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Beneath a nearly cloudless blue Roman sky, the Holy Father made his
Sunday address to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the
weekly recitation of the Angelus. The event was made more
colourful by the presence of the Rome and Viterbo chapters of the
Harley Davidson Owners Group (H.O.G.) gathered for the Papal
blessing. Their polished custom cycles filled half of P.za Pio
XII, directly in front of St. Peter’s Square.
His Holiness Benedict XVI, throughout the address, maintained the
theme of the Body and Blood of Christ, which, he noted, had been
celebrated this past Thursday.
The feast of Corpus Domini, that is, of the Body and Blood of the
Lord, “invites us to contemplate the greatest mystery of our
faith.”
The Pope noted with joy that there has been in increase in
Eucharistic adoration among the youth: “I am happy to confirm
that many young people are discovering the beauty of eucharistic
adoration,” he said.
“Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, outside the Mass,
prolongs and intensifies one’s participation in the
Eucharist,” the Pope affirmed.
This adoration, and the peace it creates within us, is sorely needed
in today’s world: “In today’s often noisy life, it is
important to recuperate the capacity of interior silence and
recollection,” Benedict XVI stated.
The Pope concluded his address with an invocation to the Virgin
Mary: “May Mary teach us the true gift of adoration, she who drew
close to Christ and lived in perpetual contemplation of Him.”
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father addressed
particular groups of pilgrims in their own languages. His first
thoughts were for the recent victims of kidnapping in Colombia. He
prayed that the perpetrators “might realize the seriousness of
their actions, and release those whom they keep as prisoners, as soon
as possible.” This prayer was greeted with strong applause
from the audience.
The Pope then greeted members of the community of St. Egidio
(representatives of which community President Bush had met with
yesterday, in Rome). He briefly addressed, in Spanish, professors
and students from Andorra, praying for them that their “heart may
be each time more purified to receive Christ in the Sacrament of the
Altar”.
The Pope concluded with greetings to the Polish and German pilgrims
present in St. Peter’s Square in their native tongue.
Technorati Tags: Eucharistic, Adoration
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