Papal Nuncio to Germany : Archbishop Jean Claude Périsset

Leading up to Pope Benedict XVI's forthcoming State Visit to Germany from the 22nd to the 25th of September we bring you an interview with the Apostolic Nuncio to Germany, Jean Claude Périsset.

In this interview with Veronica Scarisbrick, the Archbishop points to the fact that Benedict XVI's first State Visit to his homeland is important both to him and to the German people. Like the Popes who came before him, the nuncio says , he is aware of his mission to bring Christian values to our society.

Asked to point to some of the highlights of the visit , Archbishop Périsset expresses the conviction that each and every event is important in its own right. From the Pope's speech to the Bundestag , the Lower House of the Federal Parliament to the more ecclesial events such as the Holy Masses .

When Popes travel, Archbishop Périsset goes on to say , they always communicate values necessary for the future of a nation and the theme chosen for this journey: "Wherever God is, there is a future", a quotation from his homily at the Austrian Marian shrine of Mariazell four years ago, is intended as an injection of hope in a society currently undergoing an economical, financial and ecological crisis , in which people don't see any future in their own lives. Concluding that if we abide by Christ's teaching, we can enjoy a better life here on earth. This theme the Archbisop says provides a leitmotiv for the visit .

When Veronica asks the Archbishop whether the timing of the visit ,which comes twenty one years after the reunification process began, has impacted on the nation at an ecclesial level the Archbishop points to the itinerary of the visit . Beginning in Berlin , a city divided by 'The Wall' until the end of 1989 , on to Erfurt in former Eastern Europe and winding down in Freiburg in the South West . An itinerary he views a symbolic of the unity of Germany and a sign that when we are patient and place our trust in the hands of God there si a future for us.

Asked about the long term impact of this visit on Catholics in Germany, the Archbishop replies that he believes it will go beyond the nation's borders and affect not just Catholics but the whole of German society.

All this and more in Veronica Scarisbrick's full interview:

Listen: