“[Cologne] has been deeply marked by the presence of many saints….[who] have helped Europe to grow from Christian roots.”[1]
“[In Germany] we find a rich cultural and spiritual heritage which even today, in the heart of Europe, testifies to the fruitfulness of the Christian faith and tradition.
“The diocese and region of Cologne, in particular, keep the living memory of great witnesses to Christian civilization”[2].
4.1 The Christian heritage of Germany and Cologne
In the context of contemporary European politics[3], it is difficult to underestimate the importance of Pope Benedict XVI’s references to the Christian heritage of Cologne, Germany, and by implication of Europe. The presence of the Pope in Cologne - in a sense at the heart of Europe - celebrating Mass with some one million young people was itself an eloquent statement of the presence of religious values at a time when they are often marginalised in developed societies.
When Pope Benedict arrived at Cologne-Bonn international airport, he was welcomed by political and civil authorities, as well as representatives of the Church. He was greeted by the President of the German Republic, Horst Kohler. This, Pope Benedict’s first encounter during his visit, was an encounter of religious faith with civil and political authorities. After greeting all those involved in the arrangements for the World Youth Day, Pope Benedict referred to the journey of faith that leads to knowledge of Jesus Christ:
“Along this interior journey we can be guided by the many signs with which a long and rich Christian tradition has indelibly marked this land of Germany: from great historical monuments to countless works of art found throughout the country, from documents preserved in libraries to lively popular traditions, from philosophical inquiry to the theological reflection of her many great thinkers, from the spiritual traditions to the mystical experience of a vast array of saints. Here we find a rich cultural and spiritual heritage which even today, in the heart of Europe, testifies to the fruitfulness of the Christian faith and tradition.”[4]Later on the same day, speaking from the steps of Cologne Cathedral, after referring to the saints of Cologne, Pope Benedict said:
“In these and all the other saints, both known and unknown, we discover the deepest and truest face of this city and we become aware of the legacy of values handed down to us by the generations of Christians who have gone before us. It is a very rich legacy. We need to be worthy of it. It is a responsibility of which the very stones of the city's ancient buildings remind us.”[5]4.2 The example of the saints
In several of his addresses, Pope Benedict made reference to the saints, especially those who lived in Cologne. As we have already seen, the first way in which he did this was to talk about the saints as being part of the Christian heritage of Cologne and of Germany. He offered them to his listeners as a kind of “memory” of the spiritual heritage of Cologne:
“The city of Cologne would not be what it is without the Magi, who have had so great an impact on its history, its culture and its faith. Here, in some sense, the Church celebrates the feast of the Epiphany every day of the year! And so, before addressing you in the presence of this magnificent cathedral, I paused for a moment of prayer before the reliquary of the three Magi and gave thanks to God for their witness of faith, hope and love. …Pope Benedict also spoke of the saints as examples that show us how to live the Christian life, even today:
“Yet Cologne is not just the city of the Magi. It has been deeply marked by the presence of many saints; these holy men and women, through the witness of their lives and the imprint they left on the history of the German people, have helped Europe to grow from Christian roots. I think above all of the martyrs of the first
centuries, like young Saint Ursula and her companions, who, according to tradition, were martyred under Diocletian. How can one fail to remember Saint Boniface, the apostle of Germany, whose election as bishop of Cologne in 745 was confirmed by Pope Zachary? The name of Saint Albert the Great is also linked to this city; his body rests nearby in the crypt of the Church of Saint Andrew.
“In Cologne Saint Thomas Aquinas was a disciple of Saint Albert and later a professor. Nor can we forget Blessed Adolph Kolping, who died in Cologne in 1865; from a shoemaker he became a priest and founded many social lives, especially in the area of professional training.
“Closer to our own times, our thoughts turn to Edith Stein, the eminent 20th-century Jewish philosopher who entered the Carmelite Convent in Cologne taking the name of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, and later died in the concentration camp at Auschwitz. Pope John Paul II canonized her and declared her a co-patroness of Europe, together with Saint Bridget of Sweden and Saint Catherine of Siena.”[6]
“What we have just been saying about the nature of God being different, and about the way our lives must be shaped accordingly, sounds very fine, but remains rather vague and unfocussed. That is why God has given us examples. The Magi from the East are just the first in a long procession of men and women who have constantly tried to gaze upon God's star in their lives, going in search of the God who has drawn close to us and shows us the way….
“My venerable predecessor Pope John Paul II beatified and canonized a great many people from both the distant and the recent past. Through these individuals he wanted to show us how to be Christian; how to live life as it should be lived -- according to God's way….
“One need only think of such figures as Saint Benedict, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Charles Borromeo, the founders of 19th-century religious orders who inspired and guided the social movement, or the saints of our own day -- Maximilian Kolbe, Edith Stein, Mother Teresa, Padre Pio. In contemplating these figures we learn what it means ‘to adore’ and what it means to live according to the measure of the child of Bethlehem, by the measure of Jesus Christ and of God himself.”[7]
[1] Pope Benedict XVI Address after visiting Cologne Cathedral 18th August 2005.
[2] Pope Benedict XVI Address delivered during his arrival ceremony at Cologne-Bonn international airport 18th August 2005.
[3] The recently drafted constitution of the European Union makes no reference, even in its preamble, to the Christian heritage of Europe. This was the subject of considerable diplomatic and political activity by the Holy See during the drafting process. The rejection of Rocco Buttiglione as a European Commissioner following his expression of a Catholic position on homosexuality also brought into relief the question of the exclusion of religious, and specifically Christian, outlook from the political life of Europe.
[4] Pope Benedict XVI Address delivered during his arrival ceremony at Cologne-Bonn international airport 18th August 2005.
[5] Pope Benedict XVI Address after visiting Cologne Cathedral 18th August 2005.
[6] Pope Benedict XVI Address after visiting Cologne Cathedral 18th August 2005.
[7] Pope Benedict XVI Homily during the Vigil for World Youth Day, Marienfeld, Cologne 20th August 2005.
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