also praying that the peoples of the Holy Land may come back together in peace and security:

With great sorrow, I learned the news of the terrible assassinations that happened on Monday in Tel Aviv, Israel, and I feel I must express the firmest condemnation for such a terrorist act. It is not with such acts that one defends even the legitimate rights of a people.

May the Lord, Prince of Peace, be with the Israelis and Palestinians so that they do not let themselves be drawn farther to a tragic drift but once again take the steps tht can bring them to leave together in peace and security, one next to the other, as sons of the same FAther who is in heaven.

The recitation of the Pater Noster followed.

Here is the English translation of the Holy Father's words before and after the praying of the Regina caeli today:


This Sunday, the Gospel of John narrates that after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples who were in the Cenacle the evening of “the first day after the Sabbath” (Jn 20,19), and that he showed himself to them in the same place “eight days later” (Jn 202,6).

From the beginning, therefore, the Christian community lived a weekly rhythm, marked by a meeting with the risen Lord. This is equally emphasized by the Constitution of Vatican-II on the liturgy: “According to the apostolic tradition, which originates from the day of Christ’s Resurrection itself, the Church celebrates the Paschal mystery every 8 days, on what is rightly called the Lord’s Day, or Sunday (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 106).

The Evangelist also records that in both apparitions, the Lord Jesus showed the disciples the signs of the crucifixion, which were both visible and tangible even on His glorious body (cfr Jn 20, 202,27). Those sacred wounds, on the hands, the feet, and the rib, are the inexhaustible spring of faith, hope and love which everyone can draw from, especially those who thirst most for divine mercy.

Because of this, the servant of God John Paul II, in recognition of the spiritual experience of a humble nun, Saint Faustina Kowalska, wished that the Sunday after Easter be dedicated specially to Divine Mercy, and Providence disposed that he would die on the eve of this day.

The mystery of God’s merciful love was at the center of the Pontificate of my venerated predecessor. Let us remember, in particular, the encyclical Dives in misericordia, from 1980, and the dedication of the new Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Cracow in 2002.

The words that he pronounced on this last occasion were like a synthesis of his teachings, showing that the cult of divine mercy is not a secondary devotion but an integral dimension of faith and of Christian prayer.

May the Most Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, whom we address now in the Regina Caeli, obtain for all Christians that we may live fully every Sunday as “the week’s Easter”, in enjoyment of the beauty of an encounter with the risen Lord and drawing from the source of His merciful love, in order to be aspostles of peace.

After the Regina Caeli, he said in Italian-
My cordial thoughts go to our brothers in the Oriental Church who celebrate Easter today. May the risen Lord bring to all the gifts of his light and his peace. Christos anestos! Christos voskries!

But in the joyous atmosphere of this day, I cannot but remind you that many of the peoples in Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria, are suffering from the floods of the past few days. I am near them in prayer and I wish fervently that with the contribution of everyone, they may overcome these difficult moments quickly.

In English, he said-
I am happy to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for this Regina Caeli. Today’s Gospel portrays the Risen Christ as the bearer of peace, granting the Church the power to forgive sins. On this, the Second Sunday of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, may God’s blessings of reconciliation and peace be with you all!

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 23/04/2006 16.19]

Here is a translation of the Holy Father's catechesis this morning at the General Audience in St. Peter's Square.
Photo: Videocap by Paparaxvi

Tradition: the communion of time

Dear brothers and sisters,

Thank you for your affection!

In our new catechism series, which we started recently, we seek to understand the design for the Church as the Lord wanted it, in order to better understand our own place, the place of Christian life, in the great communion of the Church.

Up till now, we have understood that ecclesiastical communion is inspired and sustained by the Holy Spirit, guarded and promoted by the apostolic ministry. And this communion, which we call the Church, does not include only the believers at a certain historical moment, but embraces the faithful of all times and of all generations.

And so we have a double universality: a synchronic universality – whereby we are united with all believers in every part of the world; and a diachronic universality, in which all the times also belong to us, (in which) the believers of the past and the believers of the future make up with us one great communion.

The Spirit guarantees the active presence of (the Christian) mystery in history – it is Him who assures its realization through the course of centuries. Thanks to the Paraclete, the experience of the Risen Lord by the apostolic community at the beginnings of the Church, can always be lived by successive generations, insofar as this experience is transmitted and actualized in faith, in worship, and in the communion of the people of God as pilgrims in time.

