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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Pope Assures Them of His Prayers

VATICAN CITY, MAY 30, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The parents of a missing 4-year-old British girl sat in the front row at Benedict XVI's general audience to ask for prayers for their daughter.

The little girl, Madeleine McCann, vanished while on vacation with her family in Portugal in early May.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, said the meeting was a "gesture of spiritual closeness, prayer and attention to this particular case, as well as to so many parents of missing children."

"It has been a very significant act, an act of support for Madeleine's parents and those who are involved in searching for her and in battling against the criminal phenomenon of kidnapping," Father Lombardi added.

When Kate and Gerry McCann reached the Pope at today's general audience, he paused for a few moments with them, exchanging a brief conversation and blessing a photo of the child.

Gerry later said: "He is a fantastic person that has given us a lot of support. I got excited when he touched and blessed the photo of my daughter."

The couple asked Benedict XVI to pray for their daughter, and he assured them of his prayer for them and for Madeleine.

Mixed emotions

According to the Associated Press, the Vatican readily accepted the British couple's request to meet with the Pope, both for prayer and to continue publicizing their daughter's disappearance.

The family previously made a pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal, to pray for her safe return.

"Obviously we have very mixed emotions about being here, and of course why we are here," Gerry McCann told the Associated Press as he arrived in St. Peter's Square.

"In normal circumstances it would be one of the most exciting things we could do in our own lifetimes, but very much on our minds is the fact that we are here without Madeleine."

The McCann family also gave a press conference at the residence of Britain's ambassador to the Holy See.

Code: ZE07053001

Date: 2007-05-30

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Reflects on Tertullian's Lack of Tolerance

VATICAN CITY, MAY 30, 2007 (ZENIT.org).- Benedict XVI says Tertullian's life offers a reflection on the need for humility, which the Pope says is the "essential characteristic of a great theologian."

The Holy Father spoke about Tertullian, a second-century theologian and apologist, at today's general audience in St. Peter's Square.

With his reflection on Tertullian, Benedict XVI resumed his series of catecheses on the Apostolic Fathers. He had interrupted the series with his trip to Brazil and last week's overview of the apostolic trip's highlights.

"This great moral and intellectual personality, this man who gave such a great contribution to Christian thought, makes me think," the Pope said of Tertullian. "It is evident that at the end he lacks simplicity, the humility to belong to the Church, to accept his weaknesses, to be tolerant of others and with himself.

"When you evaluate your thought in terms of your greatness, in the end it is this greatness that is lost."

Benedict XVI noted that Tertullian gradually left communion with the Church and joined a Montanist sect.

"The essential characteristic of a great theologian is the humility to stay with the Church, to accept her and ones own faults, because only God is all holy," the Pontiff said. "We, on the other hand, are always in need of forgiveness."

Code: ZE07053019

Date: 2007-05-30

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Resumes Series of Teachings on Apostolic Fathers

VATICAN CITY, MAY 30, 2007 (ZENIT.org).- Citing the teachings of Tertullian on nonviolence as a law of life, Benedict XVI says that the ancient writer's works have great relevance today amid fervent debate on religions.

The Pope reflected on Tertullian's thought at today's general audience in St. Peter's Square, resuming his series of catecheses on the Apostolic Fathers.

"His work bore decisive fruits, and it would be unforgivable to undervalue them," the Holy Father said. "His influence is developed on many levels: linguistically and in the recovery of the classic culture, and the singling out of a common 'Christian soul' in the world and the formulation of new proposals for living together.

"He explains and defends the teachings and customs of Christians […] he shows the triumph of the Spirit, who pits the violence of persecutors against the blood, suffering and patience of the martyrs.

"Martyrdom and suffering for the truth are victorious in the end and more effective than the cruelty and violence of totalitarian regimes."

The Pope quoted from Tertullian: "The Christian cannot hate, not even his own enemies," and then noted "the moral implication of the choice of faith," that "proposes 'nonviolence' as the law of life."

"And who could not see the relevance of this teaching today in light of the fervent debate on religions," added the Pontiff.

Trinitarian dogma

Benedict XVI added that Tertullian's teachings are key for many themes: "His writings are important because they reflect the living tendencies of the Christian community about Mary most holy, the Eucharist, matrimony and reconciliation, the primacy of Peter, prayer …"

The Holy Father explained that Tertullian, who wrote in Latin, coined the terms necessary to express the mystery of the Trinity, introducing the terms for "one substance" and "three Persons."

"In a similar way," the Pope said "he also greatly developed the correct language to express the mystery of Christ, Son of God and true Man.

"The African also speaks about the Holy Spirit, showing his personal and divine character."

Benedict XVI concluded, saying there are many themes in Tertullian's writings that "we are called to face still today. They call us to a fruitful interior examination, to which I exhort all the faithful, so that they may know how to express, in an evermore convincing way, the 'Rule of Faith,' which -- getting back to Tertullian -- 'prescribes the belief that there is one only God, and that he is none other than the Creator of the world, who produced all things out of nothing through his own Word, first of all sent forth.'"

Code: ZE07053004

Date: 2007-05-30

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Submitted by Archimandrite Serge Keleher, Administrator 

Dublin - 20070530  - The Greek-Catholics in Ireland, centered in Baile Átha Cliath around the Congregation of Blessed Nicholas (Charnetsky), rejoiced in the presence of our Apostolic Visitor, Bishop Hlib of Bareta, for Pentecost, 14/27 May 2007. Early Saturday afternoon, the Bishop arrived by plane from Warsaw; Father Archimandrite Serge of Baile Átha Cliath  and Mr. Ivan Ivanenkiw of Dún Dealgán were at the airport to welcome His Grace.

