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CHRISTMAS: REAFFIRMING THE MYSTERY OF SALVATION VATICAN CITY, DEC 19, 2007 (VIS) - In today's general audience, the last of 2007, celebrated in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope spoke on the subject of Christmas. "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'." "Perhaps today," the Pope added in off-the-cuff remarks, "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. ... In this way we can open the world to the coming of the Son and prepare our hearts to welcome the Lord Who comes." Returning to his prepared text, Benedict XVI said: "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, 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. "Moreover," he added, "we have formed a view of tolerance and pluralism such that to believe that Truth has been effectively manifested appears to constitute an attack on tolerance and the freedom of man. 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?" He continued: "How important it is, then, for us to reinforce the mystery of salvation which the celebration of Christ's Nativity brings. 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. If we do not recognize that God was made man, what sense does it have to celebrate Christmas? 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. "From here," the Holy Father added, "arises the duty of evangelization, which is the communication of the 'eu-angelion,' the 'good news.' This was underlined in the recent document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 'Doctrinal Note on some aspects of evangelization,' which I wish to present for your reflection and your individual and joint perusal." "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." According to a note published today by the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household, a total of 624,100 people participated in the 44 general audiences celebrated by Benedict XVI during the course of 2007. AG/CHRISTMAS/... VIS 071219 (690) POPE TO DIPLOMATS: COMBAT VIOLENCE WITH EDUCATION VATICAN CITY, DEC 13, 2007 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received the Letters of Credence of seven new ambassadors to the Holy See: Chaiyong Satjipanon of Thailand, Alain Butler-Payette of Seychelles, Peter Hitjitevi Katjavivi of Namibia, Elizabeth Ya Eli Harding of Gambia, Urmila Joella-Sewnundun of Suriname, Barry Desker of Singapore, and Suhail Khalil Shuhaiber of Kuwait. The Pope addressed the diplomats as a group before greeting them individually and handing each a written copy of a speech concerning the specific situation in his or her own country. "Your function as diplomats," the Holy Father told them, "is particularly important in today's world, in order to show that in all situations of international life, dialogue must overcome violence, and the desire for peace and fraternity must prevail over the contrasts and selfishness that lead only to tensions, and the resentments that do not contribute to building reconciled societies." "Through you," he went on, "I wish to launch a fresh call to everyone who plays a role in public life and to those who participate in governing nations, to do everything in their power to restore hope to the peoples they rule, ... bearing in mind their deepest aspirations so that everyone may benefit from the profits of the natural and economic resources of his or her country, in accordance with the principles of justice and equity." Benedict XVI laid emphasis on the fact that young people "are a country's greatest wealth" and that their "integral education" is "a fundamental necessity." In this context, he also recalled that merely technical and academic training is not enough, and that it is important "to promote education based on human and moral values" in order to ensure that young people "may occupy their rightful place in the development of the nation," having been given an "awareness of the needs of others." Education "with the help of international institutions involved in eradicating illiteracy," said the Pope, is one "particularly important way to combat the desperation that can take root in the hearts of young people, and that lies at the base of many individual or collective acts of violence." The Holy Father completed his address by pointing out how the Catholic Church, "through her various educational institutions, is in the frontline alongside men and women of good will, in the field of the integral formation of the young." In his written remarks to the Thai ambassador, the Pope expresses his concern over "the scourge of AIDS, prostitution and the trafficking of women and children which continue to afflict the countries of the region." In this context, he also points out how "the decline in moral values, fuelled by the trivialization of sexuality in the media and