Pope's answers to questions in a recent television program publish the answers you gave Benedict XVI to seven questions posed by people from different countries on different arguments to the program of the Italian public television RAI "In his image "issued at 14:10 in Rome to mark Good Friday.
- Holy Father, I thank you for your presence fills us with joy and helps us remember that today is the day when Jesus shows his love in the most radical, dying on the cross as the innocent. Precisely on the issue of innocent suffering is the first question that comes from a seven-year old Japanese girl, who says: "My name is Elena, I'm Japanese and I have seven years. I have a lot of fear because the house in which I have felt safe trembled much, and because many kids my age are dead. I can not go to the park. I want to ask: why do I have to spend so much fear? why children have to suffer so much sadness? I ask the Pope, who speaks with God, explain it to me. "
- Benedict XVI: Dear Elena, I salute you with all my heart. I also ask myself why is that?" Why are you to suffer so much, while others live comfortably? And we have no answer, but we know that Jesus suffered like you, innocent, true God shown in Jesus, is at your side. This seems very important, although we have no answers, but sadness remains: God is with you, and you must be sure that this will help. And one day we will understand why this has happened. At this point I think is important to know that "God loves me", even if they do not know me. No, love me, beside me, and you must be sure that in the world, the universe, there are many people who are at your side, they think of you, who do everything they can for you, to help . And be aware that one day I will understand that this suffering was not an empty thing, it was not useless, but behind the suffering is a good project, a project of love. Not a chance. Feel secure. We are at your side, next to all Japanese children who suffer, we help you with prayer, with our actions, and you must be sure that God will help. And so we pray together I come to light soon.
- The second question put before us an ordeal, because this is a mother who is near the cross of a child. It is Italian Maria Teresa called and asked: "Holiness, the soul of my son, Francesco, in a vegetative state from the date of Easter 2009, has left his body, since it is totally unconscious, or is still in it ?
- Benedict XVI: Certainly the soul is still present in the body. The situation is something like a guitar string is broken and can not be touched. So also the instrument of the body is fragile vulnerable, and the soul can not "touch", to put it in some way, but still present. I am also sure that hidden soul feel your love deep, although he does not understand the details, words, etc., But feels the presence of love. And so your presence, dear parents, dear mother, with him, hours and hours every day, is a true act of love so valuable, because this presence comes in the depths of the soul hidden and your event is a testimony of faith in God, faith in man, faith, say the commitment to life, respect for human life, even in the most tragic situations. Therefore I encourage you to persevere, knowing that you do a great service humanity with this sign of confidence, with this sign of respect for life, this love of a tortured body, a suffering soul.
- The third question takes us to Iraq, among young people of Baghdad, persecuted Christians who send you this question: "We welcome the Holy Father from Iraq - say -. We Christians of Baghdad, are pursued as Jesus. Holy Father, how can we help members of our Christian community to rethink the desire to emigrate to other countries, convincing them to leave is not the only solution?
- Benedict XVI: I would first like place wholeheartedly welcome all Christians Iraq, our brothers, and I have to say I pray every day for Christians in Iraq. They are our brothers who are suffering, as well as in other lands of the world, and for this reason I feel especially close to my heart and, as far as we can, we must do everything possible so they can resist the temptation to emigrate, which - under the conditions in which they live - is quite understandable. I would say that it is important that we are close to you, dear brothers in Iraq, we want to help you and when you come, to receive really like brothers. Naturally, institutions, all who have a chance to do something for Iraq, they should. The Holy See is in permanent contact with the different communities, not just the Catholic communities, but also with other Christian communities, with our Muslim brothers, whether Shiite or Sunni. And we want to work for reconciliation, understanding, also with government help in this difficult journey to mend a torn society. Because this is the problem, society is deeply divided, torn, they have no conviction: "We are in diversity, a people with a common history, in which each one has its place." And they have to rebuild this consciousness that, in diversity, have a common history, a common determination. And we want, in dialogue precisely the different groups, help the reconstruction process and to encourage you, dear Christian brothers in Iraq, to \u200b\u200bhave confidence, to be patient, to trust in God, to assist in this difficult process. Be assured of our prayer.
