NEWS ABOUT BENEDICT

---

The Holy Father requests the prayers of all the faithful so that the Lord may illumine the road for the Church. May the commitment of Pastors and the faithful grow, in support of the delicate and weighty mission of the Successor of the Apostle Peter as 'the guardian of unity' in the Church.
- Vatican Note, Feb. 4, 2009

---

---

Eminences,
Dear venerated brothers:

One of the beautiful functions of a Pope is to say 'Thank you'.

At this time, I would like, in the name of all of us, to say 'Thank you" from the heart to you, Eminence, for the meditations you gave us. They have guided, illuminated and helped us to renew our priesthood.

Your meditations were no theological acrobatics. You offered us none of those, but rather a healthy doctrine, the good bread of our faith.

Listening to your words brought to mind a prophecy of Ezekiel interpreted by St. Augustine. In the Book of Ezekiel, the Lord, the God who is a shepherd, tells the people: "I will lead my sheep to the mountains of Israel, to grassy pastures."

St. Augustine asks himself what these grassy pastures would be. He answers: The mountains of Israel, the grassy pastures, are Sacred Scripture, the Word of God that gives us true nourishment.

Your preaching was permeated by Sacred Scripture, showing great familiarity with the Word of God, read in the context of the living Church, from the Fathers to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, always contextualized in (Scriptural) readings and in the liturgy.
And that is how Scripture is present in its full relevance.

Your theology, as you told us, has not been an abstract one, but characterized by healthy realism. I admired and very much appreciated your concrete experience in 50 years of priesthood that you spoke about, and in the light of which you have helped us to concretize our faith.

You have given us the right words, words that are concrete to our lives, and for our behavior as priests. I hope that many will read your words and take them to heart.

You started with the always fascinating and beautiful account of the first disciples who followed Jesus. Still rather uncertain and timid, they asked, "Master, where do you live?" And his answer - which you interpreted for us, was: "Come and see".

In order to see, we have to come along, we must walk with and follow Jesus, who always precedes us. You have shown us where Jesus lives, where his dwelling is: in his Church, in his Word, in the most Holy Eucharist.

Thank you, Eminence, for your guidance. With new impetus and new joy, let us undertake the journey towards Easter.

I wish you all a good Lent and a happy Easter.

---

---

Accepting invitations from the King od Jordan, the President of Israel, the President of
the Palestine National Authority, and the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaties in the Holy Land,
His Holiness Benedict XVI will make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land from May 8-15, visiting
Amman, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth.

---

---

Dear brothers and sisters:

In the past few days, as you know, I underwent spiritual exercises along with my co-workers in the Roman Curia. It has been a week of silence and prayer: the mind and the heart could be dedicated entirely to God, listening to his Word, and meditating on the mysteries of Christ.

To some degree, it was a bit like what happened to the apostles Peter, James and John when Jesus brought them with him to a high mountain, quite apart from everyone else, and while he prayed, he was 'transfigured': his face adn his figure became luminous, resplendent.

The liturgy reminds us of this famous episode today, the second Sunday of Lent (cfr Mk 9,2-10). Jesus wished that his disciples, in particular those who would be responsible for leading the nascent Church, might have a direct experience of his divine glory to help them face the scandal of the Cross.

In effect, when the time of Jesus's betrayal would come and Jesus retreated to pray in Gethsemane, he had near him the same,e Peter, James and John, asking them to watch and pray with him (cfr Mt 26.38). They were unable to do that, but the grace of Christ would sustain them and help them to believe in the Resurrection.

I wish to underscore that the Transfiguration of Jesus was substantially an experience of prayer (cfr Lk 9,28-29). Prayer, in fact, reaches its peak - and thus becomes a source of interior light - when the spirit of man adheres to God;s and their wills merge almost as to become one.

When Jesus went up the mountain, he immersed himself in teh contemplation of the Father's plan of love in sending him to the world in order to save mankind.

Next to Jesus, there appeared Elijah and Moses, ot indicate that the Sacred Scriptures concurred in announcing the mystery of his Pasch, and that is, that the Christ must suffer and die in order to enter into his glory (cfr Lk 24,24.46).

At that moment, Jesus saw the Cross looming before him, the extreme sacrifice that was necessary to liberate us from the dominion of sin and death.

And in his heart, he repeated yet again his 'Amen'. He said 'Yes, here I am; let your will of love be done, Father '.

And as it had been after his baptism in the Jordan, the signs of pleasure from God the Father came from heaven: light, which transfigured the Christ, and the voice that proclaimed 'the beloved Son" (Mk 9,7).

