Catholic World News News Feature

Welcome Christ, don't fear the end of time, Pope says December 15, 2008

At his midday audience on Sunday, December 14-- the 3rd Sunday of Advent-- Pope Benedict XVI told the crowd in St. Peter's Square that knowing "the Lord is near" is cause for joy, not alarm.

The Holy Father contrasted the attitude of St. Peter, in his Letter to the Philippians, with those who fear the end of the world. He pointed out that St. Paul himself, writing to the Thessalonians, told the early Christians not to be alarmed by those who predicted the end of the world. His message, the Pope explained, was that "the 'nearness' of God is not a question of space and time but rather a question of love."

This is the message of the Church as Christmas approaches, the Pontiff continued: "Love is drawing near!"

Following a Vatican tradition, thousands of children had come to the Angelus audience carrying the Infant Jesus figures used in their family crèches. Ordinarily the Pontiff blesses these figures, but this year Pope Benedict asked the young people to join him in a prayer, asking God to "bless these images of Jesus, who will soon come among us, as a sign of your presence and of your love in our homes."