- The next question is from a Muslim woman from Ivory Coast, a country at war for years. This lady is called bint and sends a greeting in Arabic can be translated this way: "God is in the midst of all the words we say and may God be with you." Is a phrase used to begin a dialogue. And then continued in French: "Dear Holy Father, here Ivory Coast, have always lived in harmony between Christians and Muslims. Often families are formed by members of both religions, there is also a diversity of ethnicities, but we have never had any problems. Now everything has changed: the crisis we caused by politics, is sowing division. How many innocents have been killed! Many refugees, many mothers and many children traumatized! The messengers have called for peace, prophets have called for peace. Jesus is a man of peace. You, as ambassador of Jesus, what advise our country? "
- Benedict XVI: I want to answer the greeting: God is also with you, and you always help. And I have to say that I have received letters harrowing Ivory Coast, where I see all the sadness, the depth of suffering, and it saddens me because we can do so little. We can always do something, pray with you, and to the extent possible, give charity, and above all we want to work, according to our possibilities, political contacts, human. I ordered the cardinal Tuckson, who is chairman of our board of Justice and Peace, which goes to Ivory Coast and try to mediate, talking with various groups, with different people, to facilitate a new beginning. And above all we want to hear the voice of Jesus, which you also believed as a prophet. He was always a man of peace. One might think that when God came to earth, I would like a man of great strength, which would destroy the opposing powers, which would be a man of strong violence as an instrument of peace. None of this, weak wine, came only with the power of love, without any violence to go to the cross. And this shows us the true face of God, and that violence never comes from God, never helps produce good things, but it is a means and not destructive way out of difficulties. It is a strong voice against all forms of violence. I call urgently on all parties to renounce violence, to seek paths of peace. To recompose your people can not use violent means, but think you are right. The only way is the renunciation of violence, re-engage in dialogue, try to find peace together, a new care of each other, the new willingness to open up to each other. And this, dear lady, is the true message of Jesus, seek peace with the means of peace and abandon violence. We pray for you so that all components of your society feel this voice of Jesus and return peace and communion.
- Holy Father, the next question is on the theme of death and resurrection of Jesus and comes from Italy. I will read: "Holiness: What did Jesus in the time that separated the death of the resurrection? And, as in the Creed is said that after the death of Jesus descended into hell:" We think that is something we will also us after death, before ascending to heaven?
- Benedict XVI: First, the decline of the soul of Jesus must not be imagined as a geographic journey, local, from one continent to another. It is a soul's journey. We must keep in mind that the soul of Jesus is always in contact with the Father, but at the same time, the human soul embraces the far corners of the human being. In this sense down to the depths, to the lost, to all those who have not reached the goal of their lives, and thus transcends the continents of the past. This decrease of the Lord into hell means, above all, that Jesus also fulfills the past, the effectiveness of redemption does not start in the year zero or the thirtieth year, but comes back in time, encompasses the past, all People of all ages. They say the Fathers of the Church, with a very beautiful image, Jesus takes the hand of Adam and Eve, that is, humanity, and routes below, upward. And that creates access to God, because man, by itself, can not rise up to God. Jesus himself, being a man, taking man's hand, open access. What access? The reality we call heaven. Thus, this descent into hell, that is, to the depths of human beings to the depths of humanity's past is an essential part of the mission of Jesus, his mission as Redeemer and does not apply to us. Our life is different, the Lord has redeemed us and we presented to the judge, after death, under the gaze of Jesus, and this part will look at purifying: I think all of us in greater or lesser extent, need to be purified . The gaze of Jesus purifies us and also makes us able to live with God, to live with the saints, especially to live in communion with our loved ones who have preceded us.
- also the next question is on the theme of resurrection and comes from Italy: "Holiness, when women come to the tomb on Sunday after the death of Jesus, do not recognize the Master, confuse it with other . The same thing happens to the apostles, Jesus has to teach the wounds from bread to recognize it just by his actions. Theirs is a real body of flesh and blood, but also a glorious body. The fact that the resurrected body does not have the same features as before, what does? "And what that means, exactly," glorious body? And in our resurrection, ¿nos sucederá lo mismo?".
