VATICAN: Pope BENEDICT XVI Makes His Final General Audience
“I ASKED GOD TO ENLIGHTEN ME TO MAKE THE
RIGHT DECISION, NOT FOR MY OWN GOOD, BUT FOR THE GOOD OF THE CHURCH.”
Pope Benedict XVI on wednesday 27 February 2013 celebrated his last general
audience in St. Peter’s Square. The square crowded with tens of thousands of
people wishing to bid him farewell, the Pontiff said: “Thank you for coming in
such large numbers to this, my last general audience. Thank you, I am truly
moved! And I see the Church is alive! I think we also have to thank the Creator
for the beautiful weather that He is giving us now, even in winter.”
audience in St. Peter’s Square. The square crowded with tens of thousands of
people wishing to bid him farewell, the Pontiff said: “Thank you for coming in
such large numbers to this, my last general audience. Thank you, I am truly
moved! And I see the Church is alive! I think we also have to thank the Creator
for the beautiful weather that He is giving us now, even in winter.”
The following is
the entire text of the Holy Father’s words.
the entire text of the Holy Father’s words.
“Like the
Apostle Paul in the Biblical text that we have heard, I feel in my heart that I
have to especially thank God who guides and builds up the Church, who plants
His Word and thus nourishes the faith in His People. At this moment my heart
expands and embraces the whole Church throughout the world and I thank God for
the ‘news’ that, in these years of my Petrine ministry, I have received about
the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and for the love that truly circulates in
the Body of the Church, making it to live in the love and the hope that opens
us to and guides us towards the fullness of life, towards our heavenly
homeland.”
Apostle Paul in the Biblical text that we have heard, I feel in my heart that I
have to especially thank God who guides and builds up the Church, who plants
His Word and thus nourishes the faith in His People. At this moment my heart
expands and embraces the whole Church throughout the world and I thank God for
the ‘news’ that, in these years of my Petrine ministry, I have received about
the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and for the love that truly circulates in
the Body of the Church, making it to live in the love and the hope that opens
us to and guides us towards the fullness of life, towards our heavenly
homeland.”
“I feel that
I am carrying everyone with me in prayer in this God-given moment when I am
collecting every meeting, every trip, every pastoral visit. I am gathering
everyone and everything in prayer to entrust it to the Lord: so that we may be
filled with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and
understanding in order to live in a manner worthy of the Lord and His love,
bearing fruit in every good work (cf. Col 1:9-10).”
I am carrying everyone with me in prayer in this God-given moment when I am
collecting every meeting, every trip, every pastoral visit. I am gathering
everyone and everything in prayer to entrust it to the Lord: so that we may be
filled with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and
understanding in order to live in a manner worthy of the Lord and His love,
bearing fruit in every good work (cf. Col 1:9-10).”
“At this
moment I have great confidence because I know, we all know, that the Gospel’s
Word of truth is the strength of the Church; it is her life. The Gospel
purifies and renews, bearing fruit, wherever the community of believers hears
it and welcomes God’s grace in truth and in love. This is my confidence, this
is my joy.”
moment I have great confidence because I know, we all know, that the Gospel’s
Word of truth is the strength of the Church; it is her life. The Gospel
purifies and renews, bearing fruit, wherever the community of believers hears
it and welcomes God’s grace in truth and in love. This is my confidence, this
is my joy.”
“When, on 19
April almost eight years ago I accepted to take on the Petrine ministry, I had
the firm certainty that has always accompanied me: this certainty for the life
of the Church from the Word of God. At that moment, as I have already expressed
many times, the words that resounded in my heart were: Lord, what do you ask of
me? It is a great weight that you are placing on my shoulders but, if you ask
it of me, I will cast my nets at your command, confident that you will guide
me, even with all my weaknesses. And eight years later I can say that the Lord
has guided me. He has been close to me. I have felt His presence every day. It
has been a stretch of the Church’s path that has had moments of joy and light,
but also difficult moments. I felt like St. Peter and the Apostles in the boat
on the Sea of Galilee. The Lord has given us many days of sunshine and light
breezes, days when the fishing was plentiful, but also times when the water was
rough and the winds against us, just as throughout the whole history of the
Church, when the Lord seemed to be sleeping. But I always knew that the Lord is
in that boat and I always knew that the boat of the Church is not mine, not
ours, but is His. And the Lord will not let it sink. He is the one who steers
her, of course also through those He has chosen because that is how He wanted
it. This was and is a certainty that nothing can tarnish. And that is why my
heart today is filled with gratitude to God, because He never left—the whole
Church or me—without His consolation, His light, or His love.”
