The Feast of all Saints reflects the double horizon of humanity: Pope

November 1, 2012: At midday on the Occasion of the All Saints Day on Thursday, Pope Benedict XVI recited the ‘Angelus’ prayer with the faithful and tourists in St. Peter’s Square. Before the Angelus referring to the Solemnity of All Saints he told the faithful gathered that “this festival makes us reflect on the double horizon of humanity, that we express symbolically with the words "earth" and "heaven": the earth is the historical journey, the sky eternity, the fullness of life in God. And so this feast reminds us of the Church in its dual dimension: the Church journeying in time and one that celebrates the feast without end, the heavenly Jerusalem. These two dimensions are united by the reality of the "communion of saints": the beginning of reality here on earth and reaches its fulfilment in heaven.”

“In the mundane world, the Church is the beginning of this mystery of communion that unites humanity, a mystery totally focused on Jesus Christ: it is he who introduced in mankind this new dynamic, a movement that leads to God and to same time towards unity, towards peace in a profound sense. The Saints - whom the Church proclaims so, although all the saints are known only to God, which we celebrate today as well - have lived intensely this dynamic. In each of them, it was this Christ, in a very personal way, by his Spirit working through the Word and the Sacraments. In fact, being united to Christ, the Church, does not negate the personality, but opens it, transforms it with the power of love, and gives, already here on earth, an eternal dimension.”

“In essence, it means to become conformed to the image of the Son of God, fulfilling the plan of God who created man in His own image and likeness. But this insertion in Christ gives us - as we said - also in communion with all the other members of his Mystical Body which is the Church, a communion that is perfect in "Heaven", where there is no insulation, no competition or separation.”

“In today's feast, we look forward to the beauty of this life fully open to the gaze of love of God and neighbour, in which we are sure to reach God and one another in God with this faith we hopeful we honour all the saints, and we prepare to commemorate tomorrow the faithful departed. In the saints we see the victory of love over selfishness and death: we see that following Christ leads to life, eternal life, and gives meaning to the present, every moment that passes, because it fills with love and hope. Only faith in eternal life makes us truly love the history and the present, but without attachment, freedom of the pilgrim, who loves the earth because his heart is in Heaven.”

After the Angelus he greeted the tourists and faithful gathered at the Square in many languages. Greeting the English-speaking visitors present, he said “Today's Solemnity of All Saints reminds us of our eternal destiny, where we will dwell, as Saint Thomas Aquinas says, in true and perfect light, total fulfilment, everlasting joy and gladness without end. May the intercession of all the saints lead us and our departed loved ones to our everlasting home in heaven. God bless you all!”