Pope addresses Venerable English College of Rome

December 03, 2012 - Pope Benedict XVI on Monday urged the seminarians of the Venerable English College of Rome to spend their time in the eternal city in knowing and imbibing Christ, in order to be His light to their countrymen back home. The seminarians and staff of the college that serves as a centre for the formation of priests for England and Wales, were given an audience by the Pope in the Vatican. He told the seminarians to know Christ through daily prayer, especially in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and by listening attentively to the word of God. “Place yourselves completely at his disposal and allow him to form you for whatever task it may be that he has in mind for you,” the Pope exhorted the seminarians. Speaking about areas where “the embers of faith have grown cold”, the Pope said that their mission was to serve as Christ’s instruments in the work of rekindling the faith in their respective homelands. “Like the martyrs of England and Wales, then, let your hearts burn with love for Christ, for the Church and for the Mass.” He said when he visited the UK in 2010, he noted “a great spiritual hunger among the people,” and he urged the young seminarians to bring these people “the true nourishment that comes from knowing, loving and serving Christ.” “Let the light of Christ shine through you by living lives of holiness, following in the footsteps of the many great saints of England and Wales, the holy men and women who bore witness to God’s love, even at the cost of their lives,” the Pope exhorted them.