Subject: VISnews 110926
Organization: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
TWENTY FIRST YEAR - N. 163
ENGLISH
MONDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER 2011
SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S TRIP TO GERMANY: 25 SEPTEMBER
- It Is Time for the Church to Set aside Her Worldliness
- Hope for the Future of Christianity in Germany
OTHER NEWS:
- Other Pontifical Acts
___________________________________________________________
IT IS TIME FOR THE CHURCH TO SET ASIDE HER WORLDLINESS
VATICAN CITY, 25 SEP 2011 (VIS) - At 5 p.m. today at the concert hall of
Freiburg im Breisgau, the Holy Father met with representatives of Catholic
associations active in the life of the Church and of society.
Having thanked them for their Christian service and witness, "something
that is not always easy at the present time", Benedict XVI pointed out that,
"for some decades now we have been experiencing a decline in religious
practice and we have been seeing substantial numbers of the baptised
drifting away from Church life. This prompts the question: should the Church
not change?"
"The Church", he explained, "is not just other people, not just the
hierarchy, the Pope and the bishops: we are all the Church, we the baptised.
... Yes, there are grounds for change. There is a need for change. Every
Christian and the community of the faithful are constantly called to change.
... As far as the Church in concerned, though, the basic motive for change
is the apostolic mission of the disciples and the Church herself.
"The Church, in other words, must constantly rededicate herself to her
mission", he added, explaining that this mission embraces three aspects:
bearing witness, making disciples in all nations and proclaiming the Gospel.
"The Church's mission has its origins in the mystery of the Triune God, in
the mystery of His creative love". She "has nothing of her own to offer to
Him Who founded her. She finds her meaning exclusively in being a tool of
salvation, in filling the world with God's word and in transforming the
world by bringing it into loving unity with God".
"In the concrete history of the Church, however, a contrary tendency is
also manifested, namely that the Church becomes settled in this world, she
becomes self-sufficient and adapts herself to the standards of the world.
She gives greater weight to organisation and institutionalisation than to
her vocation to openness", the Pope said.
And he went on: "In order to accomplish her true task adequately, the
Church must constantly renew the effort to detach herself from the
'worldliness' of the world. ... One could almost say that history comes to
the aid of the Church here through the various periods of secularisation,
which have contributed significantly to her purification and inner reform".
"Secularising trends", he added, "whether by expropriation of Church
goods, or elimination of privileges or the like, have always meant a
profound liberation of the Church from forms of worldliness, for in the
process she has set aside her worldly wealth and has once again completely
embraced her worldly poverty". In freeing herself of material ties, "her
missionary activity regained credibility".
Benedict XVI recalled that history shows how a Church detached from the
world can bear more effective missionary witness. "Once liberated from her
material and political burdens, the Church can reach out more effectively
and in a truly Christian way to the whole world, she can be truly open to
the world", he said.
"It is not a question here of finding a new strategy to relaunch the
Church. Rather, it is a question of setting aside mere strategy and seeking
total transparency, not bracketing or ignoring anything from the truth of
our present situation, but living the faith fully, ... stripping away from
it anything that may seem to belong to faith, but in truth is mere
convention or habit.
"To put it another way: for people of every era, not just our own, the
Christian faith is a scandal. ... This scandal, which cannot be eliminated
unless one were to eliminate Christianity itself, has unfortunately been
overshadowed in recent times by other painful scandals on the part of the
preachers of the faith. A dangerous situation arises when these scandals"
conceal "the true demands of the Christian Gospel behind the unworthiness of
those who proclaim it".
Pope Benedict concluded: "It time once again for the Church resolutely to
set aside her worldliness. ... A Church relieved of the burden of
worldliness is in a position, not least through her charitable activities,
to mediate the life-giving strength of the Christian faith to those in need,
to sufferers and to their carers. ... Openness to the concerns of the world
means, then, for the Church that is detached from worldliness, bearing
witness to the primacy of God's love according to the Gospel through word
and deed, here and now".
PV-GERMANY/ VIS 20110926
(750)
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF CHRISTIANITY IN GERMANY
VATICAN CITY, 25 SEP 2011 (VIS) - Today at 6 p.m. the Pope travelled fifty
kilometres by car from the city of Freiburg im Breisgau to Lahr airport for
his return flight to Italy. The departure ceremony was attended by German
President Christian Wulff, to whom the Pope again expressed his thanks, as
well as by various German bishops, representatives of the civil authorities
and large numbers of faithful.
"Before leaving Germany, I would like very much to thank you for these
days, so moving and eventful, spent in my native land", said the Holy
Father, who then went on to recall the most important moments of his
apostolic visit.
"In Berlin", he said, "I had the particular opportunity of addressing the
members of the Bundestag and presenting some reflections on the intellectual
foundations of the State. I also readily think of the fruitful conversations
which I had with the Federal President and the Federal Chancellor about the
present state of the German people and the international community. I was
particularly touched by the cordial welcome and enthusiasm shown by so many
people in Berlin.
"Here in the land of the Reformation", he added, "Christian unity was
naturally a high point of my journey. I would mention in particular my
meeting with representatives of the Lutheran Church in Germany, which took
place in the former Augustinian convent of Erfurt. I am profoundly grateful
for our fraternal exchange and common prayer. Significant too were my
meetings with Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians, as well with Jews
and Muslims.
"Of course my visit was particularly aimed at the Catholic communities in
Berlin, Erfurt, Eichsfeld and Freiburg. I gladly recall our ... common
listening to the word of God and our union in prayer - especially in those
parts of the country where efforts were made for decades to remove religion
from people's lives. This gives me confidence for the future of Christianity
in Germany. As in previous visits, it was clear how many people here are
bearing witness to their faith and making its transforming power present in
today's world.
"Last but not least, after the impressive celebration of World Youth Day
in Madrid, I was also delighted to be in the presence of large numbers of
young people in Freiburg at yesterday's youth vigil. I encourage the Church
in Germany to pursue with resolute confidence the path of faith which leads
people back to their roots, to the heart of the Good News of Christ. It will
be small communities of believers - and these already exist - whose
enthusiasm spreads within a pluralistic society and makes others curious to
seek the light which gives life in abundance. ... 'Where God is, there is a
future.' Wherever God is present, there is hope: new and often unexpected
horizons open up beyond the present and the ephemeral. In this sense I
accompany in my thoughts and prayers the path of the Church in Germany".
Following the departure ceremony, at 7.15 p.m. the Holy Father boarded his
plane to return to Rome. His flight landed at Fiumicino airport in Rome at
8.45 p.m., whence he travelled by car to the Apostolic Palace at
Castelgandolfo.
PV-GERMANY/ VIS 20110926
(540)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 26 SEP 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Stanislaw
Budzik, secretary general of the Polish Episcopal Conference, as archbishop
of Lublin (area 9,108, population 1,154,267, Catholics 1,128,233, priests
1,328, religious 1,043), Poland. The archbishop-elect was born in Lekawica,
Poland in 1952 and ordained a priest in 1977. Having studied dogmatic
theology in Austria, he worked as director of diocesan Caritas, then
director of the "Biblos" publishing house and later as rector of the major
seminary of Tarnow.
NER/ VIS
20110926 (90)
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