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On How St. Paul Knew Christ "Jesus Lives Now and Speaks With Us Now" VATICAN CITY, OCT. 8, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in St. Peter's Square. The Holy Father continued today the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the figure and thought of St. Paul. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, In the previous catecheses on St. Paul, I spoke of his encounter with the Risen Christ, which fundamentally changed his life, and then of his relationship with the Twelve Apostles called by Jesus, particularly with Sts. James,...

Pope reaffirms Church opposition to contraception VATICAN CITY (AFP) — Pope Benedict XVI on Friday reaffirmed the Catholic Church's condemnation of artificial birth control, a position that has driven millions of people away from the faith. Contraception "means negating the intimate truth of conjugal love, with which the divine gift (of life) is communicated," the leader of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics wrote on the 40th anniversary of a papal encyclical on the controversial topic. The message came two months after an appeal for a retraction by some 60 Catholic groups who said the Church's stance had been "catastrophic"...

Rediscovering traditionalism By John Casey On 14th June this year about 1,500 people filled Westminster Cathedral. Every seat was taken; people stood in the aisles and spilled out on to the piazza outside. The occasion was a mass, but not an ordinary mass. It was indeed a mass in what is now officially called the ``extraordinary form'' of the Roman rite, i.e. the mass as it had existed before the changes that followed the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). It was celebrated by Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, and was the first mass in the traditional form to be celebrated in the Cathedral...

On Paul's Dealings With Peter "Only Sincere Dialogue Could Guide the Path of the Church" VATICAN CITY, OCT. 1, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in St. Peter's Square. The Holy Father continued today the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the figure and thought of St. Paul. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, The respect and veneration for the Twelve, which Paul had always cultivated, did not diminish when he frankly defended the truth of the Gospel, which is nothing other than Jesus Christ, the Lord. Today, we wish...

Benedict XVI Has a Father, Romano Guardini He was the guide of the young Ratzinger, who has not ceased to draw inspiration from his thought. Forty years after the death of the great Italian-German intellectual, an analysis of his influence on the current pope by Sandro Magister ROMA, October 1, 2008 – This very same time of the year, forty years ago, Romano Guardini (1885-1968) died in Munich. In her biography of him, Hanna-Barbara Gerl called the Italian-German philosopher and theologian "a father of the 20th-century Church." Guardini's books nourished the most lively segment of Catholic thought during the 1900's....

On Paul and the Other Apostles "He Insists on Fidelity to What He Himself Has Received" VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 24, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in St. Peter's Square. The Holy Father continued today the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the figure and thought of St. Paul. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today I would like to speak about the relationship between St. Paul and the apostles who preceded him in the following of Jesus. These relationships were always marked by profound respect and by the frankness...

On the Message of Lourdes "There Is No True Love Without Suffering" VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 17, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience held in the Paul VI Hall, during which he evaluated his Sept. 12-15 apostolic trip to Paris and Lourdes. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today's meeting gives me the opportunity to review again the moments of the pastoral visit that I made in recent days to France; a visit that culminated with the pilgrimage to Lourdes on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the...

On Paul, an Apostle of Christ "Love Is the True Wealth of Human Life" VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 10, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave at today's general audience, held in Paul VI Hall in the Vatican. The Pope arrived for the gathering by helicopter from the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, Last Wednesday I spoke about the great turning point in St. Paul's life after his encounter with the Risen Christ. Jesus entered his life and transformed him from persecutor into apostle. That...

Paul's Conversion "We Are Christians Only If We Encounter Christ" VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 3, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in Paul VI Hall. The Holy Father continued today the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the figure and thought of St. Paul.* * *Dear Brothers and Sisters: Today's catechesis will be dedicated to the experience St. Paul had on the road to Damascus, commonly called his conversion. Precisely on the road to Damascus, in the first 30 years of the first century, and following a period in which he persecuted...

Paul's Biography "He Dedicated Himself to the Proclamation of the Gospel" VATICAN CITY, AUG. 27, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in Paul VI Hall. The Holy Father continued today the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the figure and thought of St. Paul. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, In the last catechesis before the holidays -- two months ago, at the beginning of July -- I began a new series of topics on the occasion of the Pauline Year, reflecting on the way St. Paul lived. Today I...

