May

19

Pope Notes Recipe for Missionary Spirit

May 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Benedict XVI says that a missionary spirit presupposes expertise in listening to God and resisting the spirit of the world.

The Pope affirmed this Sunday during his two-day apostolic trip to Genoa and Savona.

He prayed the midday Angelus in Genoa’s Piazza Matteotti, and from there, went to a meeting with a group of consecrated persons.

Giving an address at the city’s St. Lawrence Cathedral, the Holy Father said that “this cathedral, surrounded by so many alleyways, seems to be the place of convergence and arrival of all roads, as if from the shade of the narrow lanes men wish to come out into the light of their cathedral, [...] into the light of God that welcomes, embraces, illuminates and restores everyone.”

The Pontiff noted that in the past, “the Church in Genoa has had a rich tradition of holiness and generous service to others.”

“And even today, despite the difficulties society is undergoing, evangelizing passion remains strong in your communities,” he added. “In particular, there has been a growing and shared desire to create ever more fraternal understanding in order to collaborate in missionary activity throughout the archdiocese.

“Indeed, following the guidelines of the Italian episcopal conference, you wish to place yourselves in a permanent state of mission, as a form of witness to the joy of the Gospel and an explicit invitation to everyone to meet Jesus Christ.”

Examples of holiness

Benedict XVI encouraged such a missionary spirit, saying that its cultivation requires becoming “’specialists’ in listening to God and credible examples of a holiness that translates into faithfulness to the Gospel, without surrender to the spirit of the world.” He went on to quote the late Cardinal Giuseppe Siri, archbishop of Genoa, to the effect that “religious life moves around God [...] and hence it becomes a witness of God and a call to God.”

The Pope invited those present to continue their good works, especially their presence near “the poor, the sick, families, children and parishes.” All this, he affirmed, “is a precious field of service and of giving, in order to build the Church and serve mankind.”

Benedict XVI noted that Genoa’s spiritual tradition “includes six popes, among whom I particularly mention Benedict XV, [...] the Pope of peace. In his ‘Humani Generis Redemptionem,’ he wrote that ‘what makes the human word capable of benefiting souls is the grace of God.’ Let us never forget this.”

“In order to be witnesses and heralds of the message of salvation we cannot rely only on our human energy,” the German Pontiff affirmed. “It is the faithfulness of God that stimulates and conforms our own faithfulness to him. Hence let us allow ourselves to be guided by the Spirit of truth and love.”

After the meeting, Benedict XVI paused for a few moments prayer before the tomb of Cardinal Siri before being taken by car to the archiepiscopal Benedict XV Seminary where he greeted the seminarians and had lunch with local bishops.

He left Genoa and returned to Rome on Sunday evening.  Courtesy Zenit.org


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