Pope’s sorrow over Norway massacre, reflection on good and evil

(July 25, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday called on people to renounce hatred in the face of the “deep sorrow”' felt over the “grave terrorist acts” in Norway on Friday. His appeal came after he prayed his weekly midday ‘Angelus’ with pilgrims gathered in the courtyard of the summer papal residence of Castel Gandolfo near Rome where he is currently on vacation. A 32-year old Norwegian man, Anders Behring Breivik has confessed he was behind Friday’s massive car bomb explosion in downtown Oslo and shooting massacre at the Utøya (‘You-toh-ya) island summer camp outside the capital. More than 90 people have been reported killed. The Pope urged people to pray for the dead, the wounded and their loved ones. “I want to again repeat my grief-stricken appeal to all to abandon forever the way of hatred and to run away from the logic of evil,'' Pope Benedict said. A day earlier, on Saturday, in a message to King Harald V of Norway, the Pope expressed his sadness at the ‘great loss of life caused by the acts of senseless violence.” Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone sent the condolence message on the Pope’s behalf saying the Holy Father offers fervent prayers for the victims and their families, invoking God’s peace upon the dead and divine consolation upon those who suffer. The Pope prayed that all Norwegians will be spiritually united in a determined resolve to reject the ways of hatred and conflict and to work together fearlessly in shaping a future of mutual respect, solidarity and freedom for coming generations.”
Earlier on Sunday, before praying the midday ‘Angelus’, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the scripture reading of Sunday Mass, stressing on the need to distinguish good from evil. Drawing attention to King Solomon of the Old Testament, the Pope pointed out that the Israeli king requested God to give him a ‘meek heart’, which means the conscience that knows how to listen and is sensitive to the voice of truth, which can distinguish between good and evil. The King of Israel needed a meek heart in order to be “always in tune with God, listening to His Word, in order to lead the people on the ways of the Lord as well as on the path of justice and peace.” Similarly, the Pope said, “each one of us has a conscience and in a certain way is also ‘king’. This means we can exercise the great human dignity of acting according to the right conscience doing good and avoiding evil. The moral conscience presupposes a capacity to listen to the voice of truth, and to be meek towards its indications. People called to political office naturally have more responsibilities, and thus, as Solomon teaches, need God’s help even more.”