Pope Benedict XVI Blog

Pope explains Christian nonviolence and sends New Year greetings to Chinese

VATICAN

“Loving one’s enemies” is not unrealistic, it means resisting evil with good’ it is the “more” of love and goodness that are needed in the face of too much violence and too much injustice in the world.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – “Turning the other cheek” does not mean giving in to evil but reacting to evil with good, just as “loving one’s enemies” means putting “more” love in a world marked by too much violence and too much injustice. The foundation of Christian nonviolence, which is not a strategy but a personal way of being, was the theme tackled by Benedict XVI today to 50,000 people in St Peter’s Square for the recital of the Angelus despite the morning cold and occasional outbursts of rain.

In his greeting to the faithful, the pope also had something to say about China, confirming the country to be one of the matters occupying his mind. After reciting the Marian prayer, as he recalled that “in various countries of the East the Lunar New Year is being celebrated with joy and in the intimacy of the family”, Benedict XVI sent “to all those great peoples” best wishes of “serenity and prosperity”.

China and its neighbouring countries celebrating the New Year – the biggest feast of the whole year – were not the only places far from Rome that the Pope referred to. Benedict XVI said he was close to the hardships facing the people of Guinea and also mentioned the Polish clergy. Talking about Guinea, he said: “The bishops of that nation expressed to me their apprehension about the situation of social paralysis with general strikes and violent reactions, which has claimed many victims. In calling for respect for human and civil rights, I assure of my prayers so that the common good and recourse to the way of dialogue may lead to overcoming of the crisis.” As for Poland, the pope greeted believers from that country and implicitly referred to difficulties facing some members of the clergy due to accusations of collaboration with the Communist regime. The pope said that “as per an initiative of the bishops, this coming Ash Wednesday in Poland will be a day of ‘prayer and penitence for all the Polish clergy’. May the prayer for the holiness of priests fill all the faithful with a spirit of forgiveness, reconciliation and mutual trust.”
more...

posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 2:16 PM