"World Youth Day: An interview with Pope Benedict XVI"

(Journalist’s Question): Australia is a very secular land, with low religious practice and much religious indifference. I'd like to ask whether you are optimistic about the future of the Church in Australia, or are worried and alarmed that the Australian Church may follow the European path to decline? What message would you offer Australia to overcome its religious indifference?

Benedict XVI: I will do my best in English, but I beg your pardon for
my insufficiencies in English.

I think Australia in its present historical configuration is a part of the "Western world," economically and politically, and so it is clear that Australia shares also the successes and the problems of the Western world.

The Western world has had in the last 50 years great successes -- economic successes, technical successes; yet religion -- Christian faith -- is in a certain sense in crisis. This is clear because there is the impression that we do not need God, we can do all on our own, that we do not need God to be happy, we do not need God to create a better world, that God is not necessary, we can do all by ourselves.

On the other hand we see that religion is always present in the world and will always be present because God is present in the heart of the human being and can never disappear. We see how religion is really a force in this world and in countries. I would not simply speak about a decline of religion in Europe: Certainly there is a crisis in Europe, not so much in America but nevertheless there too, and in Australia.

But on the other hand, there's always a presence of the faith in new forms, and in new ways; in the minority, perhaps, but always present for all the society to see. And now in this historical moment, we begin to see that we do need God. We can do so many things, but we cannot
create our climate.

We thought we could do it, but we cannot do it. We need the gift of the Earth, the gift of water, we need the Creator; the Creator re-appears in his creation. And so we also come to understand that we cannot be really happy, cannot be really promoting justice for all the world, without a criterion at work in our own ideas, without a God who is just, and gives us the light, and gives us life. So, I think there will be in a certain sense in this "Western world" a crisis of our faith, but we will always also have a revival of the faith, because Christian faith is simply true, and the truth will always be present in the human world, and God will always be truth. In this sense, I am in the end optimistic.

Ecumenical Event

Dear Friends in Christ,

The year of St. Paul has begun and I wanted to share with you my experience at St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church on June 29. Event was a service of Evening Prayer and Bishop Brown and Metropolitan Jerasimos from San Francisco presided. This was an important ecumenical event because it brought together clergy and people from both Catholic and Orthodox churches for prayer and mutual understanding.

During the service we prayed using the Psalms and Biblical readings. Some parts were chanted in the Orthodox style; other parts in a more Catholic style. Bishop Brown spoke about his own experience of ecumenical outreach, and Metropolitan Jerasimos spoke about the life of St. Paul as something for us to study and imitate.

At the end of the service the two bishops exchanged gifts. Bishop Brown presented the Metropolitan with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Metropolitan Jerasimos gave Bishop Brown an icon of Our Lady. It was clear that both were moved by a real spirit of friendship and dialogue.

We must admit that there has been significant progress in relations between the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, and we can hope for more during this year dedicated to the Apostle Paul. Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has already met with leaders of the Orthodox Church. He met with the Patriarch of Constantinople on June 29. Here is part of his talk on that occasion:

May the Pauline Year, which will begin solemnly this evening, help Christian people renew the ecumenical commitment, and may there be an intensification of joint efforts on the journey to the full communion of all Christ's disciples. And as part of that journey, your presence here today is certainly an encouraging sign. For this I express again to all of you my joy, while together we raise our grateful prayer to the Lord.

Let us all pray for Church unity.

God bless you all.

Fr. Hildebrand

Prayers

Dear Friends in Christ,

Here are two prayers to St. Paul that you may wish to say during this Year of St. Paul.

Prayer to Saint Paul the Apostle

O Glorious Saint Paul, after persecuting the Church you became by God's grace its most zealous Apostle. To carry the knowledge of Jesus, our divine Savior, to the uttermost parts of the earth
you joyfully endured prison, scourgings, stonings, and shipwreck, as well as all manner of persecutions culminating in the shedding of the last drop of your blood for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Obtain for us the grace to labor strenuously to bring the faith to others and to accept any trials and tribulations that may come our way.

Help us to be inspired by your Epistles and to partake of your indomitable love for Jesus, so that after we have finished our course we may join you in praising him in heaven for all eternity. Amen.

Prayer to Saint Paul the Apostle

Great convert and Apostle of the Gentiles, you became Christlike and knew only Christ Crucified. Though extremely learned, you relied completely on the Wisdom received from the Spirit and taught from the abundance of your heart. Instruct modern evangelists, those who preach Christ to others. Let them realize that their actions speak louder than any words they may use.

Teach them to use their talents in conveying their God-given message but to rely above all on the promptings of the Spirit. Amen.

God bless you all,

Fr. Hildebrand