entertainment industries, leads to the degradation of women and even the abuse of children. The complexity of this unspeakable human exploitation demands a concerted international response." Referring to the Christian concept of human love and sexuality, the Holy Father writes in his discourse to the Namibian ambassador that "the understanding of marriage as the total, reciprocal and exclusive communion of love between a man and a woman not only accords with the plan of the Creator, it prompts the most effective behaviors for preventing the sexual transmission of disease: namely, abstinence before marriage and fidelity within marriage." In the copy of his address to the ambassador of Singapore, Benedict XVI writes of the Church's particular concern "to defend the universal rights to life and to religious freedom. ... Moreover, the effective recognition of the right to freedom of conscience and religious freedom is one of the most serious duties of every community that truly wishes to ensure the good of the individual and of society. Your government is known for its commitment to initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue, respect and cooperation between different religious groups, of particular importance in view of the diverse ethnic and religious affiliation of your population." In his discourse to the representative from Kuwait, the Pope says "your country, which has overcome the devastating effects of violence and war, continues to play an important role in the delicate process of reconciliation which offers the only sure hope for a resolution of the many complex problems affecting the Middle East." CD/LETTERS OF CREDENCE/VIS 071213 PRESENTATION OF "SPE SALVI," THE POPE'S NEW ENCYCLICAL VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2007 (VIS) - The new Encyclical of Benedict XVI, "Spe salvi," will be presented in the Holy See Press Office at 11.30 a.m. on Friday, November 30. The document will be presented by Cardinal Georges Marie Martin Cottier O.P., pro-theologian emeritus of the Pontifical Household, and by Cardinal Albert Vanhoye S.J., professor emeritus of New Testament exegesis at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. OP/ENCYCLICAL:SPESALVI/COTTIER:VANHOYE VIS 071123 (80) EPHREM THE SYRIAN: THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF CHRISTIANITY VATICAN CITY, NOV 28, 2007 (VIS) - Continuing his series of catecheses on Fathers of the Church, Benedict XVI today dedicated his general audience to the figure of St. Ephrem the Syrian, "the most famous poet of the patristic age." The audience was held in the Paul VI Hall in the presence of 8,000 people. Before discussing St. Ephrem, the Pope remarked how "it is widely believed today that Christianity is a European religion which subsequently exported that continent's culture to other countries. But the truth is much more complex." "The roots of the Christian religion," the Pope explained, "are in the Old Testament, hence in Jerusalem and the Semitic world. And Christianity constantly draws nourishment from these Old Testament roots. The spread of Christianity in the early centuries was directed both westwards - to the Greco-Latin world where it later inspired European culture - and eastwards to Persia and India, where it contributed to the formation of a specific culture, in Semitic languages and with its own identity." Benedict XVI indicated that "in order demonstrate the one Christian faith's multiplicity of cultural form ever since its inception" he had chosen to focus his audience on St. Ephrem, a theologian and a poet who was born in Nisibis around the year 306 and died in Edessa in 373. "Poetry," the Holy Father explained, "enabled him to deepen his theological reflections through the use of paradox and images." "Ephrem gave poetry and liturgical hymns a didactic and catechetical character, ... so as to use liturgical feasts as opportunities to spread the doctrine of the Church." Benedict XVI dwelt briefly on Ephrem's ideas concerning God the Creator, saying: "Nothing in the Creation is isolated and the world is - alongside Scared Scripture - a Bible of God. Using his freedom wrongly, man overturns the order of the universe." For Ephrem, "Jesus' presence in Mary's womb greatly raised the dignity of women ... about whom he always speaks with sensitivity and respect," said the Pope. "Just as there is no Redemption without Jesus, so there is no Incarnation without Mary. And the divine and human dimensions of the mystery of our Redemption are already to be found in the saint's writings." Honored in Christian tradition with the title of "harp of the Holy Spirit," Ephrem remained a deacon of the Church throughout his life. "This was a decisive and emblematic choice," said the Holy Father. "He was a deacon, in other words a servant in liturgical ministry and, more