New Year's Message

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 7, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave Jan. 1, the solemnity of Mary Most Holy Mother of God and the 44th World Day of Peace, before praying the midday Angelus together with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

In this first Angelus of 2011, I address to all my good wishes for peace and goodness entrusting them to the intercession of Mary Most Holy, who today we celebrate as Mother of God. At the beginning of a new year, the Christian People gather spiritually before the cave of Bethlehem, where the Virgin Mary has given birth to Jesus. Let us ask the Mother for a blessing, and she blesses us showing us the Son: in fact, he is the Blessing in person.

Giving us Jesus, God has given us everything: his love, his life, the light of truth, the forgiveness of sins; he has given us peace. Yes, Jesus Christ is our peace (cf. Ephesians 2:14). He brought to the world the seed of love and of peace, stronger than the seed of hatred and violence; stronger because the Name of Jesus is superior to any other name, it contains all the lordship of God, as the prophet Micah announced: "But you, O Bethlehem, ... from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler .... He shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God ... He himself will be peace!" (5:1-4).

Because of this, before the icon of the Virgin Mother, the Church on this day invokes from God, through Jesus Christ, the gift of peace: it is the World Day of Peace, propitious occasion to reflect together on the great challenges that our era poses to humanity. One of these, dramatically urgent in our days, is that of religious liberty; because of this, this year I have wished to dedicate my Message to this topic: "Religious Liberty, Way for Peace."

We are witnessing today two opposed tendencies, two extremes both negative: on one hand laicism that, in an often deceitful way, marginalizes religion to confine it to the private sphere; on the other fundamentalism, which instead would like to impose itself on all with force. In reality, "God calls humanity to himself with a plan of love that, while it involves the whole person in his natural and spiritual dimension, requires that he correspond in terms of liberty and responsibility, with his whole heart and with his whole being, individual and communal" (Message, 8). Wherever religious liberty is recognized effectively, the dignity of the human person is respected at its roots and, through a sincere search for the true and the good, the moral conscience is consolidated and the institutions themselves and civil coexistence are reinforced (cf. Ibid., 5). Because of this, religious liberty is the privileged way to build peace.

Dear friends, let us turn our gaze again to Jesus, in the arms of Mary, his Mother. Looking at Him, who is the "Prince of peace" (Isaiah 9:5), we understand that peace is not attained with arms, or with economic, political, cultural or media power. Peace is the work of consciences that open to truth and to love. May God help us to progress on this way in the new year that He gives us to live.

[Translation by ZENIT]

[After reciting the Angelus, the Holy Father made the following appeal:]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In the Message for today's Day of Peace I was able to underline how the great religions can constitute an important factor of unity and peace for the human family, and I reminded, to this end, that in this year of 2011 will be observed the 25th anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace that the Venerable John Paul II convoked in Assisi in 1986. Because of this, in the forthcoming month of October, I will go as a pilgrim to the city of St. Francis, inviting Christian brothers of different confessions, exponents of religious traditions of the world and, ideally, all men of good will, to join in this journey to recall that historic gesture willed by my predecessor and to renew solemnly the commitment of believers of every religion to live their own religious faith as service for the cause of peace. Whoever is journeying towards God cannot but transmit peace, whoever builds peace cannot but be close to God. I invite you to support this initiative from now on with your prayer.

In this context, I wish to greet and encourage all those who, from yesterday evening and during the whole of today, in the whole Church are praying for peace and for religious liberty. In Italy, the traditional march promoted by CEI, Pax Christi and Caritas took place in Ancona, city that will host next September the National Eucharistic Congress. Here in Rome, and in other cities of the world, Sant'Egidio Community has again proposed the initiative "Peace in All Lands": my heartfelt greeting to all those who took part. I also greet the adherents of the Family Love Movement, who this evening watched in St. Peter's Square and in the dioceses of L'Aquila praying for peace in families and in nations.

[The Holy Father then greeted those present in various languages. In English, he said:]

I extend a warm welcome to the English-speaking visitors here today. On the first day of the year the Church pays special honour to the Mother of God, recalling how in humble obedience to the Lord's will she bore in her womb and gave birth to him who is the Light of the World. On this day, too, we pray especially for peace throughout the world, and I invite all of you to join in heartfelt prayer to Christ the Prince of Peace for an end to violence and conflict wherever they are found. Upon all of you, and upon your loved ones at home, I invoke God's abundant blessings for the year that lies ahead. Happy New Year!

