Pope's general audience of Feb. 8

(February 08, 2012) Every week on Wednesday, the Pope holds a public meeting, called the general audience, during which pilgrims and tourists who come to Rome have a chance of seeing and hearing him speak in several languages. The general audience of Feb. 8 was held in the Paul VI audience hall in the Vatican. It began with the reading in several languages of a passage from Mark’s Gospel on Christ’s last moments on the Cross on Calvary. An aide greeted the Pope on behalf of the English speaking pilgrims introducing the various groups to him. Pope Benedict then delivered a discourse in English.

Listen:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today I want to reflect with you on the cry of Jesus from the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This cry comes after a three-hour period when there was darkness over the whole land. Darkness is an ambivalent symbol in the Bible – while it is frequently a sign of the power of evil, it can also serve to express a mysterious divine presence. Just as Moses was covered in the dark cloud when God appeared to him on the mountain, so Jesus on Calvary is wrapped in darkness. Even though the Father appears to be absent, in a mysterious way his loving gaze is focussed upon the Son’s loving sacrifice on the Cross. It is important to realize that Jesus’ cry of anguish is not an expression of despair: on the contrary, this opening verse of Psalm twenty-two conveys the entire content of the psalm, it expresses the confidence of the people of Israel that despite all the adversity they are experiencing, God remains present among them, he hears and answers his people’s cry. This prayer of the dying Jesus teaches us to pray with confidence for all our brothers and sisters who are suffering, that they too may know the love of God who never abandons them.
I greet all the English-speaking visitors and pilgrims present at today’s Audience, including groups from England, Ireland, Norway and the United States of America. I extend a special welcome to the many students who are here, and I pray that your studies may serve to deepen your knowledge and love of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Whatever darkness you experience in your lives, may you always remain firm in faith, hope and love. May God bless all of you!

At the end of the general audience, Pope Benedict expressed his closeness with those hit by a severe cold snap gripping large parts of Europe. “A cold wave with freezing temperatures has caused serious inconvenience and considerable damage,” the Pope noted in remarks in Italian. “I wish to express my closeness to people affected by such severe bad weather, while I invite all to pray for the victims and their families. The Holy Father urged for solidarity so that people hit by the tragic events may be helped with generosity.
Europeans across the continent were digging out from heavy snow after a week of bitter cold in which the number of dead, most of them homeless, continued to rise by the day. Temperatures have fallen as low as minus 36 Celsius in Ukraine, the hardest-hit country. The big freeze has caused traffic chaos throughout Europe, blocking roads, shutting down airports, and trapping thousands in remote mountain villages in the Balkans. Rome, where it hardly snows, was overwhelmed by heavy snowfall on Friday, which brought the transport system to a halt with schools remaining closed until Tuesday.
Pope Benedict XVI concluded Wednesday’s general audience with his blessing.
Listen: