The following are highlights from recent addresses of the Holy Father...
* The Supreme Pontiff reminded that "Charity is the 'greatest' gift, which gives value to all the others... In the end, when we find ourselves face to face with God, all other gifts will fail and all that will be left to last for eternity is love", and also reminded that "charity is the distinctive mark of Christians. It is the synthesis of all their lives, of what they believe and what they do."
* Pope Benedict noted that "Love is God's very essence, it is the meaning of creation and history, it is the light that gives goodness and beauty to the existence of each man and woman. At the same time love is, so to say, the 'style' of God and of believers, it is the behaviour of those who, responding to the love of God, order their lives as a gift of self to God and to neighbour"
* The Holy Father spoke on the saints & charity: "If we think of the saints, we recognise the variety of their spiritual gifts and their human characters. But the life of each one of them is a hymn to charity, a living canticle to the love of God"
* Pope Benedict recently confirmed his "forthcoming Apostolic Visit to Great Britain". He also spoke against dissent, telling the bishops of England and Wales that "In a social milieu that encourages the expression of a variety of opinions on every question that arises, it is important to recognize dissent for what it is, and not to mistake it for a mature contribution to a balanced and wide-ranging debate. It is the truth revealed through Scripture and Tradition and articulated by the Church’s Magisterium that sets us free."
* The Holy Father furthermore criticized Britain's proposed Equality Bill that would impose "unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs", saying that the legislation "[in] some respects...actually violates the natural law". He also noted that "Fidelity to the Gospel in no way restricts the freedom of others - on the contrary, it serves their freedom by offering them the truth." He instructed the bishops to "Continue to insist upon your right to participate in national debate through respectful dialogue with other elements in society. In doing so, you are not only maintaining long-standing British traditions of freedom of expression and honest exchange of opinion, but you are actually giving voice to the convictions of many people who lack the means to express them: when so many of the population claim to be Christian, how could anyone dispute the Gospel’s right to be heard?"
* Pope Benedict called for the bishops to be "generous" in implementing his recent provisions to make it easier for Anglicans to enter the Catholic Church, saying that the groups of converts "would be a blessing for the entire Church."
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