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On the Priestly Prayer of Jesus "Love Is True Glory, Divine Glory" VATICAN CITY, JAN. 25, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian-language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held in Paul VI Hall. The Pope reflected on the priestly prayer of Jesus presented in Chapter 17 of St. John’s Gospel. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, In today’s catechesis we will focus our attention on the prayer that Jesus addresses to the Father in the “Hour� of His exaltation and of His glorification (cf. John 1:26). As the Catechism of the Catholic Church...

On the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity "The Unity for Which We Pray Requires Interior Conversion, Both Communal and Personal" VATICAN CITY, JAN. 18, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian-language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held in Paul VI Hall. The Pope reflected on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which begins today. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, Today marks the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which for more than a century has been celebrated by Christians of all Churches and ecclesial Communities, in order...

On Our Lord's Prayer at the Last Supper "When Trial Comes Upon the Disciples, Jesus' Prayer Sustains Their Weakness" VATICAN CITY, JAN. 11, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian-language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held in Paul VI Hall. The Pope continued with his catecheses on prayer, reflecting today on Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, On our journey of reflection on the prayer of Jesus as presented in the Gospels, I would like to meditate today on the particularly solemn moment of His prayer at...

On Prayer in the Life of the Holy Family Dear Brothers and Sisters, Our continuing catechesis on prayer leads us, during this Christmas season, to reflect on the place of prayer in the life of the Holy Family of Nazareth. In the home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we learn to contemplate the mystery of God’s presence and to grow as faithful disciples of Christ. The Gospels present Mary as the supreme model of prayerful medition on the mysteries of Christ’s life; in praying the Rosary, in fact, we unite ourselves to her contemplation of those mysteries in faith and...

On Christmas The "Love Story Between God and Man Passes by Way of the Manger of Bethlehem" VATICAN CITY, DEC. 21, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian-language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held in Paul VI Hall. The Pope reflected on the approaching feast of Christmas. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, I am pleased to receive you in this general audience, just days before the celebration of the Lord's birth. During these days, the greeting on everyone's lips is "Merry Christmas! Season's Greetings!" Let us ensure that, even in today's society,...

On Jesus' Prayer as Love for God and Neighbor "Petition, Praise and Thanksgiving Should Coalesce" VATICAN CITY, DEC. 14, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held in Paul VI Hall. The Pope continued with his reflections on Jesus' prayer. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, Today I would like to reflect with you on Jesus’ prayer as it relates to His prodigious healing action. In the Gospels, various situations are presented in which Jesus prays before the beneficent and healing work of God the Father, who...

On Jesus' Cry of Exultation "We Also - By the Gift of His Spirit - May Address Ourselves to God in Prayer With the Confidence of Children" VATICAN CITY, DEC. 7, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian-language address Benedict XVI gave during today's general audience. He continued with his reflection on Jesus' prayer. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, The Evangelists Matthew and Luke (cf. Matthew 11:25-30 and Luke 10:21-22) have bequeathed to us a “jewel� of Jesus’ prayer, which often is called the Cry of Exultation or the Cry of Messianic Exultation. It is a...

On Africa: Protagonist of a New Season of Hope "The Continent Contains Reserves of Life and Vitality for the Future" VATICAN CITY, NOV. 23, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian-language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held in Paul VI Hall. The Pope reflected upon his apostolic journey to Benin. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, Still alive within me are the impressions made during my recent apostolic journey to Benin, which I desire to reflect upon today. Thanksgiving to the Lord flows spontaneously from my soul: in His providence, He willed that...

On Death and Life "Man Needs Eternity -- and Every Other Hope, for Him, Is All Too Brief" VATICAN CITY, NOV. 2, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, After celebrating the Solemnity of All Saints, the Church today invites us to commemorate all the faithful departed, to turn our gaze to so many faces that have gone before us and that have completed their earthly journey. In today's audience, then, I would like to offer a few simple thoughts on the reality...