April almost eight years ago I accepted to take on the Petrine ministry, I had
the firm certainty that has always accompanied me: this certainty for the life
of the Church from the Word of God. At that moment, as I have already expressed
many times, the words that resounded in my heart were: Lord, what do you ask of
me? It is a great weight that you are placing on my shoulders but, if you ask
it of me, I will cast my nets at your command, confident that you will guide
me, even with all my weaknesses. And eight years later I can say that the Lord
has guided me. He has been close to me. I have felt His presence every day. It
has been a stretch of the Church’s path that has had moments of joy and light,
but also difficult moments. I felt like St. Peter and the Apostles in the boat
on the Sea of Galilee. The Lord has given us many days of sunshine and light
breezes, days when the fishing was plentiful, but also times when the water was
rough and the winds against us, just as throughout the whole history of the
Church, when the Lord seemed to be sleeping. But I always knew that the Lord is
in that boat and I always knew that the boat of the Church is not mine, not
ours, but is His. And the Lord will not let it sink. He is the one who steers
her, of course also through those He has chosen because that is how He wanted
it. This was and is a certainty that nothing can tarnish. And that is why my
heart today is filled with gratitude to God, because He never left—the whole
Church or me—without His consolation, His light, or His love.”
“We are in
the Year of Faith, which I desired precisely in order to strengthen our faith
in God in a context that seems to relegate it more and more to the background.
I would like to invite everyone to renew their firm trust in the Lord, to
entrust ourselves like children to God’s arms, certain that those arms always
hold us up and are what allow us to walk forward each day, even when it is a
struggle. I would like everyone to feel beloved of that God who gave His Son
for us and who has shown us His boundless love. I would like everyone to feel
the joy of being Christian. In a beautiful prayer, which can be recited every
morning, say: ‘I adore you, my God and I love you with all my heart. Thank you
for having created me, for having made me Christian…’ Yes, we are happy for
the gift of faith. It is the most precious thing, which no one can take from
us! Let us thank the Lord for this every day, with prayer and with a coherent
Christian life. God loves us, but awaits us to also love Him!”
the Year of Faith, which I desired precisely in order to strengthen our faith
in God in a context that seems to relegate it more and more to the background.
I would like to invite everyone to renew their firm trust in the Lord, to
entrust ourselves like children to God’s arms, certain that those arms always
hold us up and are what allow us to walk forward each day, even when it is a
struggle. I would like everyone to feel beloved of that God who gave His Son
for us and who has shown us His boundless love. I would like everyone to feel
the joy of being Christian. In a beautiful prayer, which can be recited every
morning, say: ‘I adore you, my God and I love you with all my heart. Thank you
for having created me, for having made me Christian…’ Yes, we are happy for
the gift of faith. It is the most precious thing, which no one can take from
us! Let us thank the Lord for this every day, with prayer and with a coherent
Christian life. God loves us, but awaits us to also love Him!”
“It is not
only God who I wish to thank at this time. A pope is not alone in guiding
Peter’s barque, even if it is his primary responsibility. I have never felt
alone in bearing the joy and the weight of the Petrine ministry. The Lord has
placed at my side so many people who, with generosity and love for God and the
Church, have helped me and been close to me. First of all, you, dear Brother
Cardinals: your wisdom, your advice, and your friendship have been precious to
me. My collaborators, starting with my secretary of state who has accompanied
me faithfully over the years; the Secretariat of State and the whole of the
Roman Curia, as well as all those who, in their various areas, serve the Holy
See. There are many faces that are never seen, remaining in obscurity, but
precisely in their silence, in their daily dedication in a spirit of faith and
humility, they were a sure and reliable support to me. A special thought goes
to the Church of Rome, my diocese! I cannot forget my Brothers in the
episcopate and in the priesthood, consecrated persons, and the entire People of
God. In my pastoral visits, meetings, audiences, and trips I always felt great
care and deep affection, but I have also loved each and every one of you,
without exception, with that pastoral love that is the heart of every pastor,
especially the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of the Apostle Peter. Every day I
held each of you in prayer, with a father’s heart.”
