Vatican City, Dec.20,2007 (CINS/VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received a group of young people from Italian Catholic Action (ACI), for a traditional exchange of Christmas good wishes.

The Pope greeted Luigi Alici, national president of ACI, and Bishop Domenico Sigalini of Palestrina, Italy, recently appointed as the group's general ecclesiastical assistant, then began his remarks by mentioning the Italian child Antonia Meo, whose heroic virtues were promulgated recently by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Antonia, known as Nennolina, died of bone cancer in 1937 shortly before her seventh birthday. The Holy Father recalled how during her brief life she "showed special faith, hope and charity" and, presenting her as a model for the young people of ACI (of which she was a member), he affirmed that "her existence, so simple and yet so important, shows that sanctity is for all ages: for babies and for young people, for adults and for the elderly."

"She travelled quickly," said the Pope, "down the 'highway' that leads to Jesus ... Who is, in fact, the true 'path' that leads to the Father, and to His and our definitive home which is heaven."

"Jesus is the way that leads to the true life, the life that never ends. It is often a steep and narrow way but, if one allows oneself to be attracted by Him, it is always stupendous, like a mountain path: the higher one climbs the easier it becomes to gaze down upon new panoramas, ever more beautiful and vast. The journey is tiring but we are not alone. ... What is important is not to lose our way, not to miss the path, otherwise we risk falling into an abyss or getting lost in the woods.

"Dear friends," the Holy Father added, "God made Himself man to show us the way. Indeed, by becoming a child He made Himself the 'way,' also for young people like you: He was like you, He was your age."

Finally, Pope Benedict expressed the hope that Italian Catholic Action as a whole may "walk jointly and briskly along the path of Christ, bearing witness, in the Church and in society, to the fact that this is a beautiful path. It is true that it requires commitment, but it leads to true joy."

Vatican City, Dec.20,2007 (CINS/VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:

"This morning the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Nicolas Sarkozy, president of the French Republic.

"The president subsequently went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

"The cordial discussions provided an opportunity to examine a number of questions of mutual interest concerning the current situation of France. Mention was made of the good relations that exist between the Catholic Church and the French Republic, and of the role of religions, especially the Catholic Church, in the world.

"Particular attention was given to the international situation with reference to the future of Europe, the conflicts in the Middle East, the social and political problems of certain African countries, and the drama of hostages.

"At the end of the conversation, best wishes were exchanged for the forthcoming Feasts of Christmas and the New Year."

Vatican City, Dec 19, 2007 (CINS/CNA).- As Christmas draws nearer, Pope Benedict departed from his tradition of reflecting on an Early Church Father on Wednesdays so that he could point to the impact of Jesus’ birth upon the world.

That God’s son became a man means that mankind is able to become truly human, that this message of salvation must be shared and that peace will come to the world, Pope Benedict XVI explained.

Christmas and Justice

"If, on the one hand, Christmas is a commemoration of the incredible prodigy of the birth of the only-begotten Son of God from the Virgin Mary in the grotto of Bethlehem," said the Pope, "on the other, it also exhorts us to wait, vigilant and prayerful, for our own Redeemer, Who on the last day 'will come to judge the living and the dead'."

Looking at the state of the world today, the Pope departed from his prepared remarks and said, "Perhaps today, we faithful truly believe in the Judge; we all expect justice. We see so many injustices in the world, ... and we expect justice. ... We hope that whoever comes can bring justice. In this context we pray to Jesus Christ to come as a Judge. ... The Lord knows how to come into the world and create justice."

"Hoping for justice in the Christian sense means ... that we too begin to live under the eyes of the Judge, ... creating justice in our own lives,” the Pontiff said.

If we live our lives in a just way, “we can open the world to the coming of the Son and prepare our hearts to welcome the Lord Who comes," remarked Pope Benedict .

Modern Man and Jesus’ Birth

Returning to his prepared text, Benedict XVI focused on the fact that Jesus’ birth is a matter of history: "He Who was generated by the Father in eternity became a man in history thanks to the Virgin Mother. The true Son of God is also a true Son of man.”

“Today, in our secularized world,” the Pope lamented, “these concepts do not seem to count for very much. People prefer to ignore them or to consider them superfluous to life, advancing the pretext that they are so far distant as to be practically untranslatable into convincing and significant words.”

There is also a “view of tolerance and pluralism” in today’s world that says that believing the Truth exists is an “attack on tolerance and the freedom of man,” Benedict said. If, however, truth is cancelled, is man not a being deprived of meaning? Do we not force ourselves and the world into a meaningless relativism?"

This view of reality makes it all the more important “for us to reinforce the mystery of salvation which the celebration of Christ's Nativity brings,” insisted the Holy Father. “In Bethlehem the Light that illuminates our lives was revealed to the world; we were shown the Way that leads us to the fullness of our humanity,” he explained.

Pope Benedict also questioned why any other reason for celebrating Christmas is found to be meaningful: “If we do not recognize that God was made man, what sense does it make to celebrate Christmas?”

Indeed, “We Christians must reaffirm with profound and heartfelt conviction the truth of Christ's nativity, in order to bear witness before everyone of the unique gift which brings wealth not just to us, but to everyone,” the Pontiff said.

The natural consequence of hearing this ‘good news’ is to share it with others, to evangelize, explained the Pope. He also recommended the document on evangelization issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith last week for the faithful's reflection.

"In these days leading up to Christmas," said Pope Benedict , "the Church prays more intensely for the realization of hopes of peace and salvation, of which the world today still has such urgent need. Let us ask God for violence to be defeated with the strength of love, for contrasts to give way to reconciliation, for the desire to dominate to be transformed into a desire for forgiveness, justice and peace. May the wishes for goodness and love that we exchange over these days reach all areas of our daily lives."

"May the message of solidarity and acceptance which arises from Christmas," the Pope concluded, "contribute to creating a more profound awareness of old and new forms of poverty, and of the common good in which everyone is called to participate."