The apostolic tradition of the Church consists of this transmission of the gifts of salvation, which is the permanent realization of the Christian community, in the power of the Spirit, from that original communion.

It is called the apostolic tradition because it was born from the testimony of the Apostles and the community of disciples at the time the Church originated. It has been delivered under the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the New Testament and in the sacramental life, in the life of the faith.

The Church continuously refers to this tradition – which is the ever-present reality of the gift of Jesus – as its basis and as its standard, throughout the uninterrupted succession of the apostolic ministry.

Jesus, in his historic life, limited his mission to the house of Israel, but he made it clear that the gift was destined not only for the people of Israel but for all human beings in all times.

The Risen Lord then explicitly entrusts to the Apostles (cfr Lk 6,13) the mission of making disciples of and in all nations, in order to guarantee His presence and His help to the end of times (cfr Mt 28,19f).

The universality of salvation requires, moreover, that the commemoration of Easter be celebrated without interruption in history until the glorious return of Christ (cfr 1 Cor 11,26). But who will realize this saving presence of the Lord Jesus through the ministry of the apostles – heads of eschatolgical Israel [this refers to the apostles as judges of the tribes of Israel in the Kingdom to come](cfr Mt 19,28) – throughout the entire life of the people of the New Alliance? The answer is clear: the Holy Spirit.

The Acts of the Apostles, continuing integrally from the Gospel of Luke, present vividly the compenetration (intertwining) of the Spirit, Christ’s messengers, and the community assembled by them.

Thanks to the action of the Paraclete, the Apostles and their successors have been able to realize over time the mission given them by the Risen Lord: “Of this you are witnesses. And I will send among you what the Father promised me…”(Lk 4, 48f). “You will have power from the Holy Spirit who will descend on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth.” (Acts 1,8).

This promise, which seemed incredible at first, has been realized over time by the Apostles: “We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him” (Acts 5,32). It is therefore the Spirit itself who, through the laying of hands and the prayers of the Apostles, consecrates and sends for the new missionaries of the Gospel (as, for example, in Acts 13,3f and 1 Tim 4.14).

It is interesting to observe that while certain passages say Paul established the presbyterate in the Churches (cfr Acts 14,23), in other parts it is stated that it is the Spirit who ‘constitutes’ the shepherds for the flock (cfr Acts 20,28). The action of the Spirit and that of Paul are thus deeply intertwined.

In times of solemn decision for the life of the Church, the Spirit is present to guide her. This guiding presence of the Holy Spirit was particularly felt at the Council of Jerusalem, whose concluding words resounded thus: “We have decided, the Holy Spirit and us…” (Acts 15, 28); the Church grows and goes forward “in fear of the Lord and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit” (Acts, 9,.31).

This permanent realization of the active presence of the Lord Jesus among His people, brought about by the Holy Spirit and expressed in the Church through the apostolic ministry and brotherly communion, constitutes what we understand by the term Tradition, in the theological sense.

Tradition is not the simple material transmission of what was given at the start to the Apostles, but the effective presence of the Lord Jesus, crucified and risen, who accompanies and guides in the Spirit the community that He assembled.

Tradition is the communion of the faithful around legitimate Pastors in the course of history, a communion which the Holy Spirit nourishes, assuring the linkage between the experience of apostolic faith as lived in the original community of disciples, and our present experience of Christ in the Church.

In other words, Tradition is the organic continuity of the Church, holy temple of God the Father, erected on the foundation of the Apostles and held in place for all time by the keystone, Christ, through the vivifying action of the Spirit: “Thus you are no longer strangers nor guests, but fellow citizens of the saints and members of God’s family, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and having Jesus Christ as the keystone. In Him, every structure grows in a well-ordered manner to become the holy temple of the Lord; in Him too, you and the others will be built up to become a dwelling for God through the (action of the) Spirit.” (Eph 2, 19-22).

Thanks to Tradition, guaranteed by the ministry of the Apostles and their successors, the water of life that gushed forth from Christ’s rib and his saving Blood will reach men and women of all time.

Tradition is the permanent presence of the Savior who comes to meet us, redeem us and sanctify us in the Spirit through the ministry of His Church, for the glory of the Father.

In conclusion and in summary, we can therefore say that Tradition is not the transmission of things or words, not a collection of dead things. Tradition is the living river that connects us to the origins, the living river in which the origins are always present, the great river which leads us to the gates of eternity.

That being so, in this living river, we hear anew all the time the words of the Lord which we heard at the start from the reader: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of time.” (Mt 28,20).

