INTERVIEW OF THE DAY
 

The Pope and Church communion: Vatican Press Office director Fr Federico Lombardi dedicated his editorial this week to the theme of Pope Benedict and his commitment to communion of the Church:

“In recent days the Pope's words and deeds have been exceptionally intense and crucial for the life of the community of the Church. It is significant that these have intensified in nature in the lead up to the celebration of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, which focuses our attention on the mission Christ entrusted to Peter and his successors for the support and guidance of the faith of the community of believers.
Among the initiatives taken by the Pope these days, the establishment of a Dicastery for the promotion of the new evangelization in secularized countries stands out, but for our part we would like to highlight in particular his personal and direct commitment to uniting the community of the Church.
The Pope has repeatedly said that the Churches gravest dangers and temptations come from within. In difficult times, such as those that we are experiencing, tensions induced from the outside also make the emergence of internal tensions easier and this helps to increase confusion and uncertainty.
The audiences called by the Pope. the meeting last Monday with Cardinal Schoenborn and Cardinal Sodano, and last Thursday, with the Bishop Emeritus of Augsburg, show that he is personally committed and will make every effort to heal tensions and misunderstandings that afflict the community.
"In times of conflict and insecurity, the world expects a common witness from Christians which they, through their encounter with the Risen Lord, are able to offer and thanks to which they are able to help each other as well as the entire society find the right path towards the future". This is how the press statement on Thursday’s audience concludes. These are the sentiments of the Pope, his exquisitely evangelical witness is clear. We must follow it”.