More photos of the Pope’s last day in Spain.
The Pope’s homily at the closing Mass:
Certainly we come from our parents and we are their children, but we also come from God who has created us in his image and called us to be his children. Consequently, at the origin of every human being there is not something haphazard or chance, but a loving plan of God. This was revealed to us by Jesus Christ, the true Son of God and a perfect man. He knew whence he came and whence all of us have come: from the love of his Father and our Father.
Faith, then, is not merely a cultural heritage, but the constant working of the grace of God who calls and our human freedom, which can respond or not to his call. Even if no one can answer for another person, Christian parents are still called to give a credible witness of their Christian faith and hope. The need to ensure that God’s call and the good news of Christ will reach their children with the utmost clarity and authenticity.
As the years pass, this gift of God which the parents have helped set before the eyes of the little ones will also need to be cultivated with wisdom and gentleness, in order to instill in them a capacity for discernment. Thus, with the constant witness of the their parents’ conjugal love, permeated with a living faith, and with the loving accompaniment of the Christian community, children will be helped better to appropriate the gift of their faith, to discover the deepest meaning of their own lives and to respond with joy and gratitude.
Along with their basic right to be born and to be raised in the faith, children also have the right to a home which takes as its model the home of Nazareth, and to be shielded from all dangers and threats.
In addition, Benedict did not want to disrupt quiet, behind-the-scenes efforts to work out a modus Vivendi between church and state.
Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera of Toledo, Spain, and the Deputy Prime Minister María Teresa Fernández de la Vega have been meeting over recent months to try to work out an agreement on the twin issues of teaching religion in public schools and public financing of church activities. Sources told NCR that both sides believe an agreement can be reached before the end of the year, and the fact that Benedict XVI met Fernández de la Vega on Saturday was seen as a sign of papal encouragement for the efforts.
Government sources said afterwards that Benedict XVI told Fernández that with her taking a lead role, he felt the church/state relationship was "in good hands."
Australian Cardinal George Pell, in Valencia for the papal trip, told NCR on Saturday that he was "not at all surprised" by Benedict’s choice to avoid direct challenge to Zapatero.
"He’s a guest in Spain, and as a guest I’m not sure how appropriate it would be to sound too negative," Pell said. Further, Pell said, "if there has to be a challenge [to the government], that’s more a role for the local hierarchy."
At the same time, Pell said he was confident that the pope’s visit "will give a great boost to those defending Christian values in public life here in Spain." Pell said the presence of a large number of cardinals, including all the Spanish cardinals, was intended to underline the church’s position.
Many Spaniards agreed the pope had made his point.
Read Previous Post