Thanks to the Ratzinger forum for the Pics and th translation of the news article.
The Pope to the youth of Rome: 'Beware not to sell your soul - success often masks an empty life' By Gianluca Barile Translated from PETRUS
VATICAN CITY - "The facade of success often hides an empty existence," Benedict XVI reminded the youth of Rome at a penitential assembly at St. Peter's Basilica Thursday evening in preparation for the diocesan celebration of World Youth Day next Sunday, Palm Sunday. Speaking on the theme for WYD 2008, 'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you', the Pope recalled a film called Metempsicosi[metempsychosis, a Greek term for reincarnation] to explain 'the action of the Holy Spirit on the soul'. "
The film," he said, "tells the story of two poor devils who, because of their goodness, could not get anywhere in life. One day, it occured to one of them that, not having anything else, he could sell his soul. He put it into a box and it went cheaply. But from that moment on, to his great surprise, everything changed in his life: he began a rapid ascent, became increasingly rich, obtained great honors, and by the time he died, was very well-endowed with money and goods."
But "from the moment that he gave up his soul, he lost his humanity, he acted without scruples, bent only on profit and success," the Pope said. "Other men no longer counted for him, becuase he himself no longer had a soul. Although it seemed like he had lost nothing, he did not have a soul, and when there is no soul, then one has nothing. "
Obviously, said the Pope, the human being cannot literally throw out his soul, because it is the soul that makes him a person, even though he remains a human being. However, "he has the frightening possibility to become 'dishuman', a person selling and losing his humanity. The distance between the human person and the dishuman is immense, even though we annot demonstrate it." The Pope pointed out that "even the Holy Spirit cannot be proven to the external eye: he penetrates a person or not, though this cannot be seen or demonstrated: but when he does, it changes and renews the entire prospect of human existence."
"The Holy Spirit does not change the exterior situations of life - rather interior. Even this evening, the Spirit will descend on our hearts, to forgive sins and renew us interiorly, re-investing us with the strength which make sus, like the Apostles, audacious in announcing Christ who died and was resurrected. "Remember always that you are a temple of the Spirit: allow him to dwell in you and obey his bidding docilely, to bring your contribution to the edification of the Church and discern the vocation to which the Lord calls you. "Even today, the world needs priests, consecrated men and women, Christian spouses. To respond to a calling to any of these ways, be generous, be aided by reocourse to the scarmaent of confession and through the practice of spiritual direction in your journey as Christians. Seek in particular to open your heart sincerely to Christ to offer him your unconditional Yes.
"Dear young people, the city of Rome in in your hands. It is up to you to make her beautiful even spiritually through your testimony of lives lived in the grace of God and remote from sin, adhering to everything that the Holy Spirit calls you to be in the church and in the world. "The Lord Jesus washes away our sins, heals us of our faults, adn strengthens us so we do not succumb to the battle against sin, and in testifying to his love." The Pope recalled how John Paul II inaugurated, 25 years ago, the San Lorenzo International Youth Center next to the Vatican. He called it "a spiritual initiative which, along with many others in the Diocese of Rome, promotes a welcoming place for young people, where they can exchange experiences and testimonies to the faith, and above all, be together in prayer which makes us discover the love of God." "As Pope John Paul II said," he concluded, "become yourselves redeemers of the youth of the world."
Following a tradition started by John Paul II, the Pope then went to a confessional to hear the confessions of some young people. After a general confession, read by fourteen young people, confessors from the four papal basilicas as well as several other priests spread out through various parts of the Basilica to hear confessions. Choirs sang psalms and there were readings from the Bible, from the Church Fathers and from the Magisterium. After the rites at the Basilica, a group of young people carried the WYD Cross in procession to the San Lorenzo center, where the president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, celebrated Mass, followed by a prayer vigil with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
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