GENERAL AUDIENCE
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 - 10:30
held by Pope Benedict XVI
Theme: St. Hildegard of Bingen (2 ^ Part)
Brief Chronicle ...
the general audience this morning took place at 10.30 am in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father - is derived from helicopter summer residence of Castel Gandolfo - met with groups of pilgrims and faithful who arrived from Italy and from all over the world.
In his speech in Italian, the Pope dwelt more on the figure of St. Hildegard of Bingen.
After summarizing his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father Benedict XVI special words of welcome to the groups of the faithful present, and after the greeting in English, read a message on the occasion of his imminent trip to the UK.
The General Audience ended with the singing of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.
At the end, the Holy Father has returned to Castel Gandolfo.
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catechesis of the Holy Father
Dear brothers and sisters,
today I would like to resume and continue the debate on S. Hildegard of Bingen, an important female figure of the Middle Ages, who was noted for spiritual wisdom and holiness of life. The mystical visions of Hildegard resemble those of the Old Testament prophets: speaking with the cultural and religious categories of his time, interpreted in the light of God the Scriptures apply to the various circumstances of life. So, all those who heard it felt encouraged to practice a style of Christian life consistent and committed. In a letter to St. Bernard, the mystic Rhine confessed: "The vision captivates my whole being: I do not see with our bodily eyes, but I get in the spirit of the mysteries ... I know the deeper meaning of what is exposed in the Psalter, the Gospels and other books, which I shown in the vision. This burns like a flame in my heart and my soul, and teaches me to deeply understand the text "( Epistolarium pars the first I-XC: CCCM 91).
The mystical visions of Hildegard are rich in theological content. Refer to the main events of salvation history, and primarily speak a language is poetic and symbolic. For example, in his most famous work, entitled Scivias , that is, "Do you know the streets," she summed up in thirty-five visions of the events of salvation history from creation of the world at the end of time. With characteristic traits of the feminine sensibility, Hildegard, right in the middle section of his work, develops the theme of mystical marriage between God and humanity in the Incarnation. Shaft of the Cross make the wedding of the Son of God with the Church, his wife, filled with grace and made capable of donating new children to God, love of the Holy Spirit (cf. Visio tertia : PL 197 , 453c).
From these brief we see how theology can also receive a special contribution from the women, because they are able to speak of God and the mysteries of faith with their distinctive intelligence and sensitivity. Therefore encourage all those who perform this service carried out with deep ecclesial spirit, feeding their prayer and reflection with the watching the great wealth, still unexplored part of the medieval mystical tradition, especially that represented by bright patterns, just as Hildegard of Bingen.
Rhineland Mysticism is the author of other writings, two of which are particularly important because report, as Scivias , its mystic visions: they are Liber vitae meritorum (Book of the merits of life) and the Liber divinorum operum (Book of divine works), also called De Of operation. The first describes a unique and powerful vision of God who gives life to the cosmos with his strength and his light. Hildegard emphasizes the profound relationship between man and God and reminds us that all creation, that man is the summit, receives life from the Trinity. The paper focuses on the relationship between virtue and vice, to which the human being must face daily the challenge of the defects, which depart on the journey towards God and virtues that favor it. The invitation is to move away from evil to glorify God and to enter, after a virtuous life, the life of all joy. " In the second work, considered by many his masterpiece, still describes the creation in his relationship with God and the centrality of man, showing a strong flavor of Christ-biblical-patristic. La Santa, which presents five visions inspired by the Prologue of the Gospel of St. John, contains the words that the Son addresses the Father: "All the work that you wanted and you gave me, I took it well, and here I am in you, and you in me, and that we are one "( Pars III, Visio X: PL 197, 1025th).
Elsewhere, finally, Hildegard shows the versatility of interests and the cultural vitality of the monasteries of medieval women, contrary to the prejudices that still weigh on time. Hildegard took care of medicine and natural sciences, as well as music, since it has artistic talent. He also composed hymns, antiphons and hymns, collected under the title Harmoniae Caelestium Revelationum Symphonia (Symphony of the harmony of celestial revelations), which were carried out joyously in his monasteries, spreading an atmosphere of serenity, and who have come to us . For her, the whole of creation is a symphony of the Holy Spirit, which is in itself joy and jubilation.
The popularity of Hildegard was surrounded pushed many people to question it. That is why we have many of his letters. She turned the monastic community of men and women, bishops and abbots. Many answers are still valid for us. For example, a female religious community that Hildegard wrote: "The spiritual life must be treated with great dedication. At first, the effort is bitter. All'estrosità As required by the waiver, the pleasures of the flesh and the like. But if you leave fascinated by holiness, a holy soul will find sweet and loving the same contempt of the world. You just need to intelligently make sure that the soul withers " (E. Gronau, Hildegard. A woman's life to the origins of the modern prophetic , Milano 1996, p. 402). And when the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa caused a schism in the Church opposing anti-popes three legitimate Pope Alexander III, Hildegard, inspired by his vision, did not hesitate to remind him that he, too, the emperor was subject to the proceedings of God with boldness that characterizes every prophet, she Emperor wrote these words from God: "Woe, woe in this wicked conduct of the wicked who despise me! Ye, O king, if you want to live! Otherwise, my sword will pierce "( Ibid. , p. 412).
With the spiritual authority of which he was endowed, in the last years of his life Hildegard set off, despite the 'advanced age and the arduous nature of travel, to speak of God to the people. All listened with pleasure, even when he used a stern tone: considered it a messenger sent by God above all reminding the clergy and the monastic communities in a way consonant to their vocation. In particular, Hildegard contrasted the Cathar movement Germans. They - Cathars literally means "pure" - advocated a radical reform of the Church, especially to combat the abuses of the clergy. She scolded for wanting to subvert the very nature of the Church, reminding them that a true renewal of the Christian community do not get much with the change of structures but with a sincere spirit of penance and a path of active conversion. This is a message that we should never forget. always invoke the Holy Spirit, to awaken in the Church holy and courageous women, such as St. Hildegard of Bingen, which, by making the gifts received from God, to give their valuable and distinctive contribution to the spiritual growth of our communities and Church in our time.
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