Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Mass for his former students

(August 29, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI presided over the Mass concluding, the so-called Ratzinger Schuelerkreis, which means “scholars’ circle”, which meets annually for a seminar. This year the theme has been the new Evangelization and it was held in the Mariapolis centre at Castelgandolfo. The participants are former theology students of Joseph Ratzinger who are interested in this topic but who are, for the most part, by no means experts on the subject, certainly not on the scientific details of it. The organizers of the Schuelerkreis had asked some experts on evolution and philosophy to participate. But their participation seems aimed at helping the theologians present to discuss the subject matter with greater scientific and philosophical precision. In his introductory words to the celebration, the Pope prayed that people thirsting for the spiritual living waters, may not sink and be choked in the ephemeral waters of this world’s grandeur. The sermon at Mass was preached by Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, Archbishop of Vienna.. In his homily the Cardinal underlined that the divine vocation to follow Jesus, go behind Jesus, means there can be no turning back. It demands a total denial of oneself, in order to conform to the will of God and thus conform to God’s divine design for each one of us.