Pope's Homily at Vigil in Preparation for Assisi "It Is Not the Sword of the Conqueror That Builds Peace, But the Sword of the Sufferer" VATICAN CITY, OCT. 26, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the homily Benedict XVI gave today at a liturgy in preparation for Thursday's day of reflection, dialogue and prayer for peace in Assisi. The liturgy replaced the customary general audience held on Wednesdays. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, Today our customary meeting for the General Audience takes on a special character, for it is the vigil of the Day of Reflection, Dialogue...

On St. Francis de Sales "A Teacher Who Gave to His Disciples the 'Spirit of Liberty'" VATICAN CITY, MARCH 2, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience, held in Paul VI Hall. In his Italian-language address, the Pope focused his meditation on the figure of St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), bishop of Geneva and doctor of the Church. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, "Dieu est le Dieu du coeur humain" [God is the God of the human heart] ("Treatise on the Love of God," I, XV): In these...

On St. Robert Bellarmine "The End of Our Life Is the Lord" VATICAN CITY, FEB. 23, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience, held in Paul VI Hall. In his Italian-language address, the Pope focused his meditation on the figure of a Jesuit saint, Robert Bellarmine, cardinal, bishop and doctor of the Church (1542-1621). * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, St. Robert Bellarmine, about whom I would like to speak to you today, carries our memories to the time of the painful division of Western Christianity, when a serious...

On St. John of the Cross "If a Man Has a Great Love Within … He Endures Life’s Problems More Easily" VATICAN CITY, FEB. 16, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall. In his Italian-language address, the Pope centered his meditation on the figure of St. John of the Cross, priest of the Order of Discalced Carmelites and Doctor of the Church (1542-1591). * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, Two weeks ago I presented the figure of the great Spanish mystic Teresa of Jesus....

On St. Peter Canisius "He Formed People's Faith for Centuries" VATICAN CITY, FEB. 9, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. In his Italian-language address, the Pope centered his reflection on the figure of St. Peter Canisius, Doctor of the Church (1521-1597). * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today I would like to speak to you about St. Peter Kanis, Canisius in the Latin form of his surname, a very important figure in the Catholic 1500s. He was born on May 8, 1521, in Nijmegen,...

On St. Teresa of Avila "She Presents Prayer as an Intimate Friendship With Christ" VATICAN CITY, FEB. 2, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. He initiated a new cycle of catecheses on the Doctors of the Church, beginning with "one of the highest examples of Christian spirituality of all time," St. Teresa of Avila. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, In the course of the catecheses that I dedicated to the fathers of the Church and to great figures of theologians and of women...

On St. Joan of Arc "Joan's Judges ... Did Not Know They Were Condemning a Saint" VATICAN CITY, JAN. 26, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. He focused his reflection on the figure of St. Joan of Arc (1412-1431). * * * Dear brothers and sisters, Today I would like to speak to you about Joan of Arc, a young saint from the end of the Middle Ages, who died at age 19, in 1431. This French saint, quoted many times in the Catechism of...

On Praying for Christian Unity "Prayer Has Always Been the Constant Attitude of the Disciples of Christ" VATICAN CITY, JAN. 19, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. In his address, the Pope centered his meditation on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which is being held these days with the theme "They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42). * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, We are celebrating the Week of Prayer for...

On St. Catherine of Genoa "Love Itself Purifies [the Soul] From Its Dross of Sin" VATICAN CITY, JAN. 12, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. In his address, continuing the series of catecheses on the saints, he reflected on the figure of St. Catherine of Genoa, of the 15th century. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters! Today I would like to speak about another saint who, like Catherine of Siena and Catherine of Bologna, is also called Catherine; I am speaking of Catherine of...

VATICAN CITY, 5 JAN 2011 (VIS) - In his first general audience of 2011, celebrated this morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope spoke on the subject of Christmas which, he said, "continues to fascinate today as in the past, ... because everyone in one way or another is intuitively aware that the birth of Jesus concerns man's most profound aspirations and hopes". "In the liturgical celebrations of these holy days we have experienced, in a way that is mysterious yet real, the Son of God's entry into the world, and we have once again been illuminated by the...