Benedict XVI Offers Key to Peace

Reflects on the Depth of the Human Face

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 1, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Peace begins when we look at one another as persons, regardless of race, nationality, language or religion, Benedict XVI says. But, he maintains, this is only possible when God dwells in our hearts.

The Holy Father reflected on how to achieve true and lasting peace during his homily today in a Mass at St. Peter's for the feast of Mary, Mother of God. Jan. 1 marks the annual celebration of the World Day of Peace.

"To meditate on the mystery of the face of God and man is a privileged path that leads to peace," the Pope suggested. "This [peace], in fact, begins by looking upon others with respect, recognizing in the face of the other a person, regardless of the color of his skin, his nationality, his language or his religion."

"But," he continued, "who, if not God, can guarantee [that we see] what we could call the 'depth' of the face of the person? In reality, only if we have God in our hearts are we in a condition to detect in the face of others a brother in humanity -- not a means, but an end, not a rival or an enemy, but another 'I,' a facet of the infinite mystery of the human being.

"Our perception of the world and, in particular, of our peers, essentially depends on the presence within us of the Spirit of God.

"It is a type of 'resonance': One who has an empty heart does not perceive anything more than flat images, lacking depth. But, the more we are inhabited by God, the more sensitive we are to his presence in those who surround us -- in all creatures, and especially in other people."

Nevertheless, the Pontiff acknowledged, the "human face, marked by the harshness of life and evil" sometimes struggles to be an "epiphany of God."

"Therefore," he continued, "in order to recognize and respect each other for what we truly are, that is, brothers, it is even more necessary to make reference to the face of a common Father, who loves us all, despite our limits and errors."

Unveiling God's face

Benedict XVI's homily was a reflection on the face of God and the faces of man, which he proposed as a key for understanding the issue of peace in the world.

"The face is the expression of the person, par excellence," he suggested. "It is what makes him recognizable and where he shows sentiments, thoughts and intentions of the heart."

"God," the Holy Father continued, "by nature, is invisible. Nevertheless, the Bible also applies this image to him. [...] The whole of biblical history can be read as a progressive unveiling of the face of God, up to the point of his full revelation in Jesus Christ."

Referring to Mary's title as Mother of God, the Pontiff explained that "the face of God has taken a human face, allowing himself to be seen and recognized in the son of the Virgin Mary."

"She who guarded in her heart the secret of divine maternity was the first to see the face of God made man in the tiny fruit of her womb," he reflected.

"A mother has a very special relationship -- unique and exclusive in every way -- with a newborn," the Pope continued. "The first face that a child sees is that of his mother, and this gaze is decisive for his relationship with life, with himself, with others, with God. It is decisive as well so that he can become a 'child of peace.'"

The Holy Father went on to offer a reflection on the Byzantine icon of the Virgin of Tenderness, which depicts the Child Jesus with his cheek against that of his mother: "The Child looks at the Mother, and she looks at us, almost as if reflecting to what she observes, and praying, the tenderness of God, descended in them from heaven and incarnated in this Son of Man that she carries in her arms.

"But this same icon also shows us in Mary the face of the Church, which reflects upon us and upon the entire world the light of Christ, the Church through which the Good News arrives to every person."

Laughing together

Benedict XVI maintained that it is important to be educated in respect for those who are different starting in childhood.

He renewed his call to "invest in education, establishing the objective -- beyond the necessary transmission of technical-scientific notions -- of a broader and deeper 'ecological responsibility,' based in respect for the person and his fundamental rights and duties."

"Only in this way can a commitment to the environment truly become education in peace and the construction of peace," he contended.

The Holy Father observed that "today it is ever more common to have the experience of classrooms made up of children of various nationalities, though also when this doesn't occur, their faces are a prophecy of the humanity that we are called to form: a family of families and peoples."

These children, he said, "despite their differences, cry and laugh in the same way; they have the same needs; they communicate spontaneously; they play together ..."

"The faces of children are like a reflection of the vision of God for the World," the Pontiff affirmed. "Why then wipe away their smiles? Why poison their hearts?

"Unfortunately, the icon of the Mother of God of Tenderness finds its tragic opposite in the sorrowful images of so many children and their mothers in the claws of war and violence: fugitives, refugees, forced immigrants."

The Bishop of Rome spoke of "faces eroded by hunger and sickness, faces disfigured by pain and desperation." And he declared: "The faces of innocent little ones are a silent call to us to take responsibility: Before their helplessness, all of the false justifications for war and violence come crashing down."