Later, he delivered this synthesis in English:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Ecclesial communion embraces all times and all generations. Thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit, the early apostolic community experienced the Risen Lord. Successive generations do the same, as the faith is transmitted and lived through worship and the communion of the pilgrim People of God.

From the beginning, Jesus intended that His saving work would extend to all the world and indeed, as we have heard today, the Risen Lord entrusted to the Apostles the task of making disciples of all nations while guaranteeing His own presence with them.

This ongoing actualization of the presence of Jesus - through the work of the Spirit and through the Church’s apostolic ministry and fraternal communion - is what we mean by the term Tradition; it is not just a transmission of ‘things’ but the efficacious presence of the Lord who accompanies and guides the gathered community.

The Holy Spirit nurtures this communion, assuring the connection between the apostolic faith experienced by the first communities of disciples, and our experience today of Christ in his Church. Let us rejoice in the presence of the Saviour who comes to meet us, to redeem us, and to sanctify us through the ministry of his Church!

I welcome all the English-speaking pilgrims present, including the pupils and staff from Holy Faith Convent school in Dublin. May your Easter pilgrimage be a time of deep spiritual renewal. Upon you and your families I invoke an abundance of God’s blessings of peace and joy.

After his last greeting (to the Italian-speaking faithful), the Pope said a few words to remember the 20th anniversary of the nuclear reactor accident in Chernobyl, in the Ukraine:

Today is the 20th anniversary of the tragic incident which took place at the nuclear center of Chernobyl. Under the circumstances, I wish to express appreciation to the families, the organizations, the civil officials and Christian communities, who during all these years, have worked to harbor and care for adults and children who were affected by the consequences of that sorrowful event.

While we continue to pray for the victims of a calamity of such vast scope and those who bear its signs on their bodies, we invoke the Lord to enlighten all those who are responsible for the destinies of mankind, so that with a choral effort, we may place all our energies in the service of peace, for the sake of man and of nature.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 27/04/2006 2.49]

The audience was again more than 50,000 people. They do love Papa.

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Scritto da: TERESA BENEDETTA 26/04/2006 21.18

Tradition is not the transmission of things or words, not a collection of dead things. Tradition is the living river that connects us to the origins, the living river in which the origins are always present, the geat river which leads us to the gates of eternity.

That being so, in this living river, we hear anew all the time the words of the Lord which we heard at the start from the reader: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of time.” (Mt 28,20).

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I love it ! Well said, Papa!

Well translated, TERESA BENEDETTA !

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Scritto da: benefan 26/04/2006 22.44

The audience was again more than 50,000 people. They do love Papa.

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I am happy for PAPA. People say that they came to SEE Jean-Paul but they come to HEAR Benedict.

Hope they will continue to do so.

p/s. It seems that I have accidentally created a blank reply. Sorry, administrator, about that.

The Universal Church

By Russell Shaw
Herald Columnist
(From the issue of 4/27/06)

Sitting on the base of one of the Bernini columns ringing St. Peter's Square a few Sundays ago, I began thinking about the universality — or anyway the universal appeal — of the Catholic Church.

On this cool, sunny morning thousands of people have joined me in waiting for Pope Benedict XVI to stand in the window of his apartment and give his weekly Angelus talk and blessing. Judging from the faces I see and the languages I hear, there are Americans and English and Irish, French and Germans, Italians and Spaniards, Japanese, Latin Americans, Africans — and much, much else.

Winding two-thirds of the way around the perimeter of the square is a line of people edging slowly toward the basilica itself. Men and women, young and old, tourists and devout, they appear content to endure a substantial wait in order to see — what? An architectural monument from half a millennium ago or a symbol of vibrant, living faith? The answer, I conclude, is: probably both.

There are many other much-visited places besides St. Peter's Square waiting to be seen on this splendid Sunday. But I sense something special about this particular place. Perhaps the uniqueness has to do with the fact, rare in our troubled contemporary world, that here at least everyone is welcome. And that nobody has to pay.

Yes, of course there's security. The people waiting in line must pass through a magnetometer before they can get into St. Peter's. And the Carabinieri are much in evidence around the Colonnade. The watchfulness that became a necessity on the terrible day 25 years ago when a hit man shot the pope has been redoubled since Sept. 11, 2001.

Still, security doesn't dampen the enthusiasm. A few minutes before the pope is to appear, the window overlooking the square opens and a cheer goes up as a tapestry with the papal coat of arms is unfurled. Banners and flags flutter cheerfully in the crowd. There's a knot of people up front all wearing yellow baseball caps.

