Parents of Madeline McCann meet with Pope Benedict XVI
Vatican City,May 31,2007(CINS/CNA)- Pope Benedict XVI compassionately held the hands of the parents of 4-year-old Madeleine McCann, blessing them and a photo of the girl at the Wednesday audience today. The couple, who is Catholic, went to ask prayers for their daughter who disappeared while the family was vacationing in Portugal.
Thirty two thousand people were present at the general audience, but the pope took time to meet with Gerry and Kate McCann. "He was very kind, very sincere," Kate McCann told a packed news conference. According to the Associated Press, she said Benedict reassured them that he would "continue to pray for Madeleine's safe return."
"It was more personal than I ever could have imagined," said Gerry McCann. When Benedict saw a photograph of Madeline he recognized her right away. "His touch and thoughts and words were more tender than we could have hoped and that will sustain us during this most difficult time," he said.
When the Catholic couple expressed their desire to meet with the Holy Father to ask for his prayers the Holy See was quick to say yes.
A Vatican spokesman, Fr. Ciro Benedettini, said British Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor asked for the meeting to be arranged.
"We are talking about a family drama that has touched world public opinion. It could not but touch the Holy Father, especially since these people are Catholics," Benedettini said.
"The Holy Father is considered the father of all, therefore he was personally touched as a father," the spokesman said.
"Obviously we have very mixed emotions about being here, and of course why we are here." Gerry McCann said as the couple arrived in St. Peter's Square. "In normal circumstances it would be one of the most exciting things we could do in our own lifetimes, but very much on our minds is the fact that we are here without Madeleine." Expressing his gratefulness for the support they have received he said, "One evil act seems to be generating so much good.”
Madeleine McCann disappeared May 3 when her parents left her and her 2-year-old twin siblings alone in their hotel room while they went to a restaurant in their hotel complex in Praia da Luz, a resort town in Portugal's Algarve region. Gerry and Kate McCann have said they will not return to Britain without their daughter.
Kate McCann is traveling with a pink stuffed animal — Cuddle Cat — that her daughter took to bed with her every night.
Pope Benedict XVI: To be with the Church, requires humility and acceptance of its weaknesses
Vatican City,May.30,2007(CINS/AsiaNews) –“Being with the Church and acceptance of its weaknesses” requires “humility” and “simplicity”, because “only God is truly holy, we are in need of His forgiveness”. The Pope made these observations today to over 40 thousand people gathered for the general audience in St Peter’s square, during reflections on the limitations of a great figure in Church history, Tertullian. Among the crowds were the parents of little Maddie, Madeleine Mc Cann the 4 year old English child, abducted May 3rd in Portugal. The Pope greeted the parents, Gerry and Kate briefly at the end of the audience; they hope this encounter will help them further inform public opinion about the event.
Returning to “the line of great figures from the ancient Church, who still today are considered masters of the faith” Benedict XVI focused on the personality of Tertullian, the African apologist from the late II early III centuries, “the first great Christian author to write in Latin”, who communicates the positive essence of Christianity and illustrates its rational foundations.
He underlined that Tertullian, is most famous for his apologetic writings, in which he aims to “counter grave pagan accusations against the Church” and “present positively the Gospel”, in dialogue with the culture of the time, but above all “denounce the un just behaviour of the political authorities of the time towards the Church, by explaining the Christian customs , illustrate the new religion” and show the triumph of the Spirit, which opposes the violence of the persecutors with the fact that “Christians blood is an effective seed, in the end their suffering will be victorious”. In fact, in a special way Tertullian exhorts Christians to have hope in those times of persecution, exalting hope not only as a virtue, but as “a characteristic which invests every aspect of Christian existence”.
The Pope recalled that it was he who defined human nature as “naturaliter christiana” and maintained that “a Christian cannot hate, not even his own enemies” and that this is the moral repercussion of the choice of a faith which “proposes non violence as a way of life”.
