Benedict XVI Gives His First Urbi et Orbi Message

Early in his first Christmas "Urbi et Orbi" message, Pope Benedict XVI quoted from St. Augustine, something that he has been doing often in his papacy so far.

"Wake up, O man! For your sake God became man" (Saint Augustine, Sermo, 185.).

Later in his message, he puts our modern times, which supposedly started with a Renaissance and an "Enlightenment," in its proper perspective.

"The modern age is often seen as an awakening of reason from its slumbers, humanity’s enlightenment after an age of darkness. Yet without the light of Christ, the light of reason is not sufficient to enlighten humanity and the world. For this reason, the words of the Christmas Gospel: 'the true Light that enlightens every man was coming into this world' (Jn 1:9) resound now more than ever as a proclamation of salvation."

Our civilization has largely rejected the True Light of the world, either out of ignorance or shear malice. Let us pray with our Pope that Our Lady "teach us how to treasure in our hearts the mystery of God who for our sake became man; and may she help us to bear witness in our world to his truth, his love and his peace."

Gloria in altissimis Deo et in terra pax in hominibus bonae voluntatis! (Luke 2: 14)