radically, in the love of Christ ... as well as in charity towards his brethren who, with great skill, he introduced to a knowledge of the divine Revelation." AG/EPHREM RITES OF THE CONSISTORY FOR THE CREATION OF NEW CARDINALS VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2007 (VIS) - At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow, November 24, the Pope will hold an Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of 23 new cardinals. The consistory for the creation of new cardinals, according to the new rite introduced during the consistory of June 28, 1991, contains the following points: Following a liturgical greeting, the Pope reads the formula of creation, and solemnly proclaims the names of the new cardinals. The first of the new cardinals then addresses the Holy Father on behalf of everyone. This is followed by the Liturgy of the Word, the Pope's homily, the Profession of Faith and the taking of the oath by each cardinal. Each new cardinal then approaches the Holy Father and kneels before him to receive the cardinal's biretta and to be assigned a title or deaconry. The Pope places the biretta on the cardinal's head and says, in part: "(This is) red as a sign of the dignity of the office of a cardinal, signifying that you are ready to act with fortitude, even to the point of spilling your blood for the increase of the Christian faith, for peace and harmony among the people of God, for freedom and the spread of the Holy Roman Catholic Church". The Holy Father hands over the Bull of Creation as cardinal, assigns the title or deaconry and exchanges a kiss of peace with the new members of the College of Cardinals. The cardinals also exchange such a sign among themselves. The rite is concluded with the Prayer of the Faithful, the recitation of the Our Father and the final blessing. At 10.30 a.m. on Sunday, November 25, Solemnity of Christ the King, the Holy Father will preside at a concelebrated Mass with the new cardinals, during which he will give them the cardinal's ring, "the sign of dignity, pastoral care and the most solid communion with the See of Peter." As he places the ring on the new cardinal's finger, the Pope says: "Take this ring from the hand of Peter and know that, with the love of the Prince of the Apostles, your love for the Church is strengthened." Following the morning's ceremony, the College of Cardinals will have 201 members, of whom 120 are electors. The members of the College, by continent of origin, are divided as follows: 104 from Europe, 20 from North America, 34 from South America, 18 from Africa, 21 from Asia and 4 from Oceania. As advisors to the Pope, the cardinals act collegially with him through consistories, which meet by order of the Roman Pontiff and under his presidency. Consistories can either be ordinary or extraordinary. In the ordinary consistory, all cardinals present in Rome, other bishops, priests and special guests are convened. These consistories are called by the Pope for consultation on certain important issues or to give special solemnity to some celebrations. An extraordinary consistory is one to which all cardinals are convened, and is celebrated when some special needs or more serious affairs of the Church suggest that it should be held. .../CONSISTORY CARDINALS/... VIS 071123 (530) APHRAATES THE WISE: HUMILITY IN THE WORLD VATICAN CITY, NOV 21, 2007 (VIS) - At his general audience this morning Benedict XVI turned his attention to Aphraates, known as "the Sage," an important Christian figure from 4th century Syria. The audience, held in St. Peter's Square, was attended by around 15,000 people. The Pope explained how Christian communities in Syria at that time were essentially part of "the Semitic world from which the Bible itself emerged," an expression of a form of Christianity "with theological formulations that had not yet come into contact with different cultural trends but lived off its own forms of thought. These were Churches," he continued, "in which asceticism, under various forms of hermitic life, ... played an important role." "Aphraates was from an ecclesial community located on the frontier between Judaism and Christianity" that was "strongly linked to the Mother Church of Jerusalem and ... sought to remain faithful to the Judeo-Christian tradition of which it felt itself to be a product." The Holy Father noted the significance of the fact that "Aphraates defined himself as a 'disciple of Sacred Scripture,' ... which he considered to be his only source of inspiration." In his works "he often presents the salvation achieved by Christ as healing and, hence, Christ Himself as doctor. Sin on the other hand is seen as a wound which only penance can heal." Another important aspect of his writings is "his teaching on prayer and in particular on Christ as master of prayer." For Aphraates, "Christian life