"We should," the Pope affirmed, "simply become designers of peace, lay down every class of weapons and commit ourselves together to building a world more worthy of the person."

A cosmic celebration

Benedict XVI contended that people are capable of respect to the degree that they "carry in their own spirits a full sense of life."

"Otherwise, [the person] will be led to despise himself and what is around him, to lack respect for the environment in which he lives, for that which is created," the Pope cautioned. But, "one who knows how to recognize in the cosmos the reflection of the invisible face of the Creator is led to have greater love for creatures, more sensitivity for their symbolic value."

"There exists, in fact, a very direct link between respect for the person and the safeguarding of creation," he contended. "The duty [to protect] the environment is derived from that to [protect] the person considered in himself and in relation to others."

"If the person is degraded, the environment in which he lives is degraded; if the culture tends to nihilism -- if not in theory, then in practice -- nature cannot fail to pay the consequences," the Holy Father affirmed.

And he reflected that there is a reciprocal influence between the face of the person and the "face" of the environment.

"When human ecology is respected in society," he said, "environmental ecology will also draw out benefits."

Finally, Benedict XVI emphasized that the "coming of God transfigures creation and creates a type of cosmic celebration."

"The celebration of faith becomes a celebration of the person and all that is created," he suggested. "The Church renews this mystery for people of every generation; she shows them the face of God so that, with his blessing, they can walk the path of peace."

The Pope made this exhortation Wednesday during his homily at a ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica that included first vespers for today's feast of Mary, Mother of God, and the singing of the Te Deum in thanksgiving for the graces of 2008.

"This year closes with the awareness of a growing economic and social crisis that already concerns the entire world," he said. "Though not a few shadows are appearing on the horizon of our future, we should not be afraid.

"Our great hope as believers is eternal life in communion with Christ and with the whole family of God. This great hope gives us the strength to confront and overcome the difficulties of life in this world."

The Holy Father assured that both the year that was ending and the one on the horizon are both under the gaze of the Virgin Mother of God: "The maternal presence of Mary assures us tonight that God will never abandon us, if we entrust ourselves to him and follow his teachings. To Mary, then, with filial affection and trust, let us present our hopes and desires, as well as the fears and the difficulties we carry in our hearts, as we bid farewell to 2008 and prepare ourselves to welcome 2009."

The Pontiff also affirmed that the economic crisis "asks of all of us more sobriety and solidarity to assist especially those people and families with more serious difficulties."

He recognized that the Christian community and diocesan Caritas is already involved in this task, but emphasized that "the collaboration of everyone is necessary, because no one can think of building his happiness for himself alone."

The Pope took up the theme of peace in the Holy Land at the end of his homily today, World Peace Day, which has as a theme this year "Fighting Poverty to Build Peace."

His exhortation today was joined to an appeal he made Sunday during his address for the midday Angelus.

The Holy Father deplored the "intense violence unleashed in the Gaza Strip, in answer to more violence," and he affirmed that "also violence, also hatred and a lack of trust are forms of poverty -- perhaps more dreadful forms -- that must be fought."

Today, as Israel's attack of Gaza continued for the sixth day, more than 400 Gazans had been killed.

The Pontiff spoke of the "profound desire to live in peace in the hearts of the great majority of the Israeli and Palestinian populations, which is once again endangered by the intense violence."

In this regard, he expressed his "well-founded hope that, with the wisdom and farsighted contribution of everyone, it will not be impossible to listen to one another, to go out to meet each other and give concrete answers to the widespread aspiration to live in peace, in security and dignity."

Benedict XVI made special mention of the pastors of the local Churches, and particularly "those of the small but fervent parish of Gaza."

With these faithful, the Pope "placed at the feet of Mary the concerns of the present and the fears for the future," and he asked her intercession to "obtain from God the gift of peace for the Holy Land and for all of humanity."

The Pope made this distinction between poverty that offends God and the poverty chosen by God during his homily today at a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica for the feast of Mary, Mother of God, and World Peace Day.

His homily was dedicated to his message for the world day, which focused on combating poverty as a means to achieving peace.

The Holy Father noted the distinction between evangelical poverty and the poverty "that God doesn't want," making an invitation to fight the latter with the former.

The Pontiff explained that in becoming man, Jesus wanted to be poor: "The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem reveals to us that God chose poverty for himself in his coming to be among us. Love for us has moved Jesus not only to become man, but to become poor."