Along with fasting and works of mercy, prayer forms the weight-carrying structure of our spiritual life. Dear brothers and sisters, I call on you to find during this season of Lent prolonged moments of silence, possibly of retreat, in order to see your own life in the light of the Heaven;y Father's plan of love.

Let yourselves be guided in this more intense listening to God by the Virgin Mary. teacher and model of prayer. Even in the dense darkness of the passion of Christ, she never lost the light of her divine Son but kept it in her spirit. That is why we call her Mother of trust and of hope.


After the prayers, he said the following:

On today's date, March 8, we are invited to reflect on teh condition of women and to renew the commitment that always and anywhere, every woman may be able to live and manifest the fullness of her capacities, obtaining full respect for her dignity.

In this sense, the Second Vatican Council and the papal Magisterium have expressed themselves, particularly teh apostolic letter Mulieris dignitatem by the Servant of God John Paul II (Aug. 15, 1988).

More than documents, however, are the testimonies of the saints. Our age has had that of Mother Teresa of Calcutta: a humble daughter of Albania who became, through the grace of God, an example for all the world of the exercise of charity in the service of human promotion.

How many other women work every day, unpublicized, for the good of mankind and the Kingdom of God!

Today I assure my prayers for all women that they may always be respected in their dignity and valued for their positive potential.

Dear brothers and sisters, in the climate of more intense prayer that characterizes Lent, I entrust to your remembrance in prayer teh two apostolic trips that, God willing, I will be making soon.

Next week, from March 17-23, I will go to Africa - first to Cameroon and then to Angola - to show concretely my nearness and that of the Church to the Christians and other peoples of that continent which is particularly dear to me.

Then, from May 8-15, I will make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to invoke the Lord, while visiting the places sanctified by his earthly passage, the precious gift of unity and peace in teh Middle East and for all mankind.

I count on the spiritual support from all of you so that God may accompany and fill with his graces all those whom I will encounter on these trips.

---

---

10:50 Arrival at Campidoglio (Area Sixtus IV).
The Holy Father will be welcomed by the Mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, and his wife.

11:00 The Pope enters the Mayor's office and will appear on teh balcony overlooking the Roman Forum

11:10 The Pope greets city officials at the Tapestry Hall.

11:20 The Pope signs the Golden Book at the Hall of Flags.

11:30 Extraordinary Session of the Communal Council in the presence of the Holy Father at the Aula Giulio Cesare.
- Greeting by Mayor Alemanno
- ADDRESS BY THE HOLY FATHER

12.20 The Pope greets people assembled in the Piazza del Campidoglio
from the Loggia of the Palazzo Senatorio.
- GREETING BY THE HOLY FATHER.

12.30 Depart the Campidoglio for the Monastery of Santa Francesa Romana at Tor de' Specchi.

The Pope will be welcomed by Mons. Ernesto Mandara, Auxiliary Bishop for the central sector of the Diocese
of Rome and by Mother Maria Camilla Rea, President of teh monastery.
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and veneration of teh remains of Santa Francesca Romana at the Choir Chapel
- Greeting from Mother Maria Camilla
- ADDRESS BY The HOLY FATHER

13.10 Departure from the monastery to return to the Vatican.

---

---

ADDRESS TO THE CITY COUNCIL

Mr. Mayor,
Mr. President of the Communal Council,
Ladies and gentlemen councillors of the Commune oF Rome.
Distinguished officials,
Dear friend!:

As we have been reminded, this is not the first time that a Pope has been greeted with such warmtn in this Palazzo Senatorio, and takes the floor in this solemn Council Hall, where the highest representatives of the city administration meet.

The annals of history record tHE brief visit of the Blessed Pius IX to the Piazza del Campidoglio after his visit to the Basilica of Ara Coeli on September 16, 1970.

Much more recent were the visits by Pope Paul VI on April 16, 1966, followed by that made by my venerated predecessor, John Paul II, on January 11, 1996.

They are acts which show the affection and esteem that the Successors of Peter, pastors of the Roman Catholic community and the universal Church, have always felt for Rome, center of Christian and Latin civilization, "welcoming mother of peoples"(cfr Prudenzio, Peristephanon, carme 11, 191) and "disciple of truth' (cfr Leo the Great, Tract. septem et nonaginta).

That is why it is with understandable emotion that I speak during the course of my visit today. I take the occasion to express above all, Mr. Mayor, my appreciation for the kind invitation to visit the Campidoglio that you extended to me at the start of your mandate as the prime magistrate of the 'Urbe' [city].

