POPE OPENS SYNOD WITH "GODLESS" WARNING
CathNews
October 06, 2008
Australia
Warning that nations once rich in faith were losing their identity
under the influence of "a certain modern culture", Pope Benedict
opened the Synod of Bishops on the Bible yesterday at a Mass at St
Paul Outside the Walls Basilica.
"There are those, who, after deciding that ‘God is dead,’ declare
themselves to be ‘god’ and the artisan of their own destiny, the
absolute master of the world," Pope Benedict said according to an
Irish Times report.
Attempts to "brush God aside" lead to arrogance of power, selfishness,
injustice, exploitation and violence, he said.
"When men proclaim themselves to be absolute masters of themselves
and sole masters of creation, can they truly build a society where
freedom, justice and peace reign?," he said.
For three weeks, more than 250 synod fathers will prayerfully reflect
and discuss "The Word of God in the life and mission of the Church,"
together with lay and religious auditors from around the world,
and with the help of many experts in the sacred sciences, Radio
Vaticana says.
Pope Benedict began his homily with a reflection on this Sunday’s
Gospel reading, in which the Lord recounts the parable of the landlord,
whose tenants mistreat his servants and kill his son.
The Pope said the Gospel reading applies to our own way of thinking
and acting; it applies especially to those peoples who have received
the proclamation of the Gospel.
If we look at history, continued Pope Benedict, we are forced to
recognise that it is not rare for inconsistent Christians to be cold
and rebellious.
The Holy Father went on to note how in our day, nations that at one
time were rich in faith and vocations are losing their identity, under
the harmful and destructive influence of a certain modern culture.
The Pope said there are those who, having decided that ‘God is dead’,
declare themselves ‘gods’, believing themselves the sole creators of
their own destiny and the absolute owners of the world.
In casting off God, said Pope Benedict, man believes that he can do
whatever he likes and set himself up as the sole measure of himself
and his action, and as daily events abundantly demonstrate, man’s
rejection of God brings the expansion of arbitrary power, unbridled
pursuit of selfish interest, injustice, ruthless exploitation, and
all manner of violence.
In the end, man finds himself more alone, and society is more divided
and confused.
Pope Benedict told the faithful there is a promise in the words of
Jesus: the vineyard will not be destroyed.
"The message of consolation that we take from these biblical texts,"
said Pope Benedict, "is the certainty that evil and death do not have
the last word. It is Christ who triumphs in the end. Always!
Pope Benedict spoke of the Gospel reading in connection with the Synod,
saying the Church does not tire of proclaiming this Good News, as is
taking place now, in this basilica dedicated to the apostle of the
Gentiles, who was the first to spread the Gospel in the vast regions
of Asia Minor and Europe.
Earlier, Synod secretary general Archbishop Nikola Eterovic,
highlighted the large number of participants from other Christian
Churches, Catholic News Agency says.
Representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate will be present
alongside others from the Patriarchates of Moscow, of Serbia and
of Romania, from the Orthodox Church of Greece and the Armenian
Apostolic Church, as well as from the Anglican Communion, the World
Lutheran Federation, the Church of the Disciples of Christ and the
World Council of Churches, he explained.
Pope Benedict has also invited three special guests to address the
synod, who will each present a unique perspective to the bishops.
The first guest is Chief Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen of Haifa, Israel,
who will speak to the assembly on October 6 about how the Jewish people
read and interpret Sacred Scripture. "This will be the first time
that a rabbi and a non-Christian has addressed the Synod Fathers,"
Archbishop Eterovic noted. The other special guests are Reverend
A. Miller Milloy, secretary general of the United Bible Societies,
and Frere Alois, prior of the Taize Community.
One last notable ecumenical facet of the synod on the Bible will be
addresses delivered by Pope Benedict XVI and the Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew I on October 18.
Meanwhile, The Times of India reports that China has denied permission
for Catholic bishops to travel to Rome for the Synod.
Chief Vatican spokesman Reverend Federico Lombardi said Beijing,
which has had difficult relations with the Vatican over the years,
had made it clear in preliminary contacts that travel requests would
be denied. Bishops from Macao and Hong Kong, regions with a degree
of autonomy from Beijing, will attend the month long synod, which
started on Sunday.
"(There were) talks with the Chinese authorities to see if other
bishops from mainland China could come. It was clear that there
would be no agreement and they won’t come," Lombardi said. China’s
communist government does not allow its Catholics to recognise the
Pope’s authority and forces them to be members of a state backed
Catholic organisation.