The Risen Jesus,
Hope of the WOrld
On the Occasion of the
Fourth National Ecclesial Convention
H.H. Benedict XVI
Bentegodi Stadium, Verona, Italy
October 19, 2006
Zenit.org
Venerable
Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today, in this Eucharistic celebration we live the key
moment of the Fourth National Convention of the Church in
Italy, which is gathered around the Successor of Peter. The
heart of every ecclesial event is the Eucharist, in which
Christ the Lord draws us together, speaks to us, nourishes
and sends us.
The Verona stadium, the place chosen for this solemn
liturgy, is significant: it is a place where non-religious
rites are usually celebrated, sports events attracting
millions of fans.
Today, this space is host to the Risen Jesus, truly present
in his Word, in the assembly of the People of God with its
Pastors and, in an eminent way, in the Sacrament of his Body
and his Blood.
Christ comes today in this modern Areopagus to pour forth
his Spirit on the Church in Italy, so that, renewed by his
breath in a new Pentecost, she can "communicate the Gospel
in a changing world", as proposed by the pastoral directives
of the Italian Bishops' Conference for the years 2000-2010.
And you, dear Brother Bishops, with the Presbyters and
Deacons, to you, dear delegates of the Dioceses and of lay
groups, to you men and women religious and committed laity,
I address my most cordial greeting that I extend to those
joining us by radio and television.
I greet and spiritually embrace the entire Italian Church,
the living Body of Christ. I want to express in a special
way my appreciation to those who have worked hard to prepare
and organize this Convention: the President of the Italian
Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Camillo Ruini; the Secretary
General, Mons. Giuseppe Betori, with the collaborators of
the various offices; Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi and the
other members of the preparatory committee; Bishop Flavio
Roberto Carraro of Verona, to whom I am grateful for the
kind words he addressed to me at the beginning of the
celebration also in the name of this beloved community of
Verona that welcomes us. Our esteem also goes to Mister
President of the Council of Ministers and the other
distinguished Authorities present. Lastly, a cordial thank
you to the communications team following the work of this
important session of the Church in Italy.
The Bible Reading proclaimed a short time ago illuminates
the theme of the Convention: "Witnesses of the Risen Jesus,
Hope of the World". The Word of God highlights Christ's
Resurrection, an event that has regenerated believers to a
lively hope, as the Apostle Peter states at the beginning of
his First Letter. This text constitutes the axis
underpinning the itinerary of preparations for this great
national meeting. As his Successor, I too exclaim with joy:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I
Pt 1: 3), because through the Resurrection of his Son he has
regenerated us and has given us by faith the invincible hope
of eternal life, so that we live in the present always
directed towards the goal, which is the final meeting with
our Lord and Saviour.
Strengthened by this hope, we are not afraid of trials,
which, however painful and heavy, can never impair the
profound joy that comes from being loved by God. In his
merciful providence, he has given his Son for us and we,
even without seeing him, believe in him and love him (cf. I
Pt 1: 3-9). His love is sufficient for us.
Strengthened by this love, firm in faith in the Resurrection
of Jesus that builds hope, our Christian witness is born and
constantly renewed. It is there that our "Creed" is rooted,
the symbol of faith from which the initial preaching was
drawn and that continues unaltered to nourish the People of
God.
The content of the "kerygma", the proclamation, which
constitutes the substance of the entire Gospel message, is
Christ, the Son of God made Man, who died and rose for us.
His Resurrection is the qualifying mystery of Christianity,
the superabundant fulfilment of all salvific promises, also
those we have heard in the First Reading taken from the end
of the Book of the prophet Isaiah.
From the Risen Christ, the first fruits of the new humanity,
regenerated and regenerating, the "poor" people are truly
born, as the prophet foretold, who have opened their hearts
to the Gospel and have become and always become new "oaks of
righteousness", "the planting of the Lord, that he may be
glorified", rebuilders of ruins, restorers of deserted
cities, considered by all as the blessed offshoot of the
Lord (cf. Is 61: 3-4, 9).
The mystery of the Resurrection of the Son of God, who, by
rising to Heaven is next to the Father, has effused upon us
the Holy Spirit and allows us to embrace with a single
glance Christ and the Church: the Risen One and the
resurrected, the first fruits and the field of God, the
cornerstone and the living stones, to use another image from
the First Letter of Peter (cf. 2: 4-8).
So it happened at the beginning with the first apostolic
community, and thus it must be even now.
From the day of Pentecost, in fact, the light of the Risen
Lord has transfigured the life of the Apostles. They already
had the clear perception of not being simply disciples of a
new and interesting doctrine, but witnesses chosen and
responsible for a revelation linked to the salvation of
their contemporaries and all future generations.
The Paschal faith filled their hearts with ardour and
extraordinary zeal, which made them able to face every
difficulty and even death, and impressed their words with an
irresistible power of persuasion. Hence, a group of people,
lacking human resources and strong by their faith alone,
fearlessly faced difficult persecution and martyrdom.