Thank you, as well, for the profound expressions with which you welcomed me in the name of your colleagues. I followed attentively the reflections offered by you, the Mayor, as well as the Council President, and understand thereby the determination of this administration to serve the city by aiming at its true and integral well-being - material, social as well as spiritual.

I extend my heartfelt greetings to the councilors of the Commune, to the representatives of the Italian government, to the authorities of Rome, and the entire Roman citizenry.

With my presence today on this hill, seat and emblem of the history and mission of Rome, I must renew my assurances of the paternal attention that the Bishop of the Catholic community feels not only for its members but for all Romans and all those who from various parts of Italy and the whole world, come to the capital for religious, touristic, or work reasons, or to stay here and integrate themselves into the fabric of the city.

I am here today to encourage the commitment, which is far frome asy, taken by you administrators in the service of this singular metropolis: to share the expectations and hopes of the residents and to listen to their concerns and problems, problems of which you have made yourselves the spokesmen in this place, which is the natural and dynamic center of plans that are going on in the 'construction site' of Rome in the third millennium.

Mr. Mayor, I saw in your address a firm purpose to work so that Rome may remain the beacon of life and freedom, of moral civility and sustainable development, promoted with respect for the dignity of every human being and his religious faith.

I hasten to assure you and your co-workers that the Catholic Church, as always, will not fail to give active support to every cultural and social initiative addressed at promoting the authentic good of every person and of the City in its entirety.

As a token of this collaboration I am offering the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church with affection to the Mayor and other city administrators.

Mr. Mayor, Rome has always been a welcoming city. Especially in the last centuries, she has opened her universities, as well as her civil and ecclesiastical research centers to students from all parts of the world who, returning to their countries, are then called to play roles and functions of high responsibility in various sectors of society, as well as in the Church.

This, our city, like the rest of Italy and all mankind, now finds itself having to meet unprecedented cultural, social and economic challenges because of profound transformations and numerous changes that have come about in the past few decades.

Rome has become increasingly populated by people from other nations who belong to different cultures and traditions, and as a consequence, she now has the face of a multi-ethnic, multi-religious metropolis, in which sometimes integration is difficult and complex.

On the part of the Catholic community, it will never fail to contribute in order to find more adaptable modalities to protect the fundamental rights of persons in the face of the law.

As you stated, Mr. Mayor, I too am convinced that by drawing new lymph to the roots of its history, which was shaped by ancient law and Christian faith, Rome will find the strength to demand from all a respect for the rules of civil coexistence, and to reject every form of intolerance and discrimination.

Allow me also to note that the episodes of violence that have been deplored by everyone manifest a deeper unease. They are the signs, I would say, of a true spiritual poverty which afflicts the heart of contemporary man.

The elimination of God and his law, as a condition for realizing man's happiness, has not in fact achieved its objective. On the contrary, it deprives man of the spiritual certainties and hope that are necessary to face daily difficulties and challenges.

When, for instance, a wheel lacks its central axle, then its motor function fails. Similarly, morality does not fulfill its ultimate end if it does not pivot on the inspiration of God and submission to him, source and judge of every good.

In the face of the preoccupying weakening of human and spiritual ideals that had made Rome the 'model' of civilization for the entire world, the Church, through its parochial communities and other church associations, is engaged in detailed educational work intended to make others, particularly the new generations, rediscover the perennial values.

In the post-modern years, Rome should re-appropriate its deepest soul, its civic and Christian roots, if it wants to be the promoter of a new humanism which has man at its center, recognized in his full reality.

Man, when disconnected from God, would be deprived of his transcendent calling. Christianity is the bearer of a luminous message of the truth about man, and the Church, which is the depository of such a message, is aware of its own responsibility vis a vis contemporary culture.

How many more things I would like to say at this time! As the Bishop of the city, I cannot forget that even in Rome, because of the present economic crisis as I said earlier, the number is growing of those who, after losing their jobs, find themselves in precarious conditions, unable to meet the financial commitments they had assumed, for instance in acquiring a home or relocating.

Thus a concerted effort among the different institutions is needed to help those who live in need. The Christian community, through its parishes and charitable structures, is already engaged in sustaining on a daily basis so many families who labor to maintain a dignified life and, as has happened recently, are ready to work with the authorities who are willing to prosecute the common good.

