At the Vespers service on Thursday evening at St Paul's basilica, the Pope highlighted the plight of many South Africans (and southern Africans too). The following is from Zenit:
As a community of South Africa has pointed out, the capacities to speak and hear are essential for building a civilization of love, says Benedict XVI.
The Holy Father made these comments Thursday when reflecting on the guidelines proposed for this year's Week of Prayer of Christian Unity by Christians of various confessions from Umlazi, South Africa, a region scourged by poverty and AIDS.
The community of Umlazi chose as this year's theme a phrase from St. Mark's Gospel: "He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
In his homily at the ecumenical celebration of vespers in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, the Pope said about the South Africans: "The situations of racism, poverty, conflict, sickness and suffering in which they find themselves, and the very impossibility of being understood in their own needs, arouses in them the need to hear the word of God and to speak with courage."
The Pope asked: "To be a deaf-mute, to not be able to hear or to speak, is this not a sign of a lack of communion and a symptom of division?
"Division and noncommunication, consequences of sin, are contrary to God's plan."
Benedict XVI added: "Africa has given us this year a topic of great religious and political importance, as 'to speak' and 'to hear' are essential conditions to build the civilization of love."
Would that it were only Umlazi (in KwaZulu-Natal) that was suffering the scourge of AIDS. This is a country-wide problem that many people in high places wish would just conveniently go away. I'm very pleased that the Pope has highlighted these issues so publically.
The reality is that most people living is so-called 'First World' countries cannot even begin to imagine the suffering and poverty that you find in Africa. However, what has always struck me is that, despite these daily hardships, people are always smiling, cheerful and ready to help others, even if they themselves have very little.
As a community of South Africa has pointed out, the capacities to speak and hear are essential for building a civilization of love, says Benedict XVI.
The Holy Father made these comments Thursday when reflecting on the guidelines proposed for this year's Week of Prayer of Christian Unity by Christians of various confessions from Umlazi, South Africa, a region scourged by poverty and AIDS.
The community of Umlazi chose as this year's theme a phrase from St. Mark's Gospel: "He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
In his homily at the ecumenical celebration of vespers in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, the Pope said about the South Africans: "The situations of racism, poverty, conflict, sickness and suffering in which they find themselves, and the very impossibility of being understood in their own needs, arouses in them the need to hear the word of God and to speak with courage."
The Pope asked: "To be a deaf-mute, to not be able to hear or to speak, is this not a sign of a lack of communion and a symptom of division?
"Division and noncommunication, consequences of sin, are contrary to God's plan."
Benedict XVI added: "Africa has given us this year a topic of great religious and political importance, as 'to speak' and 'to hear' are essential conditions to build the civilization of love."
Would that it were only Umlazi (in KwaZulu-Natal) that was suffering the scourge of AIDS. This is a country-wide problem that many people in high places wish would just conveniently go away. I'm very pleased that the Pope has highlighted these issues so publically.
The reality is that most people living is so-called 'First World' countries cannot even begin to imagine the suffering and poverty that you find in Africa. However, what has always struck me is that, despite these daily hardships, people are always smiling, cheerful and ready to help others, even if they themselves have very little.
"Real power is to be able to build up, to give life, to open hearts, to transform." Pope Benedict XVI
"Learning the true essence of things enables one to enter progressively into the heart of issues and opens one up to a passion for truth and joy at having found it." Pope Benedict XVI
"Truth can only be found, not created." Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger.
"Learning the true essence of things enables one to enter progressively into the heart of issues and opens one up to a passion for truth and joy at having found it." Pope Benedict XVI
"Truth can only be found, not created." Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger.
NEVER a WORD about life style choices. The way of life you and I have explained in our posts is never pointed out to be the ultimate source of the spread of this pandemic. If the real reason for the tragedy would be referred to, it might seem like criticism of the African traditions. And this could cost the ruling party votes in elections or be seen as disloyal to the forefathers. 
