General Audience, April 14 - Pope recalls China's quake victims
(April 14, 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 April 14th 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, As the Year for Priests draws to its close, I would
like to devote the catecheses of this Easter season to a series of reflections on
the ordained ministry. I wish to speak in particular of the priest’s configuration
to Christ, the head of the Church, through the exercise of the three munera of teaching,
sanctifying and governing. In their ministry priests act in persona Christi, “in
the person of Christ”. The three munera are in fact actions of the Risen Christ,
who even today, through his priests, continues to teach, sanctify and govern his Church.
The first of the three munera is that of teaching, so important for our times. The
priest is called to preach and teach not himself, but Jesus Christ and his revelation
of the Father. This teaching, far from an abstract doctrine, is a living proclamation
of the person of Christ, who is himself Truth, the source of our joy, peace and spiritual
rebirth. The priest’s munus docendi demands that his whole life testify to the truth
of the message that he proclaims, in harmony with the apostolic tradition and often
in opposition to the spirit of the dominant culture. Following the example of the
great Curé of Ars, may every priest proclaim Christ faithfully and speak in such a
way that all can hear in him the voice of the Good Shepherd. I welcome all
the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Audience, especially those from England,
Wales, Scotland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Korea, Canada and the United States
of America. Upon you and your families I cordially invoke the joy and peace of the
Risen Christ!
At the end of the audience, Pope Benedict remembered the
victims of a strong earthquake that struck western China's Qinghai province on Wednesday,
killing at least 300 people and injuring thousands. Speaking in Italian, Pope Benedict
said he was praying for the victims and expressed his spiritual closeness with those
hit by the terrible calamity. Imploring God’s comfort in their suffering and courage
in the adversity, the Holy Father wished that they may not lack the solidarity of
all. Wednesday’s General audience concluded with the Pope’s blessing.