(25 Dec 08 - RV) Jesus was born for everyone…., so that each person and every human
situation may come to know the power of God’s saving grace, which alone can transform
evil into good, which alone can change human hearts, making them oases of peace.
That
was at the heart of Pope Benedict’s Urbi et Orbi message this year, to the city of
Rome and to the entire world. Dedicating his prayers for a conversion of heart among
warring groups in the Middle East and Africa, Pope Benedict also warned against selfishness
saying if people look only to their own interests, our world will certainly fall apart.
Urbi
et Orbi is a Latin expression meaning to or for the city and the world.
In
antiquity, it was the official phrase that began edicts and proclamations that were
to be binding not only on the city of Rome, but on the whole world.
Now,
the phrase refers to a solemn blessing the Pope gives on Christmas and Easter, as
well as on other rare and very special occasions.
Beginning with an invocation
of Sts. Peter and Paul, on whose ministry the Roman Pontiff’s own is founded, the
prayer goes on to implore the intercession of Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, St.
Michael, Archangel, Prince of the Heavenly Host, John the Baptist and all the saints
so the God might show mercy on those who attend the blessing, bringing them to forgiveness
of sin and everlasting life in and through Christ.
The focal point of the
prayer asks God to grant all those in attendance indulgence, absolution, and remission
of all sins, time for a true and fruitful penance, an always repentant heart and amendment
of life, the grace and consolation of the Holy Spirit, and perseverance in good works
unto the end.
The prayer concludes by imploring the blessing of Almighty
God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for all those in attendance, now and
forever.
It has become tradition over the years, and especially at Christmastime,
for the Pope to deliver an address before the benediction, in which he notes areas
of particular concern to him personally, for the life of the Church and humanity,
generally.
This Christmas was no exception, and the Holy Father chose to
concentrate on the universality of God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ.
The
constant refrain of the Holy Father’s address the truth that God’s coming into the
world is for all men and women.
Praying that the many people who continue
to dwell in darkness and the shadow of death might come to know the power of God’s
saving grace, Pope Benedict asked that the divine Light of Bethlehem radiate throughout
the Holy Land, where the horizon seems once again bleak for Israelis and Palestinians.
May
it spread throughout Lebanon, Iraq and the whole Middle East, he continued, praying
that it might bring forth rich fruit from the efforts of all those who, rather than
resigning themselves to the twisted logic of conflict and violence, prefer instead
the path of dialogue and negotiation as the means of resolving tensions within each
country and finding just and lasting solutions to the conflicts troubling the region.
This
light, said Pope Benedict, brings transformation and renewal, and is besought by the
people of Zimbabwe, in Africa, trapped for all too long in a political and social
crisis which, sadly, keeps worsening, as well as the men and women of the Democratic
Republic of Congo, especially in the war-torn region of Kivu, Darfur, in Sudan, and
Somalia, whose interminable sufferings are the tragic consequence of the lack of stability
and peace.
Pope Benedict said Children living in those countries are
especially awaiting this light, as indeed are the children of all countries experiencing
troubles, so that their future can once more be filled with hope.
The Holy
Father went on to say, “Wherever the dignity and rights of the human person are trampled
upon; wherever the selfishness of individuals and groups prevails over the common
good; wherever fratricidal hatred and the exploitation of man by man risk being taken
for granted; wherever internecine conflicts divide ethnic and social groups and disrupt
peaceful coexistence; wherever terrorism continues to strike; wherever the basics
needed for survival are lacking; wherever an increasingly uncertain future is regarded
with apprehension, even in affluent nations: in each of these places may the Light
of Christmas shine forth and encourage all people to do their part in a spirit of
authentic solidarity.
If people look only to their own interests, said
Pope Benedict, our world will certainly fall apart.”
So, continued the
Holy Father, Let us go, then, brothers and sisters! Let us make haste, like the shepherds
on that Bethlehem night. God has come to meet us; he has shown us his face, full
of grace and mercy! May his coming to us not be in vain! Let us seek Jesus, let
us be drawn to his light which dispels sadness and fear from every human heart. Let
us draw near to him with confidence, and bow down in humility to adore him.
Following
the Urbi et Orbi Benediction, the Holy Father offered Christmas greetings to the faithful
in dozens of languages, including English: "May the birth of the Prince of Peace remind
the world where its true happiness lies; and may your hearts be filled with hope and
joy, for the Saviour has been born for us".