Pope Warns of the Sins of Sodom and Gomorrah

Editor: The following is a google of Vaticanist Tornielli's account of Pope Benedict XVI's address during his general audience today.  If there are but ten good men left, God is good enough to work from that to save the city of man from utter destruction.  It is not only a warning, but a sign of love and healing.

Evil "is not acceptable," but "the Lord does not want the death of the wicked, but that he be converted and live; his desire is always to forgive, save, create, transform evil into good." This was explained by Benedict XVI during the general audience today, commenting on the biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities where rampant immorality, for the sake of which Abraham prayed to God begging him not to wear his punishment in just the name of those who lived there.
 
With his prayers, "Abraham is giving voice to the desire of God, which is not to destroy, but to save Sodom, to give life to the repentant sinner." The need 'to find right men in the city "is becoming less demanding and ten in the end it will be enough to save the entire population." But "there were not ten righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities were destroyed." And this is because "the town were closed on an all-encompassing and numbing evil, without even a few innocents from which to transform evil into good."
 
"It is not the punishment that should be eliminated - said Benedict XVI - but sin, that rejection of God and the love that brings in itself the punishment." It serves, however, "a transformation from within, a few good holding on, a beginning from which to transform evil into good, hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness." For this the righteous shall be in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham and continually repeated: "Perhaps it will ...."
 
"There - Ratzinger has made clear - is in reality ill that there must be the seed of good that can heal and restore life." "It's a word," he added spontaneously to the Pope, addressed "to us" so that "in our town is the seed of good, we do not all because there are only ten righteous people to live and survive in our cities and to save us from the bitterness inside which is the absence of God in the real sick of Sodom and Gomorrah, the seed of good is not. "
 

Hearing these words of the Pope came to me immediately in mind the connection with the incident, sad and dramatic, the Genoese priest accused of abusing children by offering them in exchange for cocaine.

Pope Benedict to Asian Catholics: Be Witnesses to the Beauty of Christ's Being!

Pope Benedict published a message for the Catholics of Asia.

Rome (kath.net/as) this coming Sunday, the 5th of September, there will be a congress of Catholic Laity in Asia. For this event the Pope has composed a message to the Catholics of Asia, in which he exhorts them, to give ever more of a witness to the beauty of Christian existence and announce Jesus Christ as the only savior of the world. Similarly the Pope accentuated the indispensable role of the Lay Faithful for the mission of the Church. The message was read yesterday morning by the Apostolic Nuncio from South Korea, Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla.

The Asiatic continent, which contains two thirds of the world population, is for Benedict XVI, the cradle of great religions and spiritual traditions; simultaneously it is with a growing economy combined confrontations with unparalleled social transformations. in the midst of this context the Catholic is bound to ask, "a sign and a promise of unity, which only a Christian makes possible."


The people of Asia need Christ and his Gospel, as the Pope cited and called to memory the post-synodal writing "Ecclesia in Asia" (1999) of his predecessor John Paul II.. Therefore they must be encouraged by a healthy spiritual formation for that, not only to be active in the building up of local communities, rather also to forge a new way for the Gospel in all parts of the society.

Of Especial importance for Benedict XVI. is the witness to the truth of the Gospel in the Life of Marriage and the Family, in the defense of life from birth until natural death, in the care of the poor and marginal, by the reconciliation and in the practice of justice in solidarity in the workplace.

The growing number of engaged laity is a "sign of great hope for the future of the Church in Asia" according to Pope Benedict XVI. The fundamental roll of the lay faithful in the mission of the Church to accentuate warned the Pope every Catholic, to follow the example of St. Paul, "in order to bring to other men the truth, the joy and the beauty of Jesus", without losing courage in the face of difficulties.

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Pope's Address to Doctrine Congregation

"Natural Moral Law Is Neither Exclusively Nor Mainly Confessional"

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 22, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a Vatican translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered Jan. 15 upon receiving in audience members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the end of the dicastery's four-day plenary assembly.

* * *

Your Eminences,

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Faithful Collaborators,

It gives me great joy to meet you on the occasion of the Plenary Session and to express to you my sentiments of deep gratitude and cordial appreciation of the work you carry out at the service of the Successor of Peter in his ministry of strengthening his brethren in the faith (cf. Luke 22: 32).

I thank Cardinal William Joseph Levada for his greeting in which he recalled the topics that the Congregation is occupied at this time. He also recalled the new responsibilities that the Motu Proprio Ecclesiae Unitatem has entrusted to the Dicastery by closely joining with it the Ecclesia Dei Commission.

I would now like to reflect briefly on certain aspects that you, Your Eminence, have mentioned.

First of all I wish to emphasize that your Congregation participates in the ministry of unity that is entrusted to the Roman Pontiff in a special way, through his commitment to doctrinal fidelity. This unity, in fact, is primarily a unity of faith, supported by the sacred deposit whose main custodian and defender is the Successor of Peter.

Strengthening brothers and sisters in the faith, keeping them united in the confession of the Crucified and Risen Christ, is the first and fundamental task that Jesus conferred upon the one seated on the Chair of Peter. It is a binding service on which depends the effectiveness of the Church's evangelizing action to the end of time.

The Bishop of Rome, in whose "potestas docendi" your Congregation participates, is bound to proclaim ceaselessly: "Dominus Iesus" "Jesus is Lord". The "potestas docendi," in fact, entails obedience to the faith so that the Truth which is Christ may continue to shine out in its grandeur and resonate in its integrity and purity for all humankind, and thus that there may be one flock gathered round the one Pastor.

