(March 24, 2010) Every week on Wednesday, the Pope holds a public meeting, called
the general audience, during which pilgrims and tourists who come to Rome have a chance
of seeing and hearing him speak. The Holy Father delivers a spiritual reflection
and greets various groups in their languages, including in English. The General
Audience of March 24th was held in the open in St. Peter’s Square. It
began with aides taking turns reading a scripture passage in various languages.
One of the aides greeted the Pope on behalf of the English-speaking pilgrims, and
presented the various groups to him. Pope Benedict then delivered a reflection in
English. Listen: Dear Brothers
and Sisters, In our catechesis on the Christian culture of the Middle Ages,
we now turn to Saint Albert, better known as Albertus Magnus, Albert the Great. A
universal genius whose interests ranged from the natural sciences to philosophy and
theology, Albert entered the Dominicans and, after studies in Paris, taught in Cologne.
Elected provincial of the Teutonic province, he served as bishop of Regensburg for
four years and then returned to teaching and writing. He played an important part
in the Council of Lyons, and he worked to clarify and defend the teaching of Saint
Thomas Aquinas, his most brilliant student. Albert was canonized and declared a Doctor
of the Church by Pope Pius XI, and Pope Pius XII named him the patron of the natural
sciences. Saint Albert shows us that faith is not opposed to reason, and that the
created world can be seen as a “book” written by God and capable of being “read” in
its own way by the various sciences. His study of Aristotle also brought out the
difference between the sciences of philosophy and theology, while insisting that both
cooperate in enabling us to discover our vocation to truth and happiness, a vocation
which finds its fulfilment in eternal life. I welcome all the English-speaking
visitors, especially a group of priests, Religious and seminarians visiting from the
Philippines. Upon all the English-speaking pilgrims and your families, I invoke God’s
abundant blessings.