Translated from German:
The Holy Fathers Address at the Mariensaule
Honorable Madam Chancellor, most honorable Mr. Prime Minister, honorable Cardinals, dear fellow brothers in the episcopal and priestly office, most honorable ladies and gentlemen, dear sisters and brothers!
It is deeply moving for me to stand once again in this marvelously beautiful square at the foot of the Mariensaule a place, as has already been noted, that has twice been a witness for me to crucial turning points in my life.
Here, nearly thirty years ago, the faithful accepted me cordially and with joy as their new Archbishop, and I entrusted the path that I had to follow to the Mother of God, because the jump from a professors chair to the Archbishops of Munich and Freising was enormous.
And only under such protection, and with the obvious love of the residents of Munich and of Bavaria, could I dare to undertake this service in the footsteps of Cardinal Doepfner. And then it was like that again, I said my farewell here in 1982, and at that time the archbishop of the Congregation of the Faith was present, and he said: The residents of Munich are like Neapolitans, they want to touch their Archbishop and they are fond of him. He was absolutely amazed to see so much affection here in Munich, to get to know the Bavarian heart in this place, where I once again entrusted myself to the Mother of God.
I thank you, honorable, dear Mr. Prime Minister for the friendly welcome which you addressed to me in the name of the Bavarian federal state government and the Bavarian people. I thank also my dear successor in the office of shepherd of the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising, Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, for the cordial words with which he welcomed me here. I greet Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, and all political, civilian and military personalities, who are participating in this meeting of welcome and prayer. I would like to address a special greeting to the priests, particularly those with whom I was able to work together as priest and as bishop in my home diocese of Munich and Freising. However, all of you, dear compatriots, who have gathered here in this square, I would like to greet with great affection and gratitude. I thank you for this affectionate Bavarian welcome, and thank, as I already did at the airport, all those who participated in the preparation and now provide that everything can take place in such a beautiful way.
Perhaps on this occasion I may take up a thought again, which I in described in my brief memoir in connection with my appointment as the Archbishop of Munich and Freising. I was supposed to become a successor of Saint Corbinian and I became one. Since my childhood I was fascinated by the story in his legend, where a bear tore apart the saints mount on his journey in the Alps, when he was traveling to Rome. As punishment so legend has it Corbinian loaded the bundle that the horse had been carrying up to then on the bears back. Thus, the bear had to drag it over the Alps to Rome, and it was not released till they got there. When in 1977 I was facing the difficult decision to accept the appointment as Archbishop of Munich and Freising or not - an appointment that would take me from my accustomed activity as university teacher to a new responsibility - I thought about it a great deal, and I was directly reminded of this bear and of the interpretation which Saint Augustine gives of verses 22 and 23 in Psalm 73.
The Psalmist asks himself there, why bad people in this world often do so well, and why so many good people in the world fare so badly. And then the Psalmist says: "I was stupid and like a head of cattle before You. But then I went into the temple, and knew that directly in my need I am completely close to You and that You are always are with me." Augustine again and again lovingly took up this Psalm. He saw in the word "cattle" above all the name for the draft animal which was commonly used for farming in North Africa at that time, and he recognized himself in this designation of "beast of burden, saw himself as one who was burdened by his task as "sarcina episcopalis." He had, as he says himself, chosen the life of a scholar and was destined by God to be a "draft animal for God" - the good ox, that pulls the plow in the Gods fields, that does the heavy work that is laid on it, and then he recognized: Just so am I completely close to God, because in this way I serve Him directly to establish His realm, to build the Church.
With the thoughts of the bishop of Hippo as background, the bear encourages me ever again, to serve joyfully and trustingly - thirty years ago, like now, I was new to my assignment - and day by day to say yes to God: A beast of burden I became for you, but just in this way I am "always with You" (Psalm 73.23). St. Corbinians bear was set free again in Rome. In my case, the Lord decided differently. And so I stand again at the foot of the Mariensaule, to implore the intercession and blessings of the Mother of God, this time, however, not only for the city of Munich and also not only for the beloved Bavarian land, but for the Church in the whole world and for all people of good will.
The Holy Fathers Address at the Mariensaule
Honorable Madam Chancellor, most honorable Mr. Prime Minister, honorable Cardinals, dear fellow brothers in the episcopal and priestly office, most honorable ladies and gentlemen, dear sisters and brothers!
