OUR BENEDICT AS PERSON OF THE YEAR
By Giuseppe Massari
Translated/adapted from PETRUS today:
A recent survey for SKY TV in Italy showed that 64% of Italians chose Pope Benedict XVI as their Person of the Year 2007.
Of course, this should not be surprising to us, only to those who have been cold or lukewarm in their attitude towards the Pope.
The Pope certainly does not need a consensus of popularity, but nevertheless this poll once again belies all the Cassandras, the retrograde thinkers, the know-alls, all those who claimed at the start that this was going to be a Pontificate not worth remembering.
These prophets of doom also said Benedict XVI's Pontificate would be a return to the past that would mean dark times for the Church.
Instead, the faithful have taken this Pope to their hearts, for his way of presenting himself and making himself understood clearly, without need for any spectacular gestures.
One might say that Benedict XVI entered the Papacy 'on tiptoes' - in the wake of a great predecessor - but he quickly settled in, with his well-measured words, his doctrinal interventions, his encyclicals, his effective presence even among the youth.
And Benedict's 'silent revolution' is bearing fruit. The faithful, judging by the audiences he draws, appear to be drawing closer to the mystery of beauty which is Christ as Benedict announces him, so that the faithful may know Christ and learn the true experience of faith, hope and charity.
They are doing so, through his Vicar on earth, for whom they have shown affection, esteem, sympathy and human warmth.
We can only wish long life to a Pope who is discreet, cultured, extremely prepared, prudent, wise, and rich with such profound humanity.
Through this site, we wish to convey to the Holy Father all our gratitude and our best wishes for a long and fecund spiritual and pastoral life.
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AMEN!
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60 COUNTRIES WILL BROADCAST
THE POPE'S MIDNIGHT MASS
Translated from PETRUS:
The Midnight Mass presided by Pope Benedict XVI tomorrow to celebrate the birth of Christ will be broadcast by 88 TV networks in 60 countries, with 42 carrying the telecast live, the Vatican said today.
For the Pope's Christmas message Urbi et Orbi, to be delivered at noon on Christmas Day, 95 networks in 57 countries have signed up, including all the countries of Europe.
In Africa: Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Togo, Uganda; in the americas: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, USA; in Asia: India, Indonesia, Korea, Lebanon and the Philippines; and Australia, site of the next World Youth day.
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I'm always thrilled and very encouraged wehn I see how many countries care enough about the Christian celebration of Christmas and the Pope's Christmas message to make it a worldwide media event. Certainly, no single celebrity or secular event in this celebrity-obsessed world can match the worldwide TV audience that the Vatican draws regularly for the Pope's major feastday Masses and messages. And that is a comforting thought in today's world.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 25/12/2007 22:34]