Pope: I face old age calmly 2008-08-22 19:35:07 - VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI said he is living out his old age calmly and with courage, thanks to the help of his elder brother, Vatican Radio reported Friday. Benedict mused aloud about growing old at a ceremony Thursday to make his brother, Georg Ratzinger, an honorary citizen of Castel Gandolfo, the lakeside town near Rome which hosts the papal summer residence. Benedict is 81, and Georg, who is a priest in Germany, is 84. «We have reached the last stage of our life, old age,» Vatican Radio quoted...

On the Saints "They Represent for Us a Real Path of Access to Jesus" CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 20, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today during the weekly general audience, held at Castel Gandolfo. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters! Every day the Church offers for our consideration one or more saints and blesseds whom we can invoke and imitate. This week, for example, we remember some who are much loved by popular devotion. Yesterday, St. John Eudes who, in face of the rigor of the Jansenists -- we are talking about...

Here is a translation of the Holy Father's words at the abbreviated General Audience today, speaking from the balcony overlooking the inner courtyard of the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo: Dear brothers and sisters! Having returned from Bressanone, where I spent a period of repose, I am happy to meet and greet you again, dear residents of Castel Gandolfo, and all you pilgrims who have come today to visit me. I wish to thank once more those who welcomed me and watched over my sojourn in the mountains. They were days of serene relaxation, during which I did not cease...

I was once 'more severe' than today, Benedict XVI tells priests By JOHN L. ALLEN JR. Pope Benedict XVI told a group of priests yesterday that he was once “more severe” in terms of administering baptism and confirmation to ill-prepared or lukewarm candidates, but today he’s inclined to be generous wherever there is even “a flicker of desire for communion in the faith.” The pope also conceded that, over the centuries, Christianity’s commitment to environmental protection may not always have been sufficiently clear. He argued, however, that belief in God is essential to sound ecology, because ultimately a materialist philosophy...

Pope Benedict Tells China: Open Up To Christianity By DANIELA PETROFF Associated Press Writer OIES, Italy -- Pope Benedict XVI urged China Tuesday to open up to Christianity as he visited the birthplace of a 19th century saint who died as a missionary there 100 years ago. China's officially atheistic Communist Party forced Chinese Catholics to cut ties with the Vatican in 1951, and the two sides have not restored formal relations. Many of the country's estimated 12 million Catholics worship in congregations outside the state-approved church and often are arrested or harassed. "It is important for this great country...

On Paul's World and Time Period "I Begin Today a New Cycle of Catecheses, Dedicated to the Great Apostle" VATICAN CITY, JULY 2, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in St. Peter's Square. On the occasion of the Pauline Year, the Holy Father began a new cycle of catecheses today, dedicated to the figure and thought of St. Paul. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, I would like to begin today a new cycle of catecheses, dedicated to the great Apostle St. Paul. To him, as you know, I...

Tuesday, July 01, 2008 Canonical Good Standing 1 July, 2008 Feast of the Precious Blood My dear friends, I am happy to inform you that last June 18th, before Cardinal Castrillon and the members of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei in Rome, I humbly petitioned the Holy See on my own behalf and on behalf of the monastery council for our priestly suspensions to be lifted. On June 26th I received word that the Holy See had granted our petition. All canonical censures have been lifted.

On St. Maximus the Confessor "He Always Had As His Compass the Concrete Reality of the World" VATICAN CITY, JUNE 25, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in St. Peter's Square, dedicated to the figure of Saint Maximus the Confessor. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today I would like to present the figure of one of the great Fathers of the Eastern Church of later times. He is a monk, St. Maximus, who merited from Christian tradition the title of Confessor because of the intrepid courage with which...

On St. Isidore of Seville "Believers Up to Our Times Benefit From His Definitions" VATICAN CITY, JUNE 18, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in St. Peter's Square, focused on the figure of St. Isidore of Seville. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today I wish to speak of St. Isidore of Seville, younger brother of Leander, bishop of Seville, and great friend of Pope Gregory the Great. This relation is important because it leads us to keep in mind a cultural and spiritual approach that is indispensable to...