The achievement of the common witness to faith of all Christians therefore constitutes the priority of the Church of all time, in order to lead all people to the encounter with God. In this spirit I trust in particular in the Dicastery's commitment to overcome doctrinal problems that are still an obstacle to the achievement of full communion with the Church on the part of the Society of St Pius X.

I would also like to congratulate you on your commitment to fully integrating formerly Anglican groups and individual members of the faithful into the Church's life, in accordance with what is stipulated in the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus. The faithful adherence of these groups to the truth received from Christ and presented by the Magisterium of the Church is in no way contrary to the ecumenical movement but rather shows its ultimate purpose, which consists in the achievement of the full and visible communion of the Lord's disciples.

In recalling your invaluable service to the Vicar of Christ, I must also mention that in September 2008 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published the Instruction "Dignitas Personae" on Certain Bioethical Questions.

Following the Encyclical "Evangelium Vitae" by the Servant of God John Paul ii in March 1995 this doctrinal document, centered on the theme of the dignity of the person created in Christ and for Christ, is a new landmark in the proclamation of the Gospel in full continuity with the Instruction "Donum Vitae," published by this Dicastery in February 1987.

Concerning delicate and timely topics such as procreation and the new forms of treatment that involve the manipulation of embryos and the human genetic patrimony, the Instruction recalls that "the ethical value of biomedical science is gauged in reference to both the unconditional respect owed to every human being at every moment of his or her existence, and the defense of the specific character of the personal act which transmits life" ("Instruction Dignitas Personae," No. 10).

In this way the Magisterium of the Church wishes to make its own contribution to the formation of consciences, not only of believers but also of all who seek the truth and want to listen to arguments stemming not only from faith but also from reason. In fact the Church, in proposing moral evaluations for biomedical research on human life, draws on the light of both reason and faith (cf. ibid., No. 3), since she is convinced that "what is human is not only received and respected by faith, but is also purified, elevated and perfected" (ibid., No. 7).

In this context a response is likewise given to the widespread mentality that presents faith as an obstacle to scientific freedom and research, because it presumes that faith is made up of a pattern of prejudices that hinder the objective understanding of reality.

Faced with this attitude that strives to replace truth with a consensus that is fragile and easy to manipulate, the Christian faith, instead, makes a real contribution in the ethical and philosophical context. It does not provide pre-constituted solutions to concrete problems like bio-medical research and experimentation, but rather proposes reliable moral perspectives within which human reason can seek and find valid solutions.

There are in fact specific contents of Christian revelation that cast light on bioethical problems: the value of human life, the relational and social dimension of the person, the connection between the unitive and the procreative aspects of sexuality, and the centrality of the family founded on the marriage of a man and a woman. These matters engraved in the human heart are also rationally understandable as an element of natural moral law and can be accepted also by those who do not identify with the Christian faith.

The natural moral law is neither exclusively nor mainly confessional, even if the Christian Revelation and the fulfillment of Man in the mystery of Christ fully illumines and develops its doctrine. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, it "states the first and essential precepts which govern the moral life" (No. 1955).

Established in human nature itself and accessible to every rational creature, the natural moral law thus determines the basis for initiating dialogue with all who seek the truth and, more generally, with civil and secular society. This law, engraved in every human being's heart, touches on one of the essential problems of reflection on law and likewise challenges the conscience and responsibility of legislators.

As I encourage you to persevere in your demanding and important service, I would also like on this occasion to express my spiritual closeness to you, as a pledge of my affection and gratitude, as I warmly impart the Apostolic Blessing to you all.

© Copyright 2010 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Pope Calls Youth to Constancy, Courage

Holy Father's frequent exhortations for orthodoxy and for combat against heresy are heartwarming.

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 13, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI today offered the example of a fourth century champion of orthodoxy as a model for youth.

In his traditional greeting to the sick, newlyweds and young people, the Pope mentioned the saint celebrated by today's liturgy: Hilary of Poitiers.

The fourth century bishop was energetic in his fight against the Arian heresy. And the liturgy calls him a "tenacious champion of the divinity of Christ."

He was a "defender of the faith and teacher of truth," the Holy Father said. "May his example sustain you, dear young people, in your constant and courageous search for Christ."

The Bishop of Rome also encouraged the sick to "offer your sufferings so that the Kingdom of God is spread in the whole world" and he urged newlyweds to be "witnesses of the love of Christ in family life."

Pope traces history of Christmas celebration, notes influence of St. Francis

December 23, 2009

In his final Wednesday public audience before Christmas, Pope Benedict XVI traced the history of the feast day. He reminded the audience in the Paul VI auditorium that Easter, not Christmas, was the “the most ancient feast of Christianity.” The tradition of celebrating the Nativity developed later.

At first the celebration of Christmas replaced the Roman pagan feast of Sol invictus-- the return of the Sun after the darkest day of the calendar year. “This highlighted the fact that the birth of Christ is the victory of the true light over the darkness of evil and sin,” the Pope remarked. The Christmas celebration as we now know it was advanced by St. Francis of Assisi, whose devotion to the Christ-child helped the world to understand “that we can establish an intimate rapport of profound affection with Him, just as we do with a newborn child.”

“God becomes a defenseless child to overcome man's pride, violence and thirst for possession,” the Pope continued. "People who have not understood the mystery of Christmas have not understood the decisive element of Christian existence: that those who do not accept Jesus with the heart of a child cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven.”

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