Catherine of Bologna: Spiritual Weapons Against Evil VATICAN CITY, 29 DEC 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father dedicated his catechesis during today's general audience, held in the Paul VI Hall in the presence of 8,000 people, to St. Catherine of Bologna (1413-1463). Born to a noble family in the Italian city of Bologna, at the age of ten she moved to Ferrara where she entered the court of Niccolo III d'Este as a maid of honour. There she received a very careful education which would later serve her during her monastic life when "she used the cultural and artistic knowledge...

On Christmas: Where Everything Began "May the Christ Child Find All of Us Spiritually Prepared" VATICAN CITY, DEC. 22, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, With this last audience before the Christmas celebrations, tremulous and full of astonishment, we approach the "place" where everything began for us and for our salvation, where everything found its fulfillment, where the hopes of the world and of the human heart met and interlaced with the presence of God. We can already...

On St. Veronica Giuliani "She Interpreted Everything in a Key of Love" VATICAN CITY, DEC. 15, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, Today I would like to present a mystic who is not of the Medieval Age; it is St. Veronica Giuliani, a Capuchin Poor Clare. The reason is that Dec. 27 is the 350th anniversary of her birth. Citta di Castello, the place where she lived the longest and where she died, as well as Mercatello --...

On Julian of Norwich "God's Promises Are Always Greater Than Our Hopes" VATICAN CITY, DEC. 1, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, I am still remembering with great joy the journey I made to the United Kingdom last September. England is a land that has given birth to so many illustrious figures who with their testimony and their teaching have embellished the history of the Church. One of these, venerated both by the Catholic Church as well as...

On St. Catherine of Siena "We Can All ... Learn to Love Like Christ" VATICAN CITY, NOV. 24, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today I would like to speak to you about a woman who has had an eminent role in the history of the Church. She is St. Catherine of Siena. The century in which she lived -- the 14th -- was a troubled time for the life of the Church and for the whole social...

On the Trip to Spain "I Invited Europe to Open Itself Ever More to God" VATICAN CITY, NOV. 10, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience in Paul VI Hall, as well as the preliminary greetings he gave in St. Peter's Basilica. * * * [In St. Peter's:] Dear Brothers and Sisters! I am happy to receive you and to address to each one of you my cordial welcome. In particular, I greet you, faithful of Carpineto Romano, who come together with your pastor, Bishop Lorenzo Loppa, to repay the...

On Marguerite d'Oingt "The God-Love That Reveals Himself in Christ Fascinated Her" VATICAN CITY, NOV. 3, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the weekly general audience, held in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, With Marguerite d'Oingt, of whom I would like to speak to you today, we are introduced to Carthusian spirituality, which is inspired in the evangelical synthesis lived and proposed by St. Bruno. We do not know her date of birth, although some place it around 1240. Marguerite came from a powerful family of the...

On Clare of Assisi "The Whole Church Is Indebted to Courageous Women" VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 15, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience held in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, One of the most beloved saints is without a doubt St. Clare of Assisi, who lived in the 13th century and was a contemporary of St. Francis. Her testimony shows us how the whole Church is indebted to courageous women rich in faith like her, capable of giving decisive impetus to the renewal of the...

On Duns Scotus "Defender of the Immaculate Conception" VATICAN CITY, JULY 7, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, This morning -- after a few catecheses on several great theologians -- I wish to present to you another important figure in the history of theology: John Duns Scotus, who lived at the end of the 13th century. An ancient inscription on his tomb summarizes the geographical coordinates of his biography: "England received him; France instructed him; Cologne, in Germany,...

On the Summa Theologiæ "In the School of the Saints, Let Us Be Enamored" of the Eucharist VATICAN CITY, JUNE 23, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in St. Peter's Square. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, Today I would like to complete, with a third part, my catechesis on St. Thomas Aquinas. Even after more than 700 years since his death, we can learn much from him. We were reminded of this also by my predecessor, Pope Paul VI, who, in an address given at Fossanova on...

On St. Dominic "He Always Spoke With God and About God" VATICAN CITY, FEB. 3, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience held in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, Last week I presented the luminous figure of Francis of Assisi; today I would like to speak to you of another saint who, in the same period, made an essential contribution to the renewal of the Church of his time. It is St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers, known also as the Dominican...

