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Pope addresses Pakistan floods, notable teachings of St. Pius X |
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By Catholic News Service
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Wednesday, 25 August 2010 |
Pope Benedict XVI appealed again for solidarity and concrete assistance for the millions of people affected by flooding in Pakistan.
At the end of his weekly general audience Aug. 18 in Castel Gandolfo, the pope remembered “the dear population of Pakistan, recently stricken by serious flooding, which has caused numerous victims and has left many families without a home.” The flooding that began in late July has left an estimated 1,500 people dead and about 2 million people homeless.
In his main audience talk, Pope Benedict spoke about the life and teaching of St. Pius X, whose feast day is Aug. 21.
St. Pius, who was pope from 1903 to 1914, left “an indelible mark on the
history of the church” and made “a notable push for reform,” Pope
Benedict said.
He reorganized Vatican structures, began the revision of the Code of
Canon Law, ordered changes to the curriculum for future priests and
published a catechism for the Diocese of Rome, which later was used
throughout Italy and in many other parts of the world, Pope Benedict
said.
St. Pius also emphasized the importance of the Mass, teaching that a
truly Christian life must be founded on active participation in the
liturgy, the pope said.
“For this reason, he recommended frequent reception of the sacraments”
at a time when many people received Communion only a few times a year,
and he lowered the age for first Communion, Pope Benedict said.
“St. Pius X taught all of us that at the basis of our apostolic work in
the various fields we are involved in, there must always be an intimate
personal union with Christ,” he said.
Holy Father’s prayer intentions for September
The word of God as sign of social developmentGeneral:
That in less developed parts of the world the proclamation of the Word
of God may renew people’s hearts, encouraging them to work actively
toward authentic social progress.
The end of warMissionary: That by opening our hearts to love we may put an end to the numerous wars and conflicts which continue to bloody our world.
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