As he prepares to leave for his first visit as pontiff to the United States and to the United Nations, Pope Benedict has sent a message to American Catholics emphasising the need to work for peace, justice and freedom "in obedience to God's law". Catholic News Service reports that the pope expressed regret at being able to visit only Washington DC and New York during his April 15-20 April.
Avoiding any mention of the US election year, the pope stressed that "the intention behind my visit... is to reach out spiritually to all Catholics in the United States".
"At the same time, I earnestly hope that my presence among you will be seen as a fraternal gesture toward every ecclesial community and a sign of friendship for members of other religious traditions and all men and women of good will," the pope said.
Requesting prayers for his journey, the pope announced that the theme chosen for his journey is "Christ Our Hope."
"The world has greater need of hope than ever: hope for peace, for justice and for freedom," the pope said, "but this hope can never be fulfilled without obedience to the law of God, which Christ brought to fulfillment in the commandment to love one another.
"Do to others as you would have them do to you, and avoid doing what you would not want them to do.
"This 'golden rule' is given in the Bible, but it is valid for all people, including nonbelievers.
"It is the law written on the human heart; on this we can all agree, so that when we come to address other matters we can do so in a positive and constructive manner for the entire human community," the pope concluded. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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