Pope Benedict XVI Meets with Priests of Rome

(07 Feb 08 - RV) Pope Benedict XVI held his annual meeting with the clergy of the Diocese of Rome today in the Vatican.

Pope Benedict met with the priests of Rome in the Hall of Benedictions, which contains the window from which the Pope gives his Urbi et Orbi message.

Ten priests were given the task of questioning the Bishop of Rome, and the queries ranged from evangelization to youth ministry.

Answering the question of an Indian priest who has worked in Rome for a number years, the Pope spoke about evangelization. He says dialogue means respecting one another, but dialogue does not exclude the announcement of the Gospel, noting that the Truth is not ours alone, and the Church should offer it to others.

The Pope also said the Church perhaps speaks too little of the sin, and also Heaven and Hell. He said he wanted to talk about the Last Judgement in his Encyclical Spe Salvi, saying that those know do not know the last judgement do not know the possibility of falling, and the necessity of salvation. He said those who do not labour for Paradise, are not going to do good on Earth. He mentioned that Nazism and Communism, which wanted to change the world, ended up destroying it.


The Pope at one point said the questions being asked were so vast, that they would need a half-year of theology to answer, eliciting laughs and applause from the priests.

In years past Pope Benedict has said these meetings with his priests are a true joy for him.