Lenten Retreat ends; Pope thanks preacher

March 05, 2012

As the annual Lenten Retreat at the Vatican concluded on March 3, Pope Benedict XVI thanked Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa, Congo, for leading the spiritual exercises.

Pope Benedict and the leaders of the Roman Curia had spent a week in prayer and reflection under the guidance of Cardinal Monswengo. The Pope said that the cardinal had shown “great exegetical competence and spiritual and pastoral experience” in his preaching during the retreat.

The Holy Father thanked Cardinal Monswengwo in particular for the stories of his native Africa that brought a sense of joy to the participants. The Pope commented in particular on one story, about a man who emerged from a coma to report that he had felt he was in a dark tunnel, and could see bright light and hear beautiful music at the end.

"It seems to me", Pope Benedict said, "that this could be a parable for our own lives. Often we find ourselves in a dark tunnel in the dead of night, but, thanks to the faith, in the end we see light and hear music.”

 

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Further information:

• Pope and Roman Curia Conclude their Spiritual Exercises (VIS)
• Pope concludes week of spiritual exercises (Vatican Radio)