The Bishop and his companions went directly to Archbishop’s House, Drumcondra, where through the hospitality of the Archbishop of Baile Átha Cliath, the Most Reverend Diarmuid Martin, Bishop Hlib would lodge during his stay in Ireland. There were two other stops to make, and the Bishop and his companions returned to the airport to meet Andrij Bebko, arriving from London, to add his welcome assistance with the liturgical chanting for the feast.

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30.05.2007, [09:17] // Speech, greeting, press release //

Kyiv – Because of the complicated political situation in Ukraine, Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), and Patriarch Filaret (Denysenko), head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP), have stressed the need for special prayers for the country. ugcc.org.ua and cerkva.info posted the news on 25 May 2007.

Analyzing the current political situation in Ukraine, the head of the UGCC said: “Maybe it is this way because we did not thank God for the happy moments. Maybe it is this way because we did not address him when the black clouds were approaching. But God is full of mercy and disregards our weakness and imperfection when we address him when we are anxious.”

Therefore, Patriarch Lubomyr calls all the faithful and people of good will to pray for Ukraine “for God’s mercy to save us and our state in the times of misery.” He added: “From the experience of past years we know how powerful our obedient prayer can be. Our Heavenly Father knows best how to rescue us with something that is beyond our imagination. Therefore, let us pray, dear in Christ. Let us pray together and alone… Each as he can and wants, but pray, pray, pray! Let us pray together with the holy Mother of God and all the saints of the Ukrainian land.”

According to cerkva.info, the head of the UOC-KP sent telegrams to all hierarchs of the UOC-KP with the request for stronger praying in Ukraine. He noted: “In connection with the latest dangerous events in the political life of our state, I bless the prayers for our homeland in all church buildings of the UOC-KP during Liturgies.”

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VATICAN CITY, MAY 30, 2007 (VIS) - In his general audience today Benedict XVI resumed his series of catecheses on leading figures of the early Church, turning his attention to Tertullian, the first great Christian author to write in Latin who was born in Carthage around the year 150. The audience was held in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 32,000 faithful.

The work of this North African writer, said the Pope, "yielded vital fruits that it would be inexcusable to undervalue." His influence extended "from language and the recovery of classical culture to the identification of a shared 'Christian soul' in the world and the formulation of new prospects for human coexistence."

Tertullian "converted to Christianity attracted, it seems, by the example of the martyrs. ... However, an overly individual search for the truth as well as the intemperance of his character gradually led him to abandon communion with the Church."

In his apologetic writings Tertullian set himself two objectives: "confuting the terrible accusations made by pagans against the new religion and, in a more constructive and missionary sense, communicating the Gospel message in dialogue with the culture of his time."

Tertullian also "made a significant contribution to the development of Trinitarian dogma," said the Pope. "Using Latin he gave us a language appropriate for expressing this great mystery, introducing the terms 'one substance' and 'three Persons'."

"No less important," the Pope added, "is Tertullian's Christology," as well as his writings "on the Holy Spirit, ... on the Church (which he always recognizes as mother), ... on the moral conduct of Christians and on the life to come, ... on Mary, ... on the Sacraments, ... on the Petrine primacy and on prayer."

Pope Benedict went on: "In particular this apologist exhorted Christians to hope, which according to his writings is not just a virtue in itself but something that invests every aspect of Christian life. Thus the resurrection of the Lord is presented as the foundation for our own future resurrection and represents the principal object of Christians' expectations."

Benedict XVI then went on to consider the "drama" of Tertullian's life. "With the passing of the years he became ever more demanding towards Christians expecting them to behave heroically in all circumstances and especially during persecution."

Commenting on the writer's eventual break with the Church, the Pope said: "I often think of this great moral and intellectual figure, this man who made such a great contribution to Christian thought. It is clear that in the end he lacked the simplicity and humility to be part of the Church, to accept her weaknesses. When one sees only one's own ideas, in all their greatness, in the end it is precisely this greatness that is lost. The essential characteristic of great theologians is the humility to remain with the Church, to accept her weaknesses and their own, because only God is truly holy. We, on the other hand, always have need of forgiveness."

Nonetheless Tertullian "remains an interesting witness of the early Church, when Christians found themselves as the real protagonists of 'new culture' in the encounter between classical heritage and the evangelical message." His work "evokes the perennial continuity between authentic human values and Christian values." Another important affirmation of Tertullian is that "Christians cannot hate even their own enemies" from which arises the "ineluctable moral consequence" that non violence is "a rule of life. And the dramatic pertinence of this teaching," the Pope concluded, "is also evident in the light of the animated debate over religions."

At the end of the audience, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims from Spain, Mexico and Chile, particularly the Association of Knights and Dames of Our Lady of Guadalupe, accompanied by Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, archbishop of Toledo, and faithful and bishops from dioceses in the Spanish region of Extremadura, who have come to Rome to mark the first centenary of the declaration of Our Lady of Guadalupe as patroness of Extremadura.

"May the image of the Most Holy Virgin that you bring to Rome today," said Benedict XVI, "continue to accompany your jubilee celebrations and bless all of that Spanish region which had such an active role in the evangelization of America."

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