It is deeply moving for me to stand once again in this marvelously beautiful square at the foot of the Mariensaule a place, as has already been noted, that has twice been a witness for me to crucial turning points in my life.
Here, nearly thirty years ago, the faithful accepted me cordially and with joy as their new Archbishop, and I entrusted the path that I had to follow to the Mother of God, because the jump from a professors chair to the Archbishops of Munich and Freising was enormous.
And only under such protection, and with the obvious love of the residents of Munich and of Bavaria, could I dare to undertake this service in the footsteps of Cardinal Doepfner. And then it was like that again, I said my farewell here in 1982, and at that time the archbishop of the Congregation of the Faith was present, and he said: The residents of Munich are like Neapolitans, they want to touch their Archbishop and they are fond of him. He was absolutely amazed to see so much affection here in Munich, to get to know the Bavarian heart in this place, where I once again entrusted myself to the Mother of God.
I thank you, honorable, dear Mr. Prime Minister for the friendly welcome which you addressed to me in the name of the Bavarian federal state government and the Bavarian people. I thank also my dear successor in the office of shepherd of the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising, Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, for the cordial words with which he welcomed me here. I greet Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, and all political, civilian and military personalities, who are participating in this meeting of welcome and prayer. I would like to address a special greeting to the priests, particularly those with whom I was able to work together as priest and as bishop in my home diocese of Munich and Freising. However, all of you, dear compatriots, who have gathered here in this square, I would like to greet with great affection and gratitude. I thank you for this affectionate Bavarian welcome, and thank, as I already did at the airport, all those who participated in the preparation and now provide that everything can take place in such a beautiful way.
Perhaps on this occasion I may take up a thought again, which I in described in my brief memoir in connection with my appointment as the Archbishop of Munich and Freising. I was supposed to become a successor of Saint Corbinian and I became one. Since my childhood I was fascinated by the story in his legend, where a bear tore apart the saints mount on his journey in the Alps, when he was traveling to Rome. As punishment so legend has it Corbinian loaded the bundle that the horse had been carrying up to then on the bears back. Thus, the bear had to drag it over the Alps to Rome, and it was not released till they got there. When in 1977 I was facing the difficult decision to accept the appointment as Archbishop of Munich and Freising or not - an appointment that would take me from my accustomed activity as university teacher to a new responsibility - I thought about it a great deal, and I was directly reminded of this bear and of the interpretation which Saint Augustine gives of verses 22 and 23 in Psalm 73.
The Psalmist asks himself there, why bad people in this world often do so well, and why so many good people in the world fare so badly. And then the Psalmist says: "I was stupid and like a head of cattle before You. But then I went into the temple, and knew that directly in my need I am completely close to You and that You are always are with me." Augustine again and again lovingly took up this Psalm. He saw in the word "cattle" above all the name for the draft animal which was commonly used for farming in North Africa at that time, and he recognized himself in this designation of "beast of burden, saw himself as one who was burdened by his task as "sarcina episcopalis." He had, as he says himself, chosen the life of a scholar and was destined by God to be a "draft animal for God" - the good ox, that pulls the plow in the Gods fields, that does the heavy work that is laid on it, and then he recognized: Just so am I completely close to God, because in this way I serve Him directly to establish His realm, to build the Church.
With the thoughts of the bishop of Hippo as background, the bear encourages me ever again, to serve joyfully and trustingly - thirty years ago, like now, I was new to my assignment - and day by day to say yes to God: A beast of burden I became for you, but just in this way I am "always with You" (Psalm 73.23). St. Corbinians bear was set free again in Rome. In my case, the Lord decided differently. And so I stand again at the foot of the Mariensaule, to implore the intercession and blessings of the Mother of God, this time, however, not only for the city of Munich and also not only for the beloved Bavarian land, but for the Church in the whole world and for all people of good will.
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AP
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Frauenkirche in 1945, from 30 Giorni
Reuters
Reuters -- Maurizo Brambatti/Pool
The photos you and Benodette have shared with us are simply radiant with Il Papa's happiness -- how wonderful to see him so cheerful and so delighted. There is, indeed, no place like home.