On Francis of Assisi "The Secret of True Happiness: To Become Saints" VATICAN CITY, JAN. 27, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, In a recent catechesis, I already illustrated the providential role that the Order of Friars Minor and the Order of Preachers, founded respectively by St. Francis of Assisi and St. Dominic Guzmán, had in the renewal of the Church of their time. Today I would like to present to you the figure of Francis, an authentic...

On Christian Unity in 2009 "When He Wishes and When We Are Prepared, [God] Will Create Unity" VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, We are in the middle of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, an ecumenical initiative, which has been in the making now for more than a century, and which every year attracts attention to a topic: that of the visible unity between Christians, which calls to consciences and stimulates to...

Peter Lombard [After delivering his primary catechesis in Italian, the Holy Father then addressed the people in several languages. In English, he said:] Dear Brothers and Sisters, In our catechesis on the Christian culture of the Middle Ages, we now turn to Peter Lombard, an outstanding theologian of the twelfth century. Peter taught at the celebrated school of Notre Dame, and died as Bishop of Paris. His best-known work, the Sentences, is a collection in four books of patristic texts, carefully selected and ordered for use in the teaching of theology. The Sentences became the standard introduction to theology for...

On the Feast of Christ's Birth "God Has Come So Near to Each One of Us" VATICAN CITY, DEC. 23, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, With the Christmas novena that we are celebrating in these days, the Church invites us to live intensely and profoundly the preparation for the birth of the Savior, which is nearly upon us. The desire that all of us have in our hearts is that, in the midst of the frenetic activity...

On John of Salisbury "We Witness a Worrying Separation Between Reason ... and Liberty" VATICAN CITY, DEC. 16, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, Today we will meet the figure of John of Salisbury, who belonged to one of the most important philosophical and theological schools of the Middle Ages, that of the cathedral of Chartres, in France. John, too, like the theologians about whom I've spoken over the past weeks, helps us to understand how faith, in...

On Rupert of Deutz "We Can Also, Each One in His Own Way, Find the Lord Jesus" VATICAN CITY, DEC. 9, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today we come to know another Benedictine monk of the 12th century. His name is Rupert of Deutz, a city near Cologne, headquarters of a famous monastery. Rupert himself speaks of his life in one of his most important works, "The Glory and Honor of the Son of Man," which is...

Hugh and Richard, of the Abbey of St. Victor "Love Alone Makes Us Happy" VATICAN CITY, NOV. 25, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave during today's general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, During these Wednesday audiences, I have been presenting some exemplary figures of believers who have been determined to show the harmony between reason and faith, and to witness with their life the proclamation of the Gospel. Today I would like to speak to you about Hugh and Richard of St. Victor. Both are among those...

On St. Anselm: Theologian, Teacher, Pastor A Life Marked By "Love of Truth and the Constant Thirst for God" VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 23, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of Benedict XVI's address today at the general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, In Rome, on the Aventine Hill, is found the Benedictine abbey of St. Anselm. As the seat of an Institute of Higher Studies and of the abbot primate of the Confederated Benedictines, it is a place that unites prayer, study and government, precisely the three activities that characterized the life of...

On St. Odo "He Was Austere, But Above All He Was Good" VATICAN CITY, Italy, SEPT. 2, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of Benedict XVI's address at this Wednesday's general audience, which gathered pilgrims in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters: After a long pause, I would like to take up again the presentation of the great writers of the Eastern and Western Church of the Medieval era because, as though in a mirror, in their lives and writings we see what it means to be Christians. Today I propose to you the luminous figure...

On the Spiritual Ladder of John Climacus "A Great Symbol of the Life of the Baptized" VATICAN CITY, FEB. 11, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave during today's general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, After 20 catecheses dedicated to the Apostle Paul, I would like to take up again today the presentation of the great writers of the Church of East and West in the Middle Ages. And I propose the figure of John called Climacus, a Latin transliteration of the Greek term klímakos, which means ladder...

