Benedict’s Last Papal Audience: What is the Church?

Last updated on: February 27, 2013 at 10:20 am by Pia de Solenni

Benedict’s Last Papal Audience: What is the Church? 2013-02-27T10:20:23-07:00 Pia de Solenni

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Standing Room Only

Pope Benedict gave his last Audience today. As you can see, Piazza San Pietro was packed. In his address, he gave a quick discussion about the nature of the Church when he described the response to his resignation.

At this point I would like to offer heartfelt thanks to all the many people throughout the whole world, who, in recent weeks have sent me moving tokens of concern, friendship and prayer. Yes, the Pope is never alone: now I experience this [truth] again in a way so great as to touch my very heart. The Pope belongs to everyone, and so many people feel very close to him. It’s true that I receive letters from the world’s greatest figures – from the Heads of State, religious leaders, representatives of the world of culture and so on. I also receive many letters from ordinary people who write to me simply from their heart and let me feel their affection, which is born of our being together in Christ Jesus, in the Church. These people do not write me as one might write, for example, to a prince or a great figure one does not know. They write as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, with the sense of very affectionate family ties. Here, one can touch what the Church is – not an organization, not an association for religious or humanitarian purposes, but a living body, a community of brothers and sisters in the Body of Jesus Christ, who unites us all. To experience the Church in this way and almost be able to touch with one’s hands the power of His truth and His love, is a source of joy, in a time in which many speak of its decline.

“They write as brothers and sisters.” Beautiful. What other world leader shares this feeling of kinship with the rest of us who are not dignitaries?

More importantly, the Church is “not an organization,” but “a living body, a community of brothers and sisters in the Body of Jesus Christ, who unites us all*.”*

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