Pope Benedict: support for efforts to eliminate death penalty
Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday offered his support to a major international meeting
underway this week through the sponsorship of the Sant’Egidio Community aimed at eliminating
capital punishment:
I greet the distinguished delegations from various countries
taking part in the meeting promoted by the Community of Sant’Egidio on the theme:
No Justice without Life. I express my hope that your deliberations will encourage
the political and legislative initiatives being promoted in a growing number of countries
to eliminate the death penalty and to continue the substantive progress made in conforming
penal law both to the human dignity of prisoners and the effective maintenance of
public order.
The Holy Father’s appeal came at the end of his weekly
General Audience, during which he continued his series of catecheses on Christian
prayer.
The Pope on Wednesday focused on how Christ, Himself, prays, saying
that Christ’s example most fully reveals the mystery of Christian prayer.
A
significant moment in this regard is Jesus’ prayer following his Baptism, which expresses
his both his deepest identity as the Son of God and his solidarity with the sinful
humanity whom he came to save. Jesus’ prayer reflects his complete, filial obedience
to the Father’s will, an obedience which would lead him to death on the Cross for
the redemption of our sins.
“With his human heart,” said Pope Benedict, “Jesus
learned to pray from his Mother and from the Jewish tradition, yet the source of his
prayer is his eternal communion with the Father.”
As the incarnate Son, he
shows us perfectly how to pray as children of the heavenly Father. Jesus’ example
of fidelity to prayer challenges us to examine the time and effort we devote to our
own prayer. While prayer is a gift of God, it is also an art learned through constant
practice.
Pope Benedict concluded, saying, “Jesus teaches us to pray constantly,
but also to bear witness before others of the beauty of prayer, self-surrender and
complete openness to God.”Listen