Even in these cases, the values of solidarity and generosity, which are rooted in the heart of Romans, can be sustained by the light of the Gospel, so that everyone may once again feel responsible for the needs of the poorest, feeling themselves part of one family.

In effect, the more one can mature in every citizen the consciousness of feeling responsible in the first person for the life and the future of the residents of our city, the more confidence can grow that we can overcome the difficulties of the present time.

What to say of the families, of children and young people? Thank you, Mr. Mayor, that on the occasion of my visit, you have offered me a sign of hope for the youth, giving it my name, that of an old Pontiff who looks confidently to the youth and prays for them every day.

Families, the youth, can hope in a better future to the degree in which individualism makes way for feelings of brotherly collaboration among all the components of civil society and the Christian community.

May this work in construction be an impetus for Rome to to realize a social fabric of acceptance and respect, where the encounter between culture and faith, between social life and religious testimony, may work to form communities that are truly free and inspired by sentiments of peace.

A singular contribution can be made to this by the 'Observatory for Religious freedom" that is being formed, to which you referred just now,

Mr. Mayor, dear friends, at the end of my intervention, allow me to turn my attention towards our Lady with her Child who for several centuries has watched maternally over your work of civic administration in this hall.

May you all always be in agreement about service to our beloved city, to which the Lord has called me to exercise my episcopal ministry. On each of you I invoke from the heart the abundance of divine blessings,and for everyone I assure my remembrance in prayers. Thank you for your hospitality.

---

---

ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF ROME

Dear brothers and sisters,

After meeting with the administrators of the city, I am very happy to greet all of you who are gathered in this Piazza del Campidoglio, towards which the colonnade, with which Bernini completed the splendid structure of the Vatican Basilica, reaches out as in an ideal embrace.

Having lived in Rome for so many years, I have become somewhat Roman, but I feel more Roman as your bishop. It is therefore with more vivid participation that I address, through each of you, all our fellow citizens whom you represent today to some degree: to families, to communities and parishes, to the children, to young people and the aged, to the disabled and the sick, to volunteers and social workers. to immigrants and pilgrims.

I thank the Cardinal Vicar, who is with me on this visit, and encourage and follow the commitment of all - priests, consecrated and the lay faithful - who work together actively with public institutions for the good of Rome, its suburbs and its neighboring areas.

Several days ago, while meeting with the parish priests and clergy of Rome, I said that the Roman heart is a 'heart of poetry', in order to underscore that beauty is almost "its privilege, its natural charism".

Rome is beautiful for its sntiquities, for its cultural institutiions and monuments which narrate history, for its churches and multiple art masterworks.

But Rome is beautiful above all for the generosity and saintliness of so many of its children who have left eloquent traces of their passion for the beauty of God, the beauty of a love that does not fade nor age.

Witnesses to this beauty were the Apostles Peter and Paul and the ranks of martyrs at the beginning of Christianity: In the course of centuries, many men and women,Roman by birth or by adoption, have given themselves in the service of young people, the sick, the poor and all who are needy.

I will limit myself to citing only a few: the deacon St. Lawrence, St. Francesca Romana, whose feast day we celebrate today, St. Philip Neri, St. Gaspare del Bufalo, St. Giovanni Battista De Rossi, St. Vincenzo Pallotti, Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, and the Blessed spouses Luigi e Maria Beltrami Quattrocchi.

Their example shows that when a person meets Christ, he does not remain closed in himself, but opens up to the needs of others, in every field of society, and places the good of all before his own interests.

We truly have need of such men and women in our own time, when not a few families, not a few young people and adults, are in precarious and even tragic situations - situations which can be overcome only together, as the history of Rome itself shows, which has known many other such difficult times.

I am reminded in this respect of a verse from the great Latin poet Ovid who, in one of his elegies, encouraged the Romans of his time: "Perfer et obdura: multo graviora tulisti" – support and resist: you have overcome situations that were much more difficult (cfr Trist., lib. V, el. XI, v. 7).

Beyond the necessary solidarity and the dutiful commitment of everyone, we can always count on the sure help of God who never abandons his children.

Dear friends, when returning to your homes, communities and parishes, tell everyone you meet that the Pope assures them of his understanding, of his spiritual nearness, and his prayers.

To everyone, especially the sick, the suffering, and those who are in the gravest difficulties, bring my remembrance and the blessing of God, which I now invoke on you through the intercession of Saints Peter and Paul, of San Francesca Romana, co-patron of Rome, and especially of Maria Salus Populi Romani - Mary. health of the Roman people. May God always bless and protect Rome and all its residents.

---