The Pope continued that from the human point of view, one can speak of a drama which plagued Tertullian: with the passing of the years he became ever more exigent of Christians: above all he expected them to face persecution heroically. In the end he found himself isolated: “an overly individualistic search for the truth along with his intemperance led to his breaking from communion with the Church to become a follower of the Montanist sect”. Still today “there is open debate regarding his behaviour”.
“This great personality – commented the Pope – this figure so rigid in his convictions, who demanded Christians face persecution heroically, spurs me to thought. In the end it becomes clear that he lacked simplicity, the humility to become one with the Church, accepting its weaknesses”.
Pope Benedict XVI: The Church, as a community of believers, missionary and “Roman” is born at Pentecost
Vatican City,May.27,2007(CINS/AsiaNews) – In his address before the Regina Caeli prayer Benedict XVI gave a short catechesis on the nature of the Church, as is recited in the Credo, to the tens of thousands gathered in St Peters square.
Reflecting on today's feast of Pentecost, which commemorates the descent of the the Holy Spirit on the Virgin Mary and the Apostles gathered in the Cenacle, the pope said this event marked “the solemn birth of the Church”.
“In this extraordinary event – he continued – we find the essential and qualifying characteristics of the Church: the Church is one, as was the community of Pentecost gathered in prayer and 'agreement': ‘the community of believers was of one heart and mind' (Acts; 4,32). The Church is holy, not because of its own merits, but because it is animated by the Holy Spirit, it keeps its gaze fixed on Christ, so as to become one with Him and his love. The Church is Catholic, because the Gospel is destined for all peoples, thus from the very begining, the Holy Spirit makes it so it is announced in all tongues. The Church is apostolic, because it has been built upon the cornerstone of the Apostles, and is the faithful custodian of their teachings down through the unbroken line of episcopal succession”.
Moreover, the “Catholic” characteristic of the Church, capable of reaching out to all peoples in all languages, also renders it “missionary”. “The Church – continued the pontiff – is in its very nature a missionary Church, and since the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit has ceaselessly propelled it and continues to guide it along the world's paths, to the very edges of the earth and the end of all time”.
The pope then added a further, “essential point”: the Church is also “Roman”, not in the context of geographical limitations, but as an expression of its catholic and missionary nature : “In the Acts of the Apostles - explained the pope - … the passage of the Gospel from the Jews to the pagans, from Jerusalem to Rome is described. Rome represents the pagan world, thus all of the nations of people who are beyond the circle of God's ancient people. In fact, the Acts conclude with the arrival of the Gospel in Rome. Thus we can say that Rome is synonymous of Catholicism and Mission, it expresses faithfulness to the origins, to the Church of all times, to a Church which speaks all languages and to all cultures”.
Following the Marian prayer, Benedict XVI greeted the pilgrims in various languages, among them brass bands from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, who played some traditional German hymns.
Pope Benedict XVI at Angelus: Stop the “tragic violence” in the Gaza Strip and against Israeli cities
Vatican City,May.20,2007(CINS/AsiaNews) – At the end of the Regina Coeli prayer Benedict XVI launched a strong appeal for an end to “clashes between Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip and the launching of rockets against the populations of neighbouring Israeli cities”. The Pope underlined that these actions – which include “the armed intervention” by Israel - “are provoking the bloody deterioiration of the situation, and causing serious suffereing”.
“Once agian – he said – in the name of God, I urge an end to this tragic violence, while I express my solidarity with and closeness to the tried Palestinian and Israeli populations, whom I assure have a place in my prayers”.
He then added: “I appeal to all of the Palestinain Authorities, to their sense of responsability so that, through dialogue and with determiniation, they may return to the arduous journey of mutual understanding, and in doing so neutralize those who promote violence. I invite the Israeli government to moderation and I exhort the International community to multiply its efforts to relaunch peace negotiations. May the Lord inspire and support those who work for peace!”.
In his first meeting with the faithful of Rome since his journey to Brazil (May 9 – 14) and a brief period of respite in Castel Gandolfo, Benedict XVI thanked God for the outcome of the papal voyage and those who accompanied him with their prayers. He also promised : “I hope to return to this voyage at length next Wednesday, during my general audience. In the interim I invite you all to continue to pray for the Conference underway in Aparecida and for the journey of God's people who live in Latin America”.
