The great saints who made the Church

In Benedict XVI theological depth goes hand in hand with expository simplicity. Thousands of pilgrims who converge on Rome each Wednesday for his weekly catechesis can vouch for that.

 

 

Thanks to Kirche in Not, the Oasis Centre can publish every Monday on its website [right hyperlink] the Pope’s catechesis from the previous Wednesday in Arabic translation.

 

Since 22 February (Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter) 2006, each catechesis has been available online and can be downloaded for free. Titles are given in English as well for a quick search, whilst a hyperlink to the original Italian version is always added.

 

After presenting the portraits of the Apostles and of the most important personalities in the New Testament, the Holy Father talked about the greatest saints of the first centuries, going back and forth between East and West to describe men like Irenaeus, the Cappadocian Fathers, Athanasius, Cyril, Tertullian, John Chrysostom, Ambrose but also Ephrem the Syrian and Chromatius and now Augustine.

 

By briefly going back over the lives of these witnesses, the Pope was able to highlight their more outstanding features, bringing his addresses to a close with lessons still valid today.

 

Now everyone can read the catecheses; Catholics of course, but also other Christians who share the same roots as well as all those who want to better understand Jesus of Nazareth’s human adventure in the world.