is focussed on the imitation of Christ," and he considered "humility to be one of the most appropriate virtues for the disciple of Christ" because "man's nature is humble and it is God who exalts it with His own glory. ... By remaining humble, even in their earthly surroundings, Christians may establish a relationship with the Lord." His vision of human beings and their corporeal reality, said the Pope, "is very positive: the human body ... is called to beauty, to joy and to light." And it is faith that "enables sincere charity, expressed in love for God and for others." Another key concept in Aphraates' thought is that of fasting, which the Syrian "Sage" understood "in its widest sense: ... abstention from food as a practice necessary in order to be charitable, ... abstention from vain or abhorrent words, abstention from anger and from the ownership of goods." Benedict XVI concluded by returning to Aphraates' teaching on prayer. "Prayer is achieved," he said, "when Christ dwells in the heart of Christians, inviting them to a coherent commitment of charity towards their fellows." AG/APHRAATES/...VIS 071121 (440) TELEGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF MINE ACCIDENT IN UKRAINE VATICAN CITY, NOV 20, 2007 (VIS) - Given below is the text of a telegram sent by the Holy Father, via Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., to Viktor Yushchenko, president of the Republic of Ukraine, for a recent explosion in the country's Zasyadko mine which killed 88 people: "Having learned of the disaster in the Zasyadko mine in eastern Ukraine, the Supreme Pontiff wishes to express his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the government authorities and to the entire nation. While giving assurances of his fervent prayers for the souls of the deceased, he calls upon the Lord of heaven to grant consolation to the injured and to those suffering from the dramatic loss of their loved ones." TGR/EXPLOSION MINE/ZASYADKO:YUSHCHENKO VIS 071120 (140)

PEACE, A DIVINE GIFT TO BE CONSTANTLY IMPLORED VATICAN CITY, 1 JAN 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Basilica, Benedict XVI presided at a Eucharistic celebration for the Solemnity of Holy Mary Mother of God and the 41st World Day of Peace, which has as its theme this year: "The Human Family, a Community of Peace". At the beginning of his homily, the Pope asked for "the gift of peace for our families, for our cities, for the entire world". "We all aspire", he went on, "to live in peace. But real peace, the peace announced by the angels on Christmas night, is not simply an achievement of man's or the result of political agreements; it is above all a divine gift to be constantly implored and, at the same time, a commitment to be shouldered patiently while remaining ever obedient to the Lord's commands". Benedict XVI recalled how in his Message for World Peace Day this year he had emphasised "the close relationship that exists between the family and the construction of peace in the world. The natural family, founded on marriage between a man and a woman, is a 'cradle of life and love' and 'the first and indispensable teacher of peace'". For this reason, he went on, the family is "the 'primary agency of peace' and 'the denial or even the restriction of the rights of the family, by obscuring the truth about man, threatens the very foundations of peace'. "Because humanity is 'one great family'", he added, "if it wishes to live in peace it cannot but draw inspiration from those values upon which the family community is founded and supported". Referring then to the mystery of Mary's divine maternity, the Holy Father said that "if in the Child born of her we recognise the eternal Son of God and we accept Him as our only Saviour, we may be called - and we truly are - children of God: children in the Son". "The Child crying in the manger, though apparently similar to all the children of the world, is at the same time completely different. He is the Son of God, He is God, true God and true man. This mystery - the incarnation of the Word and the divine maternity of Mary - is a great mystery and certainly not easy to understand with merely human intelligence. However, at the school of Mary, we may capture with the heart that which the eyes and the mind alone are unable to perceive or to contain". "Only be conserving in our hearts", the Pope concluded, "in other words by discovering a unity in all our life experiences, can we, following Mary, enter into the mystery of a God Who, for love, became man and calls us to follow Him along the path of love; a love to be translated day after day into generous service to our brothers and sisters". HML/NEW YEAR MASS/... VIS 080102 (490) MARY HELPS US TO BE TRUE FRIENDS OF HER SON VATICAN CITY, 2 JAN 2008 (VIS) - At the first general audience of 2008, held this morning