The first group of German Bishops met with Pope Benedict XVI at the end of their Ad-Limina visit

(10 Nov. 2006) : The first group of Bishops from Germany met with Pope Benedict XVI at the end of their 5-yearly Ad-Limina visit to the Vatican. Briefly referring to his visit to his home country in 2005 for the World Youth Day in Cologne and in September this year to his home town in Bavaria, the Pontiff reminded the prelates that he hold Catholics of German dioceses and all Christians of Germany, very close to his heart and keeps them in his daily prayers.

In his address to the German bishops, Pope Benedict said that the Church in Germany must recognize the challenges facing the Church today and deal with them with courage. “As Christians we do not need to fear”, the Pontiff said, “but must draw from the Gospel true values of humanity.” Pope Benedict then spoke on the subject of co-existence with members of other religions, especially the Muslim community in Germany, namely to meet them with respect and sympathy. Then Pope Benedict spoke on adult religious education in Catholic schools, colleges and universities. “Catholic catechism”, the Pope said, “teaches the central core of the Catholic faith and how to live a Christian life. The Church in Germany has very deep religious roots and outstanding means for the promotion of faith and for the support of the needy humans at home and abroad. The dedication of the German people for the well being of the Church and the society are indeed remarkable,” the Pope concluded.