The Apostle John writes: "This is the victory that overcomes
the world, our faith" (I Jn 5: 4b). The truth of this
affirmation is documented also in Italy by two millennia of
Christian history, with the countless testimonies of
martyrs, saints and blesseds who have left an indelible mark
on every corner of the beautiful Peninsula in which we live.
Some of them were recalled at the beginning of the
Convention and their faces accompany our work.
Today, we are the heirs of those victorious witnesses! But
precisely from this observation the question arises: what is
our faith? To what extent are we able to communicate it
today?
The certainty that Christ is risen assures us that no
opposition can ever destroy the Church. We are heartened
also by the awareness that only Christ can fully satisfy the
profound longings of every human heart and respond to the
most disturbing questions on pain, injustice and evil, on
death and the afterlife.
Therefore, our faith is stable, but it is necessary that
this faith come alive in each one of us. There is then a
vast and capillary effort to be made so that each Christian
is transformed into a "witness" ready and able to assume the
duty to give a reason to everyone, and always of the hope
that is in one (cf. I Pt 3: 15).
To do this, we must return to proclaiming powerfully and
joyfully the event of Christ's death and Resurrection, heart
of Christianity, principal fulcrum of our faith, powerful
lever of our certainty, impetuous wind that sweeps away
every fear and indecision, every doubt and human
calculation.
This decisive change in the world can only come from God.
Only starting from the Resurrection can the true nature of
the Church and her witness be understood, which is not
something detached from the Paschal Mystery but rather is a
fruit of it, manifested and accomplished by those who,
receiving the Holy Spirit, are sent by Christ to take up his
very same mission (cf. Jn 20: 21-23).
"Witnesses of the Risen Jesus": this definition of the
Christian comes directly from the Gospel passage of Luke
proclaimed today, but also from the Acts of the Apostles
(cf. 1: 8, 22). Witnesses of the Risen Jesus. That "of" must
be well understood! It means that the witness is "of" the
Risen Jesus, that is, belonging to him, and exactly as such
can render a valid witness to him, can speak about him, make
him known, lead to him, transmit his presence.
It is exactly the contrary of what happens with the other
expression: "hope of the world". Here the preposition "of"
does not at all mean belonging to, because Christ is not of
the world, as also Christians must not be of the world.
The hope, which is Christ, is in the world, is for the
world, but it is precisely because Christ is God, is "the
Holy One" (in Hebrew, Qadosh). Christ is hope for the world
because he is risen, and he is risen because he is God.
Christians too can bring hope to the world, because they are
of Christ and of God in the measure in which they die with
him to sin and rise with him to the new life of love, of
forgiveness, of service, of non-violence.
As St Augustine said: "You have believed, you have been
baptized: the old life is dead, it was killed on the Cross,
buried in Baptism. The old life is buried in which you lived
ill at east: may the new life arise" (cf. Sermone Guelf. IX,
in M. Pellegrino, Vox Patrum, 177). Only if, like Christ,
they are not of the world, can Christians be hope in the
world and for the world.
Dear brothers and sisters, my wish, which surely you share,
is that the Church in Italy can begin again from this
Convention as urged on by the words of the Risen Lord, who
repeats to each and every one of you: be witnesses in the
world today of my passion and my Resurrection (cf. Lk 24:
48).
In a changing world, the Gospel does not alter. The Good
News always remains the same: Christ has died and is risen
for our salvation! In his Name take the message of
conversion and forgiveness for sins to everyone, but be
yourselves the first to witness to a converted and forgiven
life.
We know well that this is not possible without being
"clothed with power from on high" (Lk 24: 49), without the
interior strength of the Spirit of the Risen One. To receive
it, as Jesus told his disciples, one must not leave
Jerusalem but must remain in the "city" where the mystery of
salvation is consummated, the supreme act of love of God for
humanity. One must remain in prayer with Mary, the Mother
given to us by Christ from the Cross.
For Christians, citizens of the world, to remain in
Jerusalem means none other than to remain in the Church, the
"city of God", where one can receive the "unction"
[anointing] of the Holy Spirit.
In these days of the National Ecclesial Convention, the
Church in Italy, obeying the command of the Risen Lord, is
gathered and has relived the original experience of the
Upper Room, to receive anew the gift from on High.
Now, consecrated by this "unction", go! Take the happy news
to the poor, bandage the wounds of broken hearts, proclaim
freedom to the enslaved, liberty to captives, proclaim a
year of mercy of the Lord (cf. Is 61: 1-2).
Rebuild the ancient ruins, raise up former devastations,
repair the deserted cities (cf. Is 61: 4). There are many
difficult situations that await a resolute intervention!
Bring into the world the hope of God, who is Christ the
Lord, he who is risen from the dead and lives and reigns for
ever and ever.
Amen.
© Copyright 2006 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
