Gospel bring joy and hope to mankind says Pope

(May 30, 2011) By accepting the Gospel, humanity can experience true joy and hope, Pope Benedict XVI said on Sunday. “It is possible! It is possible for humanity to know true joy, because wherever the Gospel arrives, life flourishes, just as an arid terrain that, irrigated by rain, is immediately verdant," the Pope reflected before reciting the weekly midday ‘Regina Caeli’ prayer with a large crowd in St. Peter’s Square. Referring to Sunday’s Mass reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the Pope dwelt on the Church's mission to evangelize. He referred to saints who "took hope and peace to whole cities," such as Charles Borromeo in Milan and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. "While the powerful of this world sought to conquer new territories for political and economic interests,” the Pope said, “Christ's messengers went everywhere for the purpose of taking Christ to men and men to Christ, knowing that he alone can give true liberty and eternal life." This mission continues today -- both for those populations that have never received the "living water of the Gospel," and those that "are in need of new sap to bear new fruits, and rediscover the beauty and joy of the faith," he said. Pope Benedict referred to his predecessor Blessed John Paul II saying he "was a great missionary."