Pope Benedict XVI

“You are my son, this day I have begotten you” – with this passage from Psalm 2, the Church begins the Liturgy of this holy night. She knows that this passage originally formed part of the coronation rite of the kings of Israel. The king, who in himself is a …

Just as the Apostles, together with Mary, “went up to the upper room” and there, “with one accord devoted themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:13-14), so too we are gathered here today at the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, which at this moment is our “upper room” where Mary, Mother …

Today I would like to talk about St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio. […] St. Bonaventure, in all likelihood born in 1217, died in 1274. Thus he lived in the 13th century, an epoch in which the Christian faith which had deeply penetrated the culture and society of Europe inspired imperishable works …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Every year the important Feast of Mary Immaculate invites us to meet here, in one of Rome’s most beautiful squares, to pay homage to her, the Mother of Christ and our Mother. […] Mary is portrayed, atop the pillar around which we have gathered, by a …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, after celebrating the Solemnity of All Saints, today the Church invites us to commemorate all the faithful departed, to turn our eyes to the many faces who have gone before us and who have ended their earthly journey. So at today’s Audience, I would like to …

Today I would like to complete, with a third instalment, my Catecheses on St. Thomas Aquinas. Even more than 700 years after his death we can learn much from him. My Predecessor, Pope Paul VI, said […]: “all of us who are faithful sons and daughters of the Church can …

“Stand firm in your faith!” We have just heard the words of Jesus: “If you love Me, you will keep my Commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counsellor, to be with you for ever, the Spirit of truth” (Jn 14:15-17a). With these words …

“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church” (Mt 16: 18). What exactly was the Lord saying to Peter with these words? With them, what promise did He make and what task did He entrust to him? And what is He saying to us – to …

What is an Angel? Sacred Scripture and the Church’s tradition enable us to discern two aspects. On the one hand, the Angel is a creature who stands before God, oriented to God with his whole being. All three names of the Archangels [Michael, Gabriel and Raphael] end with the word …

Dear Brothers and Sisters, today I would like to meditate with you on a Psalm that sums up the entire history of salvation recorded in the Old Testament. It is a great hymn of praise that celebrates the Lord in the multiple, repeated expressions of His goodness throughout human history: …