On Paul's Death and Heritage "The Figure of St. Paul Is Magnified Beyond His Earthly Life" VATICAN CITY, FEB. 4, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience in Paul VI Hall. He concluded today his series of catechesis on St. Paul. * * * Dear brothers and sisters: The series of our catechesis on the figure of St. Paul has arrived to its conclusion: We wish to speak today of the end of his earthly life. Ancient Christian tradition testifies unanimously that the death of Paul came as a consequence...

On Paul's Letters to Early Bishops "Scripture Is Read Correctly by Putting Oneself in Dialogue" VATICAN CITY, JAN. 28, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today in Paul VI Hall at the general audience. * * * Dear brothers and sisters: The final letters of the Pauline collection, about which I would like to speak today, are called the pastoral letters, because they were sent to unique figures among the pastors of the Church: two to Timothy and one to Titus, close collaborators with St. Paul. In Timothy, the Apostle saw almost an alter...

On True Worship "The Era of the Temple and Its Worship Had Ended" VATICAN CITY, JAN. 7, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, In this first general audience of 2009, I want to offer all of you fervent best wishes for the New Year that just began. Let us renew our determination to open the mind and heart to Christ, to be and live as his true friends. His company will make this year, even with its inevitable difficulties,...

On the Meaning and Value of Our Lives Christ "Appeals ... to Our Free Decision to Accept His Love" VATICAN CITY, DEC. 17, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear brothers and sisters: Precisely today, we begin the days of Advent that immediately prepare us for the nativity of the Lord: We are in the Christmas novena, which in many Christian communities is celebrated with liturgies rich in biblical texts, all oriented toward nourishing hope for the birth of the Savior. The entire...

Church Is a Body, Not a Corporation, Affirms Pope Says Christ and Neighbor Are Inseparable in Eucharist VATICAN CITY, DEC. 10, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The Church is not an organization or a corporation, but an entity of an entirely different class, says Benedict XVI: It is the body of Christ, present in the Eucharist. This was the Pope's conclusion today at the general audience in Paul VI Hall, during which he left aside his prepared speech and gave the intervention extemporaneously. Due to his total departure from his notes, ZENIT will not be offering the customary transcription and translation of his...

On Christ, the New Adam "God Himself Has Entered History As New Source of Goodness" VATICAN CITY, DEC. 3, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in Paul VI Hall. The Holy Father continued today the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the figure and thought of St. Paul. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, In today's catechesis we reflect on the relationship between Adam and Christ, delineated by St. Paul in the well-known page of the Letter to the Romans (5:12-21), in which he instructs the Church on the essential...

Paul's Conversion "We Are Christians Only If We Encounter Christ" VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 3, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in Paul VI Hall. The Holy Father continued today the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the figure and thought of St. Paul.* * *Dear Brothers and Sisters: Today's catechesis will be dedicated to the experience St. Paul had on the road to Damascus, commonly called his conversion. Precisely on the road to Damascus, in the first 30 years of the first century, and following a period in which he persecuted...

Paul's Biography "He Dedicated Himself to the Proclamation of the Gospel" VATICAN CITY, AUG. 27, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in Paul VI Hall. The Holy Father continued today the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the figure and thought of St. Paul. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, In the last catechesis before the holidays -- two months ago, at the beginning of July -- I began a new series of topics on the occasion of the Pauline Year, reflecting on the way St. Paul lived. Today I...

On Paul's World and Time Period "I Begin Today a New Cycle of Catecheses, Dedicated to the Great Apostle" VATICAN CITY, JULY 2, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in St. Peter's Square. On the occasion of the Pauline Year, the Holy Father began a new cycle of catecheses today, dedicated to the figure and thought of St. Paul. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, I would like to begin today a new cycle of catecheses, dedicated to the great Apostle St. Paul. To him, as you know, I...

On Romanus the Melodist "If Faith is Alive, Christian Culture Will Never be Outdated" VATICAN CITY, MAY 21, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience in St. Peter's Square [Paul VI Hall]. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters: In the series of catecheses on the Fathers of the Church, I would like to speak today of one who isn't well known: Romanus the Melodist, born around the year 490 in Emesa (today Homs) in Syria. Theologian, poet, composer, he belongs to the group of theologians that have transformed theology...