At ‘Angelus’, Pope Benedict encourages more faith in eternal life

(April 11, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI is encouraging greater faith in the life that Christ brings us: both in life after death and in spiritual life in freedom from sin. The Pope said this on Sunday while addressing a large crowd that had gathered in St. Pater’s Square in Rome to pray the weekly midday ‘Angelus’ with him. He reflected on Sunday’s Mass readings which all spoke of resurrection, especially that of Jesus raising Lazarus from death. "Even among Christians," the Pontiff noted, "faith in the resurrection and eternal life is often accompanied by many doubts and much confusion, because it is a reality that goes beyond the limits of our reason, and requires an act of faith." "Death is for us like a wall that keeps us from seeing what lies beyond," he observed, and added, “Christ destroys the wall of death; in him there dwells the fullness of God, who is life, eternal life.” “The resurrection of Lazarus is the sign of his complete dominion over physical death, which before God is like a dream." But the Holy Father said it is sin, the spiritual death, which threatens to ruin the existence of every man, and which cost Christ the most difficult struggle, indeed the price of the cross." “Christ died to defeat this death, and his resurrection is not a return to the previous life, but the opening to a new reality, a 'new earth,' finally reconnected to God's heaven," the Pope stated.