in the Paul VI Hall in the presence of 7,000 people, the Pope dedicated his catechesis to the Virgin Mary's title of Mother of God, the solemnity of which falls today. The Holy Father recalled that "Theotokos" or "Mother of God" was "the title officially attributed to Mary in the fifth century, at the Council of Ephesus of 431". On that occasion, solemn confirmation was given, "on the one hand, to the unity of the two natures (the divine and the human) in the person of the Son of God and, on the other, to the legitimacy of attributing to the Virgin the title of Theotokos" against those who, "in an attempt to safeguard the full humanity of Jesus", suggested she be called "Christotokos" or "Mother of Christ", the which represented "a threat to the doctrine of the full unity of divinity and humanity in Christ". Following the Council of Ephesus, "Marian devotion underwent an enormous expansion, and many churches dedicated to the Mother of God were built. Outstanding among them was St. Mary Major here in Rome. "The doctrine concerning Mary, Mother of God, was again confirmed at the Council of Chalcedon in 451", the Holy Father added, "and Vatican Council II included it in the eighth chapter of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church 'Lumen gentium'". "All the other titles attributed to the Virgin Mary have their foundation in her vocation as Mother of the Redeemer", he said: the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, and Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church. "It was right, then, that on 21 November 1964, during Vatican Council II, Paul VI solemnly attributed to Mary the title of 'Mother of the Church'". Benedict XVI continued: "Precisely because she is the Mother of the Church, the Virgin is also mother to each of us, who are members of the Mystical Body of Christ. ... At the culminating moment of His messianic mission, Jesus left each of His disciples, as a precious legacy, His own mother the Virgin Mary". "In these first days of the year, we are invited to give attentive consideration to the importance of Mary's presence in the life of the Church and in our own lives. Let us entrust ourselves to Her that she may guide our steps in this new period of time the Lord has given us to live, and help us to be true friends of her Son and courageous architects of His Kingdom in the world, a Kingdom of light and truth". AG/MOTHER OF GOD/...VIS 080102 (450) THE FAMILY IS THE PRIMARY "AGENCY" OF PEACE VATICAN CITY, 1 JAN 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, shortly after the Mass he celebrated in the Vatican Basilica, Benedict XVI addressed some remarks to pilgrims who had gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Angelus prayer. "We have begun the new year and I hope that it will prove serene and fruitful for everyone", said the Pope. "I entrust it to the heavenly protection of the Virgin Mary who is today evoked in the liturgy with her greatest title, Mother of God". "And it is precisely in the name of Mary", the Holy Father went on, "Mother of God and of man, that for the last 40 years the first day of the year has marked the World Day of Peace. The theme I have chosen for the anniversary this time is: 'The Human Family, a Community of Peace'. The same love that builds the family, the vital cell of society, and keeps it united, favours the creation among the people of the earth of relationships of solidarity and collaboration, ... appropriate to members of the one human family". The Pope noted the existence of a "close bond between the family, society and peace" then, quoting from his Message for the World Day of Peace, added: "whoever, even unknowingly, circumvents the institution of the family undermines peace in the entire community, national and international, since he weakens what is in effect the primary agency of peace". Furthermore, he continued still quoting his Message, "'we do not live alongside one another purely by chance; all of us are progressing along a common path as men and women, and thus as brothers and sisters'. It is then, truly important that each of us shoulders his or her responsibilities before God, recognising in Him the original source of their own existence and that of others. >From this awareness arises the commitment to make humanity a real community of peace administered by a common law that fosters 'true freedom rather than blind caprice, and protects the weak from oppression by the strong'". The Holy Father concluded: "May Mary, Mother of the Prince of Peace, support the Church in her tireless activities at the service of peace, and help the community of peoples - who in 2008 will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - to follow a path of true solidarity and stable peace". ANG/PEACE/... VIS 080102 (410)

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