Now it's noon and Pope Benedict is at the window. More cheers and applause. He's has just finished his annual Lenten retreat, and he speaks to us about Christ, about heaven, about love for the poor. He seems happy and relaxed. Even people who can't understand his Italian listen intently as if just hearing him were important. Greetings to several pilgrimage groups in several different languages. A blessing in Latin. When it's over, people look happy leaving the square.

This multicultural, multiracial scene is a microcosm of Christian Rome and the Catholic Church, I think. The basilica stands on the burial site of a Christian Jew from Palestine named Peter. At the residence where I'm staying tables are reserved in the dining room for bishops from Cameroon making ad limina visits. Asian and African seminarians sporting natty cassocks with red buttons and red sashes sang at the parish Mass I attended with an Italian congregation earlier in the day.

Catholicism is a demanding religion in some ways. There are things you must believe, other things you must do or avoid, to be a member in good standing. Yet in essence the Church is all-inclusive. No one is outside looking in because of accidentals like race or nationality.

James Joyce, a very imperfect Catholic, called the Catholic Church "Here Comes Everybody." Joyce was wrong about a lot of things, but he was eminently right about that. Spend an hour or two in St. Peter's Square some sunny Sunday morning and you'll see what I mean.


Shaw is a freelance writer from Washington, D.C., and author of Catholic Laity in the Mission of the Church (Requiem Press).

Here is a translation of the words of teh Holy Father at the recitation of the Regina Caeli today:

Dear brothers and sisters:

In Eastertide the liturgy offers us multiple stimuli to solidify our faith in the risen Christ. On the third Sunday of Eater today, for instance, St. Luke narrates how the two disciples of Emmaus, after having recognized Him “in the breaking of the bread”, went to Jerusalem full of joy to tell the others what had happened to them.

And just as they were talking, the Lord appeared, showing them His hands and feet with the signs of the Passion. And then before their amazed eyes, Jesus asked for some roasted fish and then ate in their presence (cfr Lk 24,35-43).

In this and other stories, we see a repeated invitation to conquer incredulity and believe in the resurrection of Christ, as his disciples are called on to be witnesses of this extraordinary event.

The resurrection of Christ is the central fact of Christianity, a fundamental truth to be reaffirmed with vigor in every age, because to deny it - as in various ways it has been tried or continues to be tried - or to transform it into a merely spiritual event is to put our faith in vain.

“If Christ did not resurrect,” says St. Paul, “then our preaching is in vain and so is our faith” (1 Cor 15.14).

In the days that followed the Lord’s resurrection, the Apostles remained together, comforted by the presence of Mary, and after the Ascension, they continued to be with her as they prayerfully waited for Pentecost.

The Madonna was mother and teacher to them, a role which she continues to play for Christians at all times. Every year, in the Paschal season, we relive this hope more intensely, and perhaps because of this, popular tradition has dedicated to Mary the month of May, which normally falls between Easter and Pentecost.

This month, which starts tomorrow, it is useful for us to rediscover the motherly function which she plays in our life, so that we may always be docile disciples and courageous witnesses for the risen Lord. To Mary we entrust all the needs of the Church and the whole world, especially in this moment which is marked by more than a few shadows.

Invoking the intercession as well of St. Joseph, whom we remember specially tomorrow on Labor Day [as the patron saint of laborers], let us now address Mary in praying the Regina Caeli, a prayer that lets us taste the comforting joy of the presence of the risen Crhist.

I send a particular greeting to the community of the St. Pius X Pre-Seminary at the Vatican, which celebrates its 50th foundation anniversary this year. It is entrusted with charitable works made possible by the generosity of Don Gionvanni Folci and dedicated to the care and sanctification of the clergy, as well as to the promotion of priestly and religious vocations.

On this happy occasion, I gladly join in your celebration, dear friends, and while I thank you for the liturgical service that you perform every day in St. Peter’s Basilica, I assure you a place in my prayers so that the Lord may help you to follow Him faithfully always and fill you with His joy.

Later, in English he said:

I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors here today, including those gathered to mark the Beatification of Father Augustine Kunjachan Thevarparampil taking place at Ramapuram, in Kerala, India.

Today’s Gospel reminds us that in the name of the Risen Christ, we are called to forgive each other’s sins and failings. May this Easter season be a time of joyful reconciliation within families and among nations. Upon each of you present, I invoke God’s blessings of peace and wisdom.