Pope Benedict XVI Reflects on True Freedom, Grace of Penance in Pauline Chapel Homily
to Biblical Commission
(15 Apr 10 - RV) At 7:30 Thursday morning Rome Time in the Pauline Chapel of the
Apostolic Palace, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass with the members of the Pontifical
Biblical Commission. He delivered a homily in which he spoke of true freedom as rooted
in knowledge of and loving obedience to God, as well as the grace of true penitence,
the need for pardon, renewal and transformation. We have this report...
The
Members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission are holding their Plenary Assembly this
week at the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
The meeting opened Monday, and the 5 days
of reflection are focusing on the theme of “Inspiration and Truth in the Bible.”
At
Mass with the members Thursday morning, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a homily on the
relationship of truth and freedom in the context of God’s relationship to human being
and human society.
Speaking without a prepared text, the Holy Father said
that in modern times we have seen theorized an idea of man according to which human
being would be, “free, autonomous, and nothing else.”
This supposed freedom
from everything, including freedom from the duty of obedience to God, “Is a lie,”
said Pope Benedict, a falsehood regarding the basic structure of human being – about
the way women and men are made to be, “because,” he continued, “human being does not
exist on its own, nor does it exist for itself.”
The Pope said it is a political
and practical falsehood, as well, because cooperation and sharing of freedoms is a
necessary part of social life – and if God does not exist – if He is not a point of
reference really accessible to human being, then only prevailing opinion remains and
it becomes the final arbiter of all things.
Citing the Nazi and Communist regimes
of the 20th century as examples, Pope Benedict said such dictatorships
can never accept the notion of a God who is above ideological power – and he also
stressed that in the present, there are subtle forms of dictatorship like that of
a radical conformism, which can lead to subtle and not-so subtle aggression toward
the Church.
The Holy Father also stressed that for Christians, true obedience
to God depends on our truly knowing Him, and he warned against the danger of using
“obedience to God” as a pretext for following our own desires. “We have,” he said,
“a certain fear of speaking about eternal life.”
“We talk of things that are
useful to the world,” continued Pope Benedict, “we show that Christianity can help
make the world a better place, but we do not dare say that the end of the world and
the goal of Christianity is eternal life – and that the criteria of life in this world
come from the goal – this we dare not say.”
We must rather have the courage,
the joy, the great hope that there is eternal life, that eternal life is real life
and that from this real life comes the light that illuminates this world as well.
The
Pope noted that, when we look at things this way, penitence is a grace – even though
of late we have sought to avoid this word, too.
Now, under the attacks of the
world, which speak to us of our sins, we see that to be able to do penance is a grace
– and we see how necessary it is to do penance, that is, to recognize what is wrong
in our lives: to recognize one’s sin, to open oneself to forgiveness, to prepare for
pardon, to allow oneself to be transformed.
The pain of penance, the pain of
purification and transformation – this pain is grace, because it is renewal – it is
the work of the Divine Mercy.
Pope Benedict concluded his homily with a prayer
that our lives might become true life, eternal life, love and truth.
The Plenary
Meeting of the Pontifical Biblical Commission is underway through the end of the week.