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Skriven 2006-02-15 22:22:38 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service - Press Release
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                The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                          Vatican Information Service.
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               VIS-Press releases

CHRIST IS THE HAND OF GOD REACHING OUT TO HUMANITY

VATICAN CITY, FEB 12, 2006 (VIS) - The World Day of the Sick, celebrated on
February 11, Feast of Our lady of Lourdes, provided the main theme for Benedict
XVI's remarks before praying the Angelus this morning with thousands of
pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.

"Sickness," said the Pope, "is such a typical characteristic of the human
condition that it can even become a realistic metaphor thereof. St. Augustine
expresses this well in one of his prayers: 'Have mercy on me, Lord! See, I do
not hide my wounds from You. You are my doctor, I am the sick man.' ... Christ
is the true 'doctor' of humanity, Whom the heavenly Father sent into the world
to cure mankind, marked in body and spirit by sin and the consequences of sin."

The Holy Father then made reference to the Gospel of St. Mark, which is being
read over these Sundays "and presents us with Jesus Who, at the beginning of
His public ministry, dedicates Himself entirely to preaching and to curing the
sick in the villages of Galilee. The innumerable prodigies He performs on the
sick confirm the 'Good News' of the Kingdom of God."

Today's specific Gospel text recounts the healing of a leper "and very
effectively expresses the intensity of the relationship between God and man,"
the Pope said. "Here we see the entire history of salvation in concentrated
form," he added.

"That gesture of Jesus, Who stretches out His hand and touches the scarred body
of the person who calls on Him, perfectly expresses God's will to restore His
fallen creature to health, giving him back 'abundant life' - eternal, full and
joyful life. Christ is 'the hand' of God reaching out to humanity, that it may
escape from the quicksands of sickness and death, and stand on its own feet on
the solid rock of divine love."

The Pope concluded his remarks by entrusting "to Mary, 'Salus infirmorum,' all
sick people, especially those who, all over the world, in addition to poor
health, also suffer from solitude, poverty and marginalization."

Following the Angelus, Benedict XVI recalled that the 20th Winter Olympic Games
are currently being held in the Italian city of Turin. "I hope this magnificent
sporting competition may take place in accordance with the Olympic values of
loyalty, joy and fraternity," he said, "thus contributing to peace among
peoples."

Finally, the Pope referred to the 75th anniversary of the inauguration of
Vatican Radio, which falls today February 12, and to "the first radio message
to the world, delivered by Pope Pius XI who commissioned the scientist
Guglielmo Marconi to build the Vatican radio station. By means of radio, and
later of television, it has been possible to bring the Gospel message and the
words of the Popes to all peoples more quickly and easily."
ANG/SICK:OLYMPIC GAMES:VATICAN RADIO/... VIS 060213 (490)

SUMMARY

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