--Benedicto XVI: Naturalmente, no podemos definir el cuerpo glorioso porque está más allá de nuestra experiencia. Sólo podemos interpretar algunos de los signos que Jesús nos dio para entender, al menos un poco, hacia donde apunta esta realidad. El primer signo: el sepulcro está vacío. Es decir, Jesús no abandonó su cuerpo a la corrupción, nos ha enseñado que también la materia está destinada a la eternidad, que resucitó realmente, que no ha quedado perdido. Jesús asumió también la materia, de manera que la materia está también destinada a la eternidad. Pero asumió esta materia en una nueva forma de life, this is the second point: Jesus and does not die again, that is, beyond the laws of biology, physics, because those subjected to them die. Therefore there is a new condition, diverse, we do not know, but what happened is revealed in Jesus, and that is the great promise for us all that there is a new world, a new life, towards which we are headed. And, having now been in that condition, for Jesus is possible for others to touch, can shake hands with friends and eat with them, but yet is beyond the terms of the biological life as we live . And we know that on the one hand, is a real man, not a ghost live a real life, but it's a new life that is no longer subject to death and that is our great promise. It is important to understand this, at least as far as possible, with the example of the Eucharist: the Eucharist, the Lord gives us his glorious body, does not give us meat to eat in a biological sense, it gives us the same, the new He is, comes into our being men and women, in ours, in my being a person, as a person and comes to us with his being, so we can let ourselves be penetrated by his presence, transform us into his presence. Is an important point, because that we are in contact with this new life, this new kind of life, since He came into me and I came from me and I extend into a new dimension of life. I think this aspect of the promise, the reality that he comes to me and makes me out of myself, I raised, is the most important issue: it is not to figure things we can not understand but to move toward the new beginning, always, again, in the Eucharist.
- Holy Father, the last question is about Mary. At the foot of the cross, there is a touching dialogue between Jesus, his mother and John, where Jesus says to Mary: "Behold your son" and John: "Behold your mother." In his latest book, "Jesus of Nazareth", defines it as "a final disposition of Jesus. "How should we understand these words? What meaning had at that time and that have meaning today? And since we are talking about trust. Will renew a commitment to the Virgin at the beginning of this new millennium?
- Benedict XVI: Jesus' words are primarily a very human act. We see Jesus as a real man holding a sign of true man, an act of love for his mother confided to the young John to it is quiet. At that time a single woman in the East was in an impossible situation. Trust your mother to this young man he trusts her mother. Jesus really works as a man with a profoundly human. I find it very beautiful, very important that before any theology see here the true humanity, the true humanity of Jesus. But of course this act has several dimensions, not only concern at that time: it concerns the whole story. In John, Jesus entrusts to us all, the whole Church, to all future disciples to his mother and his mother to us. And this has been met throughout the history of mankind and Christians have increasingly understood that the mother of Jesus is his mother. And more and more people have confided to her mother, just think of the great shrines, this devotion to Mary, where more people feel: "This is the mother." And even some who have difficulty getting about Jesus in his greatness of the Son of God, entrusted to her mother without difficulty. Some say, "But that has biblical foundation." Here I would like to respond to San Gregorio Magno: "To the extent that read," he says - growing the words of Scripture. " That is, in reality develop, grow, and increasingly in the history of this word is spreading. We can all be thankful that the Mother is a reality, we all have a mother. And very confident we can turn this mother, that for each Christian is his mother. On the other hand the mother is also an expression of the Church. We can not be Christians alone, with a Christianity built according to my ideas. The mother is the image of the Church, the Mother Church and entrusting to Mary, we must also commend the Church to experience the Church be the Church with Mary. Toco
now the subject of consecration: the popes - Pius XII, Paul VI and John Paul II - did a great act of consecration to the Virgin Mary, and I think that as a gesture to humanity, to Mary herself, was very important. I think that now it is important to internalize the act, let us enter, to do it ourselves. So I visited some of the world's major Marian shrines: Lourdes, Fatima, Czestochowa, Altötting ... always In order to make concrete, to internalize the act of consecration, to be truly an act of ours. I think the big event, the public has already been done. Maybe someday there will be repeated, but for now it seems more important to live it, do it, enter this dedication to make it truly ours. For example, in Fatima, I realized how thousands of people present were aware of this consecration is mandated, incarnate in themselves, for themselves. Thus the dedication is realized in the living Church and the Church is likewise growing. Shipping to Mary, let us all enter and train for that presence, entering into communion with Mary, Church makes us, makes us, along with Mary, wife of Christ really. So, for now, I have no intention of a new public dedication, but I would like to invite everyone to join this consecration is done, to really live it every day and really grow a church and a mother Marian , wife and daughter of Jesus. Simple mode
