Pope Benedict XVI Holds Weekly General Audience

Pope Benedict XVI returned to speak of Saint Augustine of Hippo during his weekly General Audience this Wednesday.

Following his earlier reflections on the life of the bishop, whom he described as the greatest of the Church’s Latin Fathers, Pope Benedict this week considered some of Saint Augustine’s teachings.

The Holy Father said St. Augustine was a passionate believer, who recognized the importance of bringing together faith and reason…

It was he who taught that we should believe in order to understand, and understand in order to believe. God makes himself known to our reason, although he always transcends what we can know through reason alone. As Augustine beautifully expressed it, God is “more intimately present to me than my inmost being” and “higher than the highest element in me.”


Pope Benedict said Saint Augustine taught that by belonging to the Church, we are so closely united to Christ that we “become” Christ, the head whose members we are.

As our head, Christ prays in us, yet he also prays for us as our priest, and we pray to him as our God. If we ask what particular message Saint Augustine has for the men and women of today, it is perhaps his emphasis on our need for truth.


The Holy Father invited the faithful to consider St. Augustine’s description of his own search for God’s truth:

“You were within me and I sought you outside, in the beautiful things that you had made. You were with me, but I was not with you. You called me, you cried out and broke open my deafness. I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst for you.” Let us pray that we too may discover the joy of knowing God’s truth.


A priest of the diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota, in the United States, Fr John Hess heard the Holy Father’s remarks, and shared with us his thoughts on the need for conversion, a turning toward the truth in our lives…

I guess, I look at the whole Church, and it’s just, this sense of conversion of heart, away from our evil ways, perhaps, and our human ways sometimes, you know, people can say, but just to experience the love of God, and to, you know, to witness it as they live that out.


Among the many groups present at the audience were representatives of the Pontifical Mission Societies, who are gathered in Rome this week for their annual meeting.

Fr. Robert Bradler of the Dicoese of Rochester, New York is just one of the many participants…

It’s just great to be in this surrounding, with all the faith commitments people make here, you know?


Following the catechesis, Pope Benedict greeted the faithful in many languages, including English…

I am pleased to welcome all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including groups from England, Scotland, Hong Kong and the United States of America. I greet especially the representatives of the Pontifical Mission Societies and the group who are preparing to be ordained deacons. Upon all of you, and upon your families and loved ones, I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace.