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Vatican City, 11th March 2007 (CNA) -
Thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square on a sunny Spring-like
day to hear the words of Pope Benedict XVI at his weekly Angelus address.
The Holy Father examined the mortality of all men and reminded those present
that true conversion is the only path to conquering evil and death.
The Holy Father focused on Jesus' comments
about two current events of his time, one involving the unjust death of a
few Galileans at the hands of Pontius Pilate, the other a disaster in which
several people in Siloam were crushed under a falling building.
Jesus asked those around him, "Do you think
those Galileans were the worst sinners in all of Galilee…or that those 18
people were the most blameworthy of all the inhabitants of Jerusalem? (Lk
13:2,4)" Jesus’ answer to both questions, the Pope pointed out, is the
same: "No, I say to you, if you do not convert you will perish in the same
way. (Lk 13: 3,5)"
"This, then, is the point that Jesus wants to
make to his listeners: the necessity of conversion,” the Pope said.
"True wisdom is understanding the
precariousness of life and assuming an attitude of responsibility." That
is, he clarified, "doing penance and improving our lives."
Cautioning all those listening to his words,
the Pope added that all must undertake such penance and conversion,
"otherwise, we will perish, we will all perish in the same way."
According to Pope Benedict, this conversion
takes place not only on the personal level, but applies to all society as
well. "In effect, people and societies that live without ever questioning
themselves about these things have the same final destiny: total ruin."
"Conversion, then, though it will not preserve
us from problems, will allow us to confront them in a different way," he
added. Concretely, this means that conversion "allows us to conquer evil
with good, if not always in a material sense, then certainly on the
spiritual level."
Before closing with a Marian prayer, the Pope
synthesized his address, reemphasizing for all present that "conversion
conquers evil at its root, which is sin, even if it does not always avoid
its consequences."
In his closing prayer, the Pope asked Mary to
"accompany us and sustain us on our Lenten journey so that all Christians
may rediscover the greatness and the beauty of conversion."
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