only God who I wish to thank at this time. A pope is not alone in guiding
Peter’s barque, even if it is his primary responsibility. I have never felt
alone in bearing the joy and the weight of the Petrine ministry. The Lord has
placed at my side so many people who, with generosity and love for God and the
Church, have helped me and been close to me. First of all, you, dear Brother
Cardinals: your wisdom, your advice, and your friendship have been precious to
me. My collaborators, starting with my secretary of state who has accompanied
me faithfully over the years; the Secretariat of State and the whole of the
Roman Curia, as well as all those who, in their various areas, serve the Holy
See. There are many faces that are never seen, remaining in obscurity, but
precisely in their silence, in their daily dedication in a spirit of faith and
humility, they were a sure and reliable support to me. A special thought goes
to the Church of Rome, my diocese! I cannot forget my Brothers in the
episcopate and in the priesthood, consecrated persons, and the entire People of
God. In my pastoral visits, meetings, audiences, and trips I always felt great
care and deep affection, but I have also loved each and every one of you,
without exception, with that pastoral love that is the heart of every pastor,
especially the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of the Apostle Peter. Every day I
held each of you in prayer, with a father’s heart.”
“I wish to
send my greetings and my thanks to all: a pope’s heart extends to the whole
world. And I would like to express my gratitude to the Diplomatic Corps
accredited to the Holy See, which makes the great family of Nations present
here. Here I am also thinking of all those who work for good communication and
I thank them for their important service.”
send my greetings and my thanks to all: a pope’s heart extends to the whole
world. And I would like to express my gratitude to the Diplomatic Corps
accredited to the Holy See, which makes the great family of Nations present
here. Here I am also thinking of all those who work for good communication and
I thank them for their important service.”
“At this
point I would also like to wholeheartedly thank all of the many people around
the world who, in recent weeks, have sent me touching tokens of concern,
friendship, and prayer. Yes, the Pope is never alone. I feel this again now in
such a great way that it touches my heart. The Pope belongs to everyone and
many people feel very close to him. It’s true that I receive letters from the
world’s notables—from heads of states, from religious leaders, from
representatives of the world of culture, etc. But I also receive many letters
from ordinary people who write to me simply from their hearts and make me feel
their affection, which is born of our being together with Christ Jesus, in the
Church. These people do not write to me the way one would write, for example,
to a prince or a dignitary that they don’t know. They write to me as brothers
and sisters or as sons and daughters, with the sense of a very affectionate
family tie. In this you can touch what the Church is—not an organization, not
an association for religious or humanitarian ends, but a living body, a
communion of brothers and sisters in the Body of Jesus Christ who unites us
all. Experiencing the Church in this way and being able to almost touch with
our hands the strength of His truth and His love is a reason for joy at a time
when many are speaking of its decline. See how the Church is alive today!”
point I would also like to wholeheartedly thank all of the many people around
the world who, in recent weeks, have sent me touching tokens of concern,
friendship, and prayer. Yes, the Pope is never alone. I feel this again now in
such a great way that it touches my heart. The Pope belongs to everyone and
many people feel very close to him. It’s true that I receive letters from the
world’s notables—from heads of states, from religious leaders, from
representatives of the world of culture, etc. But I also receive many letters
from ordinary people who write to me simply from their hearts and make me feel
their affection, which is born of our being together with Christ Jesus, in the
Church. These people do not write to me the way one would write, for example,
to a prince or a dignitary that they don’t know. They write to me as brothers
and sisters or as sons and daughters, with the sense of a very affectionate
family tie. In this you can touch what the Church is—not an organization, not
an association for religious or humanitarian ends, but a living body, a
communion of brothers and sisters in the Body of Jesus Christ who unites us
all. Experiencing the Church in this way and being able to almost touch with
our hands the strength of His truth and His love is a reason for joy at a time
when many are speaking of its decline. See how the Church is alive today!”
“In these
last months I have felt that my strength had diminished and I asked God
earnestly in prayer to enlighten me with His light to make me make the right
decision, not for my own good, but for the good of the Church. I have taken
this step in full awareness of its seriousness and also its newness, but with a
profound peace of mind. Loving the Church also means having the courage to make
difficult, agonized choices, always keeping in mind the good of the Church, not
of oneself.”
last months I have felt that my strength had diminished and I asked God
earnestly in prayer to enlighten me with His light to make me make the right
decision, not for my own good, but for the good of the Church. I have taken
this step in full awareness of its seriousness and also its newness, but with a
profound peace of mind. Loving the Church also means having the courage to make
difficult, agonized choices, always keeping in mind the good of the Church, not
of oneself.”
