Benedict XVI on his way to the Piazza di Spagna: AP photo
As Rocco points out, it's customary for the pope to visit the Piazza di Spagna in the city of Rome on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8. It's an annual event celebrating the bond between the Holy Father and the city of Rome and spiritual affection for the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Here's a portion of the pope's remarks at the Spanish Steps:
-ConcordPastorDear brothers and sisters, we are the city! Each one of us contributes with our lives to its moral climate for better or worse. The border between good and evil runs across everyone’s heart and none of us should feel entitled to judge others. Instead, each one of us must feel duty-bound to improve ourselves. Mass media make us feel like “spectators” as if evil only touched others and that certain things could not happen to us. Instead, we are all “actors” for better or worse, and our behaviour influences others.
We often complain about air pollution, that in some parts of the city the air is unbreathable. That is true. Everyone must do his or her part to make the city a cleaner place. However, there is another kind of pollution, which the senses cannot easily perceive, but which is equally dangerous. It is the pollution of the spirit, which makes us smile less, makes us gloomier, less likely to greet one another or look into each other face . . .
The city has many faces, but sadly, collective factors lead us to forget what is behind them. All we see is the surface. People become bodies, and these bodies lose their soul, become faceless objects that can be exchanged and consumed.
Mary Immaculate helps us rediscover and defend what is inside people, because in her there is perfect transparency of soul and body. She is purity in person in the sense that the spirit, soul and body are fully coherent in her and with God’s will. Our Lady teaches us to open up to God’s action and to look at others as he does, starting with the heart, to look upon them with mercy, love, infinite tenderness, especially those who are lonely, scorned or exploited. “[W]here sins increased, grace overflows all the more.”
(Read the complete text of the pope's remarks here)
Thank you for posting this. The content of the Pope's speech is more meaningful to me than I could possibly explain in a short comment. Thank you again!
ReplyDeleteWow - very wonderful to read and to pray with, especially in our online communities.
ReplyDeleteThe corporeal and the spiritual must be in balance.
It is easy to forget that on both sides of the equation, isn't it?
The AP report had a somewhat different emphasis:
ReplyDelete"Every day, through the newspapers, television, radio, evil is reported, repeated, amplified, making us used to horrible things, making us become insensitive, and, in some way, poisoning us," the pope said after kneeling in prayer before a statue of the Virgin Mary to mark the Dec. 8 Catholic feast day in her honor.
"Hearts harden and thoughts darken," Benedict said. He also complained that the mass media "tend to make us feel like spectators, as if evil regards only others and certain things could never happen to us."
Instead, Benedict said, "we are all actors, and for better or worse, our behavior has an influence on others."
This reminds me of many comments here on the abuse scandal so roundly condemning the hierarchy. Not that they were not guilty (and some continue to be) but the STEADY DIET OF BAD NEWS affects us more than we realize.
Again, in Advent, Fr. Fleming, can't you find stories that talk about the good that is being done in the wider church (not just at Holy Family)?
IG
IG: your critique prompted me to do a review to see if, indeed, my blog is offering a "steady diet of bad news" alongside a preoccupation with parish activities, especially in this Advent season. My review goes back to the weekend before the First Sunday of Advent and results in this complete listing of 56 posts on the following topics:
ReplyDelete-Pope’s comments at Spanish Steps
-9 audios and 6 videos of Marian music for holy day
-3 posts on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception
-US Bishops on Health Care Reform Bill
-Poem on peace, based in scripture
-Monday Morning Offering
-Folk song: People Get Ready
-Picture/poem on first snowfall
-Homily for 1st Advent
-Tenor aria from Handel’s Messiah
-St. Nicholas Day
-Remembering Mary in Advent
-Sunday scriptures
-Prayer for priests in the Year for Priests
-Providing clean water as Advent Conspiracy
-Time of Midnight Mass at St. Peter’s Rome
-My singing at open mic – Young Jesus Chronicles
-Beginning to read from Luke’s gospel in Year C
-Scriptures for Second Sunday of Advent
-link to Bro Patrick’s blog
-US Bishops’ Advent-Christmas Site
-Advent music
-Communion from the Cup in flu season
-Deacon’s homily for First Advent
-Advent prayer from friend on retreat
-Pope’s words on World AIDS Day
-Monday Morning Offering
-Advent Reflection
-My homily First Advent
-Reflection on Sacramentary for new liturgical year
-Music for Advent/widget
-Articles of Faith in Boston Globe
-Resolution to read Sunday scriptures
-History of Advent
-Prayer for Priests in the Year for Priests
-Murphy report on clergy sex-abuse in Ireland
-Five posts on Thanksgiving Day
-CNS series on Year for Priests
-Vatican Visitation of Women Religions in US
-Scriptures for First Sunday of Advent
-New Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year
-Catholic Charities/Thanksgiving Day
-Thanksgiving Day prayer for those who grieve
-Monday Morning Offering
-Parish youth collecting turkeys
-Homily for Christ the King
-GAP/Christmas ads/AFA
-St. Cecilia
-US Bishops on Health Care Reform Bill
-Poem on trees in November
The review speaks for itself.
Since I'm unable to edit comments (I can only opt to publish or reject), I regret that on occasion a comment is rejected because I deem even a small portion of it inappropriate for this venue.
ReplyDeleteCommenters intent on raising parish matters in the combox venue will forfeit the privilege of posting.
ReplyDeleteI'm more than willing to discuss parish matters in person or in signed correspondence.
It is extremely interesting for me to read the blog. Thank you for it. I like such themes and anything that is connected to them. I definitely want to read more soon.
ReplyDelete