Pope Calls on World to Connect with God this Christmas

(25 Dec 09 - RV) The birth of God "for us" is a strong exhortation to overcome " both individual and collective” selfishness, which "keeps us prisoners of self-interest” and makes us “tone deaf” to God.

A call to peace in the Middle East, respect for human rights in Sri Lanka and in Congo, the pursuit of harmony in Iraq and Latin America, an invitation to welcome the poor and immigrants in our lives. This was Pope Benedict XVI’s message to the City and the World this Christmas.


Flags and banners thronged St Peter’s square, from Mexico and Brazil, North America and India.The marching bands of the Italian Army and Vatican Guards took up position and struck up the chords of the two national anthems as the crowds waited excitedly for the red velvet curtains to part.

Then at midday Pope Benedict appeared at the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, flanked by two Cardinal deacons to deliver his Christmas blessing to the jubilant crowds below and to the many millions more who had tuned in from an estimated 100 nations worldwide.

He told them, "The light of the first Christmas was like a fire in the night." "Today too, - continued the Pope - in those who encounter that Child, God still kindles fires in the night of the world".

“The “us” of the Church – he continued - is alive in the place where Jesus was born, in the Holy Land, inviting its people to abandon every logic of violence and vengeance, and to engage with renewed vigour and generosity in the process which leads to peaceful coexistence. The “us” of the Church is present in Iraq with the “little flock” of Christians which lives in the region subject to violence and injustice, but which remains determined to make its own contribution to the building of a society and is opposed to the logic of conflict and the rejection of one’s neighbour.

“The “us” of the Church, he said, is active in Sri Lanka, in the Korean peninsula and in the Philippines, as well as in the other countries of Asia, as a leaven of reconciliation and peace.”
 
“On the continent of Africa she does not cease to lift her voice to God, imploring an end to every injustice in the Democratic Republic of Congo; she invites the citizens of Guinea and Niger to respect for the rights of every person and to dialogue; she begs those of Madagascar to overcome their internal divisions and to be mutually accepting; and she reminds all men and women that they are called to hope, despite the tragedies, trials and difficulties which still afflict them".

"In Europe and North America, the “us” of the Church urges people to leave behind the selfish and technicist mentality, to advance the common good and to show respect for the persons who are most defenceless, starting with the unborn. In Honduras she is assisting in process of rebuilding institutions; throughout Latin America, the “us” of the Church is a source of identity, a summons to respect for the inalienable rights, a proclamation of justice and fraternity, a source of unity”.

That symbol of the "fire" was also the heart of Thursday’s celebration of the Christmas vigil mass, celebrated in St. Peter’s basilica.

The rite, beamed around the world, was marked at the beginning by a moment of confusion and fear when a young woman, jumped over the security barricade as the Pope passed in procession down the central aisle of St Peter’s Basilica, and launching herself at the Pope, caused him to fall.

Pope Benedict XVI immediately recovered and continued towards the altar to celebrate mass. Unfortunately the elderly French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, was caught up in the fray that ensued the attack and suffered a broken femur in the fall.

Vatican Press Office director Fr Federico Lombardi said the 25 year-old woman appeared to have a history of mental ill-health. He added that Cardinal Etechgaray was receiving treatment in Gemelli Hospital, and that he would be operated on in coming days. Fr Lombardi ensured that Pope Benedict had emerged unscathed from the episode.


Pope Benedict XVI, made no mention of the incident as he continued celebrations, placing the "light" of Christ’s birth at the centre of his reflections. The light that illuminated the shepherds in Bethlehem two thousand years ago.

He said "We must be awake, so that we can hear the message of salvation", we must leave our own individual dreamworlds and enter common reality, casting off that selfishness "that keeps us prisoners of our interests and desires, dividing us from one another."

Pope Benedict said that today, the mentality of the world and "the range of our various experiences" end up reducing our sensitivity to God. We are tine deaf to Him.

"The majority of men - concluded the Pope – do not see the things of God as a priority, when in reality God is the most important part of our life. Just as the shepherds we must " learn not to be crushed by all the pressing matters in our daily lives” and how to “escape from the muddle of our thoughts and activities and discover the way that leads to” Jesus Christ. God in Christ comes to us, he becomes a child, he lets us touch Him and asks for our love, saying " come and see how much I love you”


On Christmas day they came, in their thousands, to wish the Pope a merry Christmas. And they were not disappointed as before he imparted his apostolic blessing Pope Benedict sent Christmas greetings around the world in 65 languages; including: Chinese, Russian, Kazakh, Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, Armenian , Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Burmese, Urdu, Korean, Vietnamese, Sinhalese, Thai, Indonesian, Cambodian, Filipino, and of course English.