“Allow me
here to return once again to 19 April, 2005. The gravity of the decision lay
precisely in the fact that, from that moment on, I was always and for always
engaged by the Lord. Always—whoever assumes the Petrine ministry no longer has
any privacy. He belongs always and entirely to everyone, to the whole Church.
His life, so to speak, is totally deprived of its private dimension. I
experienced, and I am experiencing it precisely now, that one receives life
precisely when they give it. Before I said that many people who love the Lord
also love St. Peter’s Successor and are fond of him; that the Pope truly has
brothers and sisters, sons and daughters all over the world and that he feels
safe in the embrace of their communion; because he no longer belongs to himself
but he belongs to all and all belong to him.”
here to return once again to 19 April, 2005. The gravity of the decision lay
precisely in the fact that, from that moment on, I was always and for always
engaged by the Lord. Always—whoever assumes the Petrine ministry no longer has
any privacy. He belongs always and entirely to everyone, to the whole Church.
His life, so to speak, is totally deprived of its private dimension. I
experienced, and I am experiencing it precisely now, that one receives life
precisely when they give it. Before I said that many people who love the Lord
also love St. Peter’s Successor and are fond of him; that the Pope truly has
brothers and sisters, sons and daughters all over the world and that he feels
safe in the embrace of their communion; because he no longer belongs to himself
but he belongs to all and all belong to him.”
“’Always’ is
also ‘forever’–there is no return to private life. My decision to renounce the
active exercise of the ministry does not revoke this. I am not returning to
private life, to a life of trips, meetings, receptions, conferences, etc. I am
not abandoning the cross, but am remaining beside the Crucified Lord in a new
way. I no longer bear the power of the office for the governance of the Church,
but I remain in the service of prayer, within St. Peter’s paddock, so to speak.
St. Benedict, whose name I bear as Pope, will be a great example to me in this.
He has shown us the way for a life that, active or passive, belongs wholly to
God’s work.”
also ‘forever’–there is no return to private life. My decision to renounce the
active exercise of the ministry does not revoke this. I am not returning to
private life, to a life of trips, meetings, receptions, conferences, etc. I am
not abandoning the cross, but am remaining beside the Crucified Lord in a new
way. I no longer bear the power of the office for the governance of the Church,
but I remain in the service of prayer, within St. Peter’s paddock, so to speak.
St. Benedict, whose name I bear as Pope, will be a great example to me in this.
He has shown us the way for a life that, active or passive, belongs wholly to
God’s work.”
“I also
thank each and every one of you for the respect and understanding with which
you have received this important decision. I will continue to accompany the
Church’s journey through prayer and reflection, with the dedication to the Lord
and His Bride that I have tried to live every day up to now and that I want to
always live. I ask you to remember me to God, and above all to pray for the
Cardinals who are called to such an important task, and for the new Successor
of the Apostle Peter. Many the Lord accompany him with the light and strength
of His Spirit.”
thank each and every one of you for the respect and understanding with which
you have received this important decision. I will continue to accompany the
Church’s journey through prayer and reflection, with the dedication to the Lord
and His Bride that I have tried to live every day up to now and that I want to
always live. I ask you to remember me to God, and above all to pray for the
Cardinals who are called to such an important task, and for the new Successor
of the Apostle Peter. Many the Lord accompany him with the light and strength
of His Spirit.”
“We call
upon the maternal intercession of Mary, the Mother of God and of the Church,
that she might accompany each of us and the entire ecclesial community. We
entrust ourselves to her with deep confidence.”
upon the maternal intercession of Mary, the Mother of God and of the Church,
that she might accompany each of us and the entire ecclesial community. We
entrust ourselves to her with deep confidence.”
“Dear
friends! God guides His Church, always sustaining her even and especially in
difficult times. Let us never lose this vision of faith, which is the only true
vision of the path of the Church and of the world. In our hearts, in the heart
of each one of you, may there always be the joyous certainty that the Lord is
beside us, that He does not abandon us, that He is near and embraces us with
His love.
friends! God guides His Church, always sustaining her even and especially in
difficult times. Let us never lose this vision of faith, which is the only true
vision of the path of the Church and of the world. In our hearts, in the heart
of each one of you, may there always be the joyous certainty that the Lord is
beside us, that He does not abandon us, that He is near and embraces us with
His love.
Thank you.”
SOURCE:
Vatican Information Service (VIS)
Vatican Information Service (VIS)
