Pope: The Real Enemy to Fear and Fight is Sin

(16 May 10 - RV) 150 thousand lay faithful from all over Italy flocked to St Peter's Square on Sunday to express their solidarity with Pope Benedict . During his Regina Caeli address the Pope told all those gathered that, "the real enemy to fear and fight is sin.


It could have been a scene from a Papal Mass on a great occasion or a papal visit, like that of Fatima, but it was at Pope Benedict’s Regina Caeli on Sunday that an estimated 150 thousand lay faithful came from all corners of Italy to express their solidarity with Pope Benedict in the wake of the Clerical Sexual abuse crisis.


Greeting the members of around 68 Italian lay groups the Pope thanked them for their warm presence adding “ You have joined enthusiastically in this beautiful and spontaneous expression of faith and solidarity, which unites also a large group of parliamentarians and local administrators”.


I want to express my deep gratitude” said the Holy Father “you show the great affection and profound closeness of the Church and the Italian people to the Pope and to your priests who daily take care of you, because, in the commitment towards spiritual and moral renewal we can better serve the Church”.


As the Pope looked down on the huge crowd displaying banners attached to Bernini’s famous colonnade reading “ Together with the Pope” he told them that the real enemy to fear and to fight is sin, the spiritual evil, which sometimes, unfortunately, also infects members of the Church.


We Christians said the Holy Father “are not afraid of the world, although we must guard against its seductions”.


But he added, we must fear sin and this is deeply rooted in God, in good solidarity, love, and service which is 'what the Church, its ministers, together with the faithful, have done and continue to do with fervent commitment to the spiritual and material good of people all over the world.


That 's what the faithful try to do routinely, the Pope continued especially in parishes, associations and movements: to serve God and man in Christ's name.


“We continue along this path with confidence”, he said


Before praying the Regina Caeli the Pope noted in Italy and in other countries, the ascension of Jesus into heaven is celebrated. On the day the Holy Father said “Jesus' lifts the eyes of the Apostles to heaven, in order to show them how to walk the path of good. "


“Jesus is close to each of us” the Pope added , “and guides our Christian walk; he is friend of the persecuted because of their faith which is in the heart of those who are marginalized, and is present in those who are denied the right to life.


“We hear, see and touch Jesus in the Church”, the Pope continued, "especially through the sacramental words and gestures of its Pastors."


Speaking about The World Day of Social Communications, which is being celebrated today and has as its theme "The priest and pastoral care in the digital world: new media in the service of the Word, Pope Benedict XVI called on priests to use the media wisely," to make known the life of the Church and help people today to discover the face of Christ. "


The Pope ended his Regina Caeli, his first since returning from his visit to Portugal, by warmly acknowledging the thousands in St Peter's Square. Hear more: