Pope Benedict is urging those who seek to defend
Church doctrine to do it without attacking those who disagree, or
"giving into disrespect and angry rhetoric", reports the Catholic News
Service.
The pontiff cited the
actions of St. Peter Canisius, whom, even in the midst of the upheaval
of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, knew how to defend Catholic
doctrine without launching personal attacks
The saint, who was born in Holland, insisted there was a difference
between willfully turning away from the faith and "the loss of faith
that was not a person's fault under the circumstances, and he declared
to Rome that the majority of Germans who passed to Protestantism were
without fault," Pope Benedict said.
"In a historical period marked by strong confessional tensions, he
avoided - and this is something extraordinary - he avoided giving in to
disrespect and angry rhetoric. This was rare at that time of disputes
between Christians," the pope said.
He said St. Peter Canisius recognised that the Catholic Church needed
to be renewed and revitalised, and that such a process had to be built
on solid education in the faith and in understanding the Scriptures,
which is why his catechisms relied so heavily on the Bible.