Pope celebrates Pentecost

(May 28, 2012) Pentecost is the feast of unity, understanding and human communion as opposed to Babel, by which man wants to replace God, thus becoming less capable of loving and hence less human. This was the core of the message of Pope Benedict XVI’s homily at the solemn Mass on Pentecost Sunday in St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the end of Eastertide. Pentecost is regarded as the birth of the Church when the Holy Spirit, in the form of tongues of fire, descended upon Mary and the apostles, who fearlessly began preaching Jesus in tongues. Describing the event as the "baptism of the Church” the Pope said it “is the feast of unity, of understanding God's choice, as opposed to those who "believe they are so powerful they can build their own way to heaven in order to open the gates and put themselves in God's place." The Pope noted how despite coming closer to one another through developments in communications, with geographical distances that seem to disappear, understanding and sharing among people is often superficial and difficult, resulting in conflicts, generation gap, aggressiveness and selfishness. Comparing this discord to the biblical experience of building the Tower of Babel, the Pope said that people suddenly realise they are working against one another. Whilst trying to be like God, they run the risk of not even being human, because they've lost an essential element of being human: the ability to agree, understand one another and work together." On the contrary, the Pope said, Pentecost "is the feast of human unity, understanding and sharing.”
Later at the midday ‘Regina Caeli’ prayer after Mass on Pentecost Sunday, Pope Benedict announced that at the start of the Synod of Bishops on October 7, he would proclaim Saints John of Ávila and Hildegard of Bingen, doctors of the Universal Church. Referring to them he observed that “the Spirit, who spoke through the prophets, with the gift of knowledge and science, continues to inspire women and men who engage in the pursuit of truth, proposing original path towards knowledge and greater understanding of the mystery of God, man and the world.” On May 10, the Pope inscribed Hildegard, a German Benedictine abbess and mystic of the 12th century, in the catalogue of the saints of the Catholic Church, without formal canonization. St. John of Avila, a 16th century Spanish priest, mystic, preacher and scholar, took part in the work of cultural and religious renewal of the Church and society at the dawn of modernity, the Pope noted. He said their sanctity of life and depth of teaching makes them perpetually present.
The title of "Doctor of the Church" is bestowed upon a saint whose writings are deemed to be of universal importance to the Church. John and Hildegard will thus become the 34th and 35th Doctors of the Church. Other Doctors of the Church include St. Augustine, St. John Chryosostom, St. Francis de Sales, and St. Thomas Aquinas. Hildegard will be the 4^th woman Doctor of the Church after Sts. Therese of Lisieux, St. Catherine of Siena and St. Teresa of Avila.