Pope offers new year's blessings at Angelus

In his address to thousands of pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the first Angelus prayer of 2013, Pope Benedict likened the new year to "a journey." Tracey McClure reports.
Listen:
On this Feast of Mary, mother of God, the Pope called on the Blessed Virgin “to bless us, like a mother blesses her children who must leave on a trip. “A new year is like a journey,” he said. “May it be a path to peace for every person and every family, for each country and for the whole world.”

Like Jesus who made the face of God known in the Holy Land and then, through his Church, across the world, Christians today, he urged, are called to put the Gospel of God’s peace into practice.

And then: The Christmas song of angels: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to men on whom his favour rests.” The pope said this is the song of Christians everywhere…”a song from the hearts and lips which passes into concrete actions, actions of love that build dialogue, understanding and reconciliation.”

Echoing his blessings in his first Tweet of the new year, Pope Benedict offered these words to English speaking pilgrims here in Rome this January first:

“I am pleased to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present today for this prayer. Today, New Year’s Day, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. With affectionate trust, Our Lady believed the message revealed to her by the angel’s word and bore Jesus Christ, true God and true man. May her powerful intercession bring you a happy and prosperous New Year!”

Photo: Pope Benedict XVI gestures during his Sunday Angelus from the window of his private appartment overlooking St. Peters square after the solemnity of Mary the Mother of God mass and during the 46th World Day of Peace on January 1, 2013 at the Vatican.