Nevertheless, he continued, there is "a poverty, an indigence, that God does not want and that must be fought."

This, the Bishop of Rome said, is "a poverty that impedes people and families from living according to their dignity, a poverty that offends justice and equality, and as such, threatens peaceful coexistence."

He affirmed that such poverty is not just material, but also includes the forms of poverty found in rich and developed nations: phenomena such as marginalization and relational, moral and spiritual misery.

Benedict XVI said this poverty is reflected in things such as pandemic infirmity, the poverty of children and the food crisis. And the solution, he said, requires nations to "maintain a high level of solidarity."

The Pope specifically denounced the arms race, which he defined as "unacceptable" and "against human rights."

He went on to suggest that the current economic crisis implies a test: "Are we prepared to read it, in its complexity, as a challenge for the future, and not just an emergency to give short-term answers? Are we ready to do together a deep review of the dominant model of development, to correct it in a systematic and long-term way?"

"This is demanded, in reality, beyond the immediate financial difficulties, by the ecological state of health of the planet and, above all, the moral and cultural crisis, whose symptoms have been evident for some time now all over the world," the Holy Father continued.

He thus made a call for a "virtuous circle" between the poverty "to be chosen" and the poverty "to be fought," such that "to combat iniquitous poverty, which oppresses so many man and women and threatens everyone's peace, it is necessary to rediscover sobriety and solidarity, as evangelical values that are at the same time universal."

"Misery cannot be efficaciously fought, if there is no attempt to 'make equality,' reducing the unevenness between those who waste the superfluous, and those who don't even have the necessary," the Pontiff said.

He affirmed: "The poverty of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, besides an object of adoration for Christians, is also a school of life for man. It teaches us that to combat misery, both material and spiritual, the path to take is that of solidarity, which has moved Jesus to share our human condition."

Christ brings a "peaceful revolution," Benedict XVI affirmed, "not ideological, but spiritual, not utopian, but real, and because of this, requiring infinite patience, perhaps a very long time, avoiding every break and taking the most difficult path: the path of consciences maturing in responsibility."

The Pope affirmed this during the address he gave before praying the midday Angelus last Sunday in St. Peter's Square.

"Jesus," the Holy Father noted, "wanted to be born and grow up in a human family; he wanted the Virgin Mary to be his mom and Joseph to fulfill the role of father. They raised and educated him with immense love."

He said that Jesus' family "truly merits the title of 'holy,' since it is entirely focused on the desire of fulfilling the will of God, incarnated in the adorable presence of Jesus."

The Pontiff went on to suggest that the Holy Family is both alike and different than other families.

"In one sense it is a family like all others, and as such, it is a model of conjugal love, collaboration, sacrifice, confidence in divine providence, a spirit of work and solidarity," he said. "At the same time, though, the family of Nazareth is unique, different from all others, because of its singular vocation, linked to the mission of the Son of God.

"Precisely because of its unique character, it presents to every family, and in the first place to Christian families, the horizon of God, the sweet and demanding priority of his will, the perspective of heaven, to which we are destined."

Benedict XVI continued: "The family is certainly a grace from God, which reveals what he, himself, is: love. A love that is entirely gratuitous, that sustains fidelity without limits, even in the moments of difficulty or dejection. [...]

"Dear families, do not allow the love, openness to life, and the incomparable bonds that unite your homes to be spoiled. Ask this constantly of the Lord, pray together, so that your resolutions are enlightened by faith and extolled by divine grace in the path toward sanctity."

He assured that "the Pope is at your side, praying especially to the Lord for those in each family who have greatest need of health, work, consolation and company."

And the Holy Father urged the faithful to pray for the upcoming World Meeting of Families, scheduled for Jan. 14-18 in Mexico City.

"Let us pray starting now for this important ecclesial event," he said, "and entrust to the Lord every family, especially those most tried by the difficulties of life and the wounds of misunderstanding and division."

The Apostleship of Prayer announced the general intention chosen by the Pope: "That the family may become more and more a place of training in charity, personal growth and transmission of the faith."

The Holy Father also chooses an apostolic intention for each month. In January, he will pray "that the various Christian confessions, aware of the need for a new evangelization in this period of profound transformations, may be committed to announcing the Good News and moving toward the full unity of all Christians in order to offer a more credible testimony of the Gospel."

On the New Year

Benedict XVI Offers Key to Peace

Reflects on the Depth of the Human Face