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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Regina Caeli Message
On the Holy Land
"Symbol of God’s Love for His People and for the Whole of Humanity"
H.H. Benedict XVI
May 17, 2009
www.zenit.org
Dear brothers and sisters!
I returned from the Holy Land [on Friday]. I plan to speak to you
about this pilgrimage at greater length during the general audience
on Wednesday. Now, I would like to thank the Lord, above all, who
granted me the possibility of completing this very important
apostolic voyage. I also thank all of those who offered their
assistance: the Latin patriarch and the pastors of the Church in
Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories; the Franciscans of
the Holy Land Custody, the civil officials of Jordan, Israel and the
Palestinian territories; the organizers and the security forces. I
thank the priests, religious and faithful who welcomed me with such
affection and those who accompanied and supported me with their
prayers. Thanks to all from the depths of my heart!
This pilgrimage to the holy places was also a pastoral visit to the
faithful who live there, a service to Christian unity, to dialogue
with the Jews and Muslims, and to the building up of peace. The Holy
Land, symbol of God’s love for his people and for the whole of
humanity, is also a symbol of the freedom and the peace that God
wants for all his children. In fact, however, the history of
yesterday and today shows that precisely that Land has become the
symbol of the opposite, that is, of divisions and interminable
conflicts between brothers. How is this possible? It is right that
such a question should enter our hearts, since we know that God has
a mysterious plan for that Land where -- as St. John writes -- God
“sent his son as a victim for the expiation of our sins (1 John
4:10). The Holy Land has been called a “fifth Gospel,” because here
we see, indeed touch, the reality of the history that God realized
together with men -- beginning with the places of Abraham’s life to
the places of Jesus’ life, from the incarnation to the empty tomb,
sign of his resurrection. Yes, God came to this land, he acted with
us in this world. But here we can say still more: the Holy Land,
because of its very history, can be considered a microcosm that
recapitulates in itself God’s arduous journey with humanity. A
journey that implicates even the cross with sin, but -- with the
abundance of divine love -- the joy of the Holy Spirit too, the
resurrection already begun, and it is the journey, through the
valley of our suffering, to the Kingdom of God, the kingdom that is
not of this world, but that lives in this world and must penetrate
it with its power of justice and peace.
Salvation history begins with the election of one man, Abraham, and
of people, Israel, but its aim is universality, the salvation of all
nations. Salvation history is always marked by this intersection of
particularity and universality. We see this nexus well in the first
reading of today’s liturgy: St. Peter seeing the faith of the pagans
in Cornelius’ household and their desire for God says: “Truly I am
beginning to see that God does not distinguish between persons, but
welcomes those who, from whatever nation, fear him and practice
justice” (Acts (10:34-35). Learn to fear God and practice justice
and in this way you will open the world to the Kingdom of God: this
is the deeper purpose of every interreligious dialogue.
I cannot conclude this Marian prayer without turning my thoughts to
Sri Lanka, to assure those civilians who find themselves in the
combat zone in the northern part of the country of my affection and
spiritual nearness. There are thousands of children, women, and
elderly there from whom the war has taken away years of life and
hope. In this respect, I would like once again to address an urgent
invitation to the opposing sides to facilitate the evacuation [of
the civilians] and join my voice to that of the United Nations’
Security Council which just some days ago asked for guarantees of
their safety and security. Furthermore, I ask the humanitarian
organizations, including Catholic ones, to do all they can to meet
the refugees urgent food and medical needs. I entrust that dear
country to the maternal protection of Holy Virgin of Madhu, loved
and venerated by all Sri Lankans, and I lift up my prayers to the
Lord that he will hasten the day of reconciliation and peace.
[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]
[The Holy Father then addressed the faithful in various languages.
In English, he said:]
I warmly greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors
present for this "Regina Caeli" prayer. In today’s Gospel Jesus
invites his disciples to remain in his love by their love for one
another. These words of the Risen Lord have a special resonance for
me as I reflect on my recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I ask all
of you to join me in praying that the Christians of the Middle East
will be strengthened in their witness to Christ’s victory and to the
reconciling power of his love. Through the prayers of Mary, Queen of
Peace, may the Christians of the Holy Land, in cooperation with
their Jewish and Muslim neighbours, and all people of good will,
work in harmony to build a future of justice and peace in those
lands. Upon them, and upon all of you, I invoke an abundance of
Easter joy in Christ our Saviour.
© Copyright 2009 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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