Give God to the world that's forgotten Him, Pope tells Italian bishops

(Nov.11, 2009): Pope Benedict XVI told Italian bishops that their biggest challenge today is presenting God again to a world that has forgotten about him. The Pope affirmed this in a message to the prelates, who gathered in Assisi for their 60th general assembly. The papal statement, made public on Tuesday was directed to Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, president of Italy’s episcopal conference.
The Pope concentrated on two main themes: the educational crisis and the ongoing Year for Priests, relating both of them to the new evangelization. Regarding education, Pope Benedict classified it as a challenge that concerns all sectors of the Church today and must be faced with decision. The Pope said "If God is absent in our life, we lack the compass to show us the path we must follow. We must bring the truth of God back into the world, make him known and make him present," the Pope declared. He urged the Italian bishops to place the formation of new generations at the center of the attention and efforts of each one, according to each person's respective responsibilities. Education is a constitutive and permanent need in the life of the Church, the Pope affirmed.
Pope Benedict also highlighted the need to reinvigorate priestly ministry, saying, "In order for this to happen, we first and foremost become living adoration, a gift that changes the world and restores it to God. This is the profound message of the Year for Priests," he added.
The Pontiff also mentioned the new Italian edition of the funeral rites, saying "The funeral is an important moment in which to announce the Gospel of hope. In a world that shuns the idea of death”, the Pope observed “it is the task of believers to shine the light of Christian revelation on that mystery.”