Pope Benedict Addresses the Roman Major Seminary

(February 21, 2009) “You were called to freedom; freedom in all times was the great dream of humanity, from the beginning, but particularly in modern times”, said Pope Benedict XVI. In the context of St Paul, "Through love, you are in the service" that is, freedom is achieved, paradoxically, to serve; we become free if we become servants of one another.” He was speaking at the Rome’s Major Diocesan seminary on the occasion of the Feast of our Lady of Confidence, the patroness of the Seminary, on Friday 20^th of February. The Holy Father said that our truth is that, firstly, we are creatures, creatures of God and live in relationship with the Creator. We are relational beings. And only by accepting our relationships, we enter into the truth, otherwise we fall into the lies and deceit that will destroy us. He further said that the Creator loves us and our dependence is to be in the space of his love, and our dependence is freedom, because we are in love of the Creator and we are united to him, in all its reality and its power. Our journey of knowing God, the relationship of love with God is the great adventure of our Christian life in Christ because we know the face of God, the face of God who loves us to the Cross, until he gives us the total gift of himself, said the Pope. Expressing the trust in Mary, the Holy Father said, that the Madonna appears particularly in her humility, goodness and love. Our Lady gives us that confidence, takes us by the hand, guides us, helps us in the journey of being united to the will of God, as she was united from the very first time and this union has expressed in his "Fiat." Finally he called on them not to expect to be superior to others, but to find humility of Christ, along with the humility of Our Lady, to enter in obedience of faith. This really opens all to the space for truth and freedom in love, said Pope Benedict XVI