Vatican Radio REPORT Bavaria
was transported to the centre of Lazio yesterday evening as over 1,000 pilgrims
from the German “Land” descended on the Papal Summer Residence in Castel
Gandolfo, to bring a little bit of home to Pope Benedict XVI. They came from Bavaria’s valleys and its mountain passes from its hamlets and industrious cities led by their Archbishop Cardinal Reinhard Marx, to visit a fellow Bavarian who is a long way from home.
On Friday evening Bavaria’s iconic horn blowers, famed Alpine choirs, dancers, artists and poets staged a special Bavarian Hour in honour of Pope Benedict XVI’s 85th birthday April last. The Pope in accepting this very personal gift had asked it take place in the Summer – at another of his favourite places, Castel Gandolfo.
In thanking the men and women and their children who had trooped into the Lazio hill town in their colourful “lederhosen” and summer dresses, Pope Benedict told them their folksong and the sound of the Bavarian language had taken him back to his homeland again.
The Bavarian culture he said is neither “rude” nor “rowdy”, but imbued with a innate joy born of the Bavarian people’s inner yes to God and his creation.
Some might question our happiness – he continued –while the world is so full of suffering. But the Pope added - saying 'no' to joy benefits no-one, it only makes the world darker. Those who do not love cannot give love to their fellow man, can not help them, can not be a messenger of peace.
Pope Benedict asked the people of his homeland to try to bring this joy to others, to reject evil and to be servants of peace and reconciliation.
On a more personal note the Holy Father also revealed that he was an honorary “Schütze” or rifleman – though he also confessed to having been a “pretty mediocre” one.
Then with a special thanks to Cardinal Wetter Pope Benedicts’ first successor to the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, he reluctantly took his leave of the assembly joining in the traditional farewell folksong from the land of his youth.
Below a Vatican Radio Translation of Pope Benedict XVI’s words to pilgrims from Bavaria:
Cardinals,
dear brothers,
dear friends!
At the end of this "Bavarian hour" I can only say "May God reward you" (Vergelt Gott's) from my heart. It has been nice to be here at the center of Lazio, in Castel Gandolfo, and at the same time in Bavaria. I have just been "Dahoam" (at home), and I have to congratulate Cardinal Marx, for being able to pronounce that word so well!
We have been able to perceive that the Bavarian culture is a cheerful one: it is not a rude demonstration, it is not ''Raudi” [Bayrisch for rowdy – ed], but cheerful, imbued with joy, born from an inner acceptance of the world, from an inner yes to life that is a yes to joy. It is based on the fact that we are in harmony with the Creation, in harmony with the Creator himself and this is why we know it is good to be Man. It is true, we have to admit that God has made this easy for us in Bavaria: he has given us a world, a land so beautiful, that it is easy to recognize that God is good and be happy. At the same time, however, He has also enabled the men who live in this land – through their "yes" - to give it its full beauty, through the culture of the people, through their faith, their joy , songs, music and art it has become as beautiful as the Creator wanted, but could not have realized alone, only with the help of men. Now, some might say, is it right to be so happy, while the world is so full of suffering, when there is so much darkness and so much pain? Is it legitimate to be so defiantly joyful? The answer can only be a yes! Because saying 'no' to this joy benefits no-one, it only makes the world darker. And those who do not love themselves cannot give to love their fellow man, can not help them, can not be a messenger of peace. We know this from our faith, and we see it every day: the world is beautiful and God is good and He became man and entered into us, suffers and lives with us, we know this definitely and concretely : yes, God is good and it is good to be Man. We live in this joy, and try to bring this joy to others, to reject evil and to be servants of peace and reconciliation.
Now, of course, I should like to thank everyone, one by one, but the memory of an old man is not reliable. So, I prefer to avoid this. However, I would nevertheless like to thank the dear Cardinal Marx for having organized this "hour", of having transported Bavaria to Rome and for having made tangible the inner unity of Christian culture, I would like to thank him for having gathered all of Bavaria in our archdiocese, from Lower Bavaria to Upper Bavaria .... I thank all the groups….I was deeply touched by everything and I am very happy and grateful. I could hear the marksmen from a distance, they deserve my special thanks, because I'm an honorary Schütze, although at the time I was a pretty mediocre Schütze. Then, I thank you especially, dear Cardinal Wetter: you were my first successor in the see of St. Corbinian; you led the archdiocese as a good shepherd for a quarter of a century, thank you for this!
SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA
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