As is tradition in the Catholic Church, the Ascension is also dedicated to the World Day for Social Communications, which this year has as it's theme: “Children and the Media: A Challenge for Education ". In his reflections before the Marian prayer, the Pope also dwelt on the mass medai and its' influence which all too often - the Pontiff noted - “competes against the school, the Church and even the familiy”. Benedict XVI maintians that “a suitable education to the correct use of the media is essential: parents, teachers and the ecclesial community are called to work together in educating children and teenagers to be selective in their use of the media and to nurture a critical capacity which cultivates their taste for what is esthetically and morally valid”.
But, he added, the media too must take on an educative role by “promoting human dignity, marraige and the family, society's conquests and its' objectives. Programes which favour violence and anti-social behaviour or those which vulgarize human sexulaity are unacceptable, above all when they are aimed at the young”. The Pope called on the industry leaders and those who work in the feild of communications to “safeguard the common good by respecting the truth and protecting dignity of the human person and of the family”.
Before a crowd of over 20 thousand people gathered in the square, the Pontif finished recalling the liturgical feast of the Ascension (which was celebrated Thursday in the Vatican): “The Risen Christ returns to the Father, thus opening for us the way to eternal life and gifting us the Holy Spirit. As the Apostles did then we too gather ourselves in prayer after the Ascension to envoke the coming of the Spirit, in spiritual union with the Virgin Mary (cfr At 1,12-14). May her intercession grant a renewed Pentecost for the entire Church”.
Finally Benedict XVI greeted pilgrims in many languages. He had a special greeting for “over one thousand young people from the Archdiocese of Genoa who have been or are about to be confirmed in their faith” The young boys and girls were accompanied by their Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco, president of the Italian Conference of Catholic Bishops and by Card. Tarcisio Bertone, former Archbishop of Genoa.
Pope Benedict XVI:T0 Mali Bishops,Reconciliation,justice and Peace are a pressing imperative
Vatican City,May.20,2007(CINS/SIR) - “The diocesan clergy is asked to play a more and more important role in evangelization, by collaborating with missionaries in a brotherly and trustful way, whose brave commitment must be pointed out. Priests must live their sacerdotal identities by giving themselves to the Lord completely, for the disinterested service of their brothers”. Those words were spoken by Pope Benedict XVI this morning, while he received in audience the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Mali, led by Msgr. Jean-Gabriel Diarra, president of the Conference itself, on the occasion of their “ad Limina Apostolorum” visit. After recalling that “life in prayer and sacraments, for priests, is a real pastoral priority”, in relation to clergy training, Benedict XVI added: “Human training is the foundation for sacerdotal training. Paying special attention to their affection maturity will allow priests to give a free answer to the life in bachelorhood and chastity, precious gifts of God. They will also be allowed to have solid consciences throughout their whole existences”. Moreover, the Pope addressed the second Special Assembly of the Bishops’ Synod for Africa. He told them that “the believers’ commitment in the service of reconciliation, justice and peace is a pressing imperative”.
Moreover, pondering the role of laymen, Benedict XVI added: “This participation in the social change will be effective on one condition: it is necessary to train competent laymen serving common good. This training, in which awareness of the social doctrine of the Church is an essential element, must take into consideration commitment on a civil level. In this way, laymen will be able to tackle daily challenges in the political, economical, social and cultural fields”. Then, the Pope lingered on the pastoral of marriage: he said that “while the number of Christian marriages remains relatively limited (in Mali, out of 11.4 million inhabitants, the Christians are about 1% of the population – editor’s note), the Church has to help the baptized, especially the young, to understand the beauty and the dignity of this sacrament”. This will allow Christian couples – he added – to remain faithful to marriage promises”, following the model “of the faithfulness manifested by God in the indestructible alliance which He himself concluded with man”. Finally, the Pope referred to the “cordial relationships” between Catholic believers and “Muslim compatriots” (making up 80% of the population – editor’s note). Then, he wished for “the encouragement of peaceful coexistence on all society levels”.