Some 100,000 faithful gathered under a warm German sun to celebrate the Holy Mass Sunday with Pope Benedict XVI.
An unusual venue for the Holy Mass Benedict XVI presided over on Sunday morning in predominantly Catholic Freiburg, a local airport strip not far from the city .
And not far from the venue of the previous evening's Prayer Vigil with young enthusiastic Germans to whom, when evening faded into darkness and torches had been lit, amid an ocean of flickering lights the Pope had said: ”You are the light of the world”, “Allow Christ to burn in you, whatever the cost. Do not be afraid he insisted”.
And many of these same young Germans were present at the morning mass as well. With their youthful enthusiasm they infected the other 100.000 faithful present there with their shouting:”Benedetto, Benedetto..”
Those who had come from other dioceses across Germany and those who had travelled here from neighbouring France and Switzerland.
It must have been a bit of a wistful occasion for German Catholics as it was the final day of the Pope's first State Visit to them his fellow country men..
And all 27 Bishops of the German Bishop’s Conference were present to concelebrate with him the Successor of Peter, together with their President and Archbishop of Freiburg, Robert Zollitsch.
And when it was time for this German Pontiff to deliver his homily he expressed his gratitude for this nation’s generous outreach to other more needy Churches, across the world with its many social and charitable institutions and for the love of neighbour practiced, in ways that bring social benefits to the ends of the earth.
But the Pope specified : “The Church in Germany will continue to be a blessing for the entire Catholic world if she remains faithfully united with the Successors of Saint Peter and the Apostles, if she fosters cooperation in various ways with mission countries and allows herself to be “infected” by the joy that marks the faith of these young Churches.”
There was prayer, and there was music here in this South Western tip of Germany as Benedict XVI spelled out to his people how while certainly social service requires objective and professional expertise in the spirit of Jesus, it also needs an open heart and a concerted and humble effort, a service of love .