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Pope Pushes Orthodoxy On Final Day of World Youth Day

COLOGNE, August 22, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - During his homily for the closing Mass of World Youth Day, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged the youth to pursue a pure and full faith, which does not pick and choose among doctrines.  He continued on that theme in remarks to the German Bishops before returning to Rome.

"If it is pushed too far, religion becomes almost a consumer product," said the Pope to over a million pilgrims in attendance at the three-hour Mass culminating World Youth Day.   People choose what they like . . .  But religion constructed on a 'do-it-yourself' basis cannot ultimately help us. It may be comfortable, but at times of crisis we are left to ourselves. Help people to discover the true star which points out the way to us: Jesus Christ!," he said.  (see the full homily here:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2005/documents/hf_ben-xv... )

After a farewell to the youth, the Pope made his way to a meeting with the German bishops during which he encouraged them to capitalize on the rejuvenation of faith that comes with World Youth Day.  "We need, then, to cherish this gift which God has given to the Church in Germany, to accept the challenge that it presents and to make good use of the potential it provides," he said.

The Pope did not content himself with glossing over negatives in the Church, in fact, he said they must be examined.  "We know that on the face of this Church there are unfortunately also wrinkles, shadows that obscure her splendour.  These too we should keep before us, in a spirit of unfailing love," he said. 

Returning to the theme of orthodoxy, the Pope warned the bishops that "Many people abandon the Church or, if they remain, they accept only a part of Catholic teaching."  He counselled that "Young people, in fact, are not looking for a Church which panders to youth but one which is truly young in spirit; a Church completely open to Christ, the new Man."

He urged the Bishops to "confront the most difficult issues facing the Church in Germany," noting that young people "are asking us to be consistent, united and courageous."  And while he encouraged bishops to reach out to the youth, he warned "Yet there can be no false compromise, no watering down of the Gospel."

Throughout the 60s and to the modern day, when faced with demands of the popular culture, many in church leadership felt that watering down church teaching to make it palatable especially for the youth was the key to success.  However the empty churches and seminaries, particularly in areas where watering down of church teaching was rampant has shown the recourse to compromise with the world to be an abysmal failure, especially when juxtaposed with the over-crowded seminaries in those locales where orthodoxy reigns. 

The Pope said to the bishops, "I am confident that you will take care to ensure that the persons chosen to be teachers of religion and catechists are well-prepared and faithful to the Church's Magisterium."  (see the Pope's full address to the bishops:  http://www.wjt2005.de/index.php?id=1893&backPID=6&tt_news=1242 )

At the airport, the Pope bid farewell to his beloved homeland.  "Indeed one can say that during these days Germany has been the centre of the Catholic world," he said. "I hope that this event will remain impressed on the life of Germany's Catholics and will be an incentive for a renewed spiritual and apostolic outreach!"

"Filled with the emotions and memories of these days, I now return to Rome."

See the farewell address at the airport:
http://www.wjt2005.de/index.php?id=1893&backPID=6&tt_news=1243

jhw

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