President & Mrs. Bush met today with Pope Benedict XVI at The Vatican. The pope treated the president to a rare tour of the Vatican Gardens, a spot where popes pray privately and only special guests are allowed to stroll. First Lady Laura Bush toured the Mattei Palace in Rome and met there with students in the American Study Center. The first couple then boarded Air Force One and traveled to Paris, France. During the flight, Mrs. Bush participated in a rare press gaggle with reporters on the plane. “Hey everybody, how are you all? Good to see you.” (Transcript)...

On St. Columban "A Tireless Builder of Monasteries" VATICAN CITY, JUNE 11, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in St. Peter's Square, on the Irish monk St. Columban. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today I would like to speak of the holy Abbot Columban, the most famous Irishman of the early Middle Ages. With good reason he can be called a "European" saint, because as monk, missionary and writer, he worked in several countries of Western Europe. Along with the Irishmen of his time, he was aware of...

On the Thought of Gregory the Great "Holiness Is Always Possible, Even in Difficult Times" VATICAN CITY, JUNE 4, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience, the second catechesis he dedicated to the figure of Pope Gregory the Great. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, I return today, in this our Wednesday meeting, to the extraordinary figure of Pope Gregory the Great, to glean additional light from his rich teaching. Despite the many commitments connected with his work as Bishop of Rome, he has left us numerous works, which in...

Mr Ahmadinejad is one of 40 heads of state arriving in Rome on Tuesday for a vital United Nations summit on the world’s food crisis. Mr Ahmadinejad was keen to meet Benedict XVI, after writing to him two years ago on the subject of spirituality and the need for dialogue between Islam and Christianity. Relations between Iran and the Holy See are warming, and Mr Ahmadinejad said the Vatican was a “positive force for justice and peace” in April after meeting with the new nuncio to Iran, Archbishop Jean-Paul Gobel. Benedict is also thought to have the support of several...

On Gregory the Great "He Was a Man Immersed in God" VATICAN CITY, MAY 28, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience, which he dedicated to the figure of Pope Gregory the Great. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters! Last Wednesday I spoke about a Father of the Church little known in the West -- Romanus the Melodius. Today I wish to present the figure of one of the greatest fathers in the history of the Church, one of the four doctors of the West, Pope Gregory, who was bishop of Rome between...

On Romanus the Melodist "If Faith is Alive, Christian Culture Will Never be Outdated" VATICAN CITY, MAY 21, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience in St. Peter's Square [Paul VI Hall]. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters: In the series of catecheses on the Fathers of the Church, I would like to speak today of one who isn't well known: Romanus the Melodist, born around the year 490 in Emesa (today Homs) in Syria. Theologian, poet, composer, he belongs to the group of theologians that have transformed theology...

On Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite "He Has New Relevance as a Mediator in Dialogue With Theologies of Asia" VATICAN CITY, MAY 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience in St. Peter's Square. * * * Dear brothers and sisters: In the course of the catechesis on the Fathers of the Church, I would like to speak today about a very mysterious figure: a theologian from the sixth century, whose name is not known, and who wrote under the pseudonym of Dionysius the Areopagite. With this pseudonym, he alluded to the...

On Christian Unity "Keep Alive the Flames of Faith, Charity and Hope" VATICAN CITY, MAY 7, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the greetings Benedict XVI gave today to Catholicos Karekin II, supreme patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and a translation of the catechesis he gave afterward during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square. * * * [English Greetings to Catholicos Karekin II] It is my great joy today to greet His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and the distinguished delegation accompanying him. Your Holiness, I pray that the light...

On the Trip to the UN and the US "I Have Had the Joy of Announcing 'Christ Our Hope'" VATICAN CITY, APRIL 30, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience in St. Peter's Square. * * * Even if a few days have already passed since my return, I would like to dedicate the catechesis of today, as I normally do, to the apostolic trip that I made to the United Nations and the United States of America this past April 15 to 21. Before all, I renew my most...

Fisherman’s Shoes Find Target by: Malcolm A. Kline, April 24, 2008 Despite what you may have been lead to believe by the so-called mainstream media, the Pope delivered an address to Catholic college presidents that could be summarized as My Way or The Highway. The Pope addressed the United Nations in an approach that longtime students of the UN might characterize as one of rapprochement. Nonetheless, his remarks to the college presidents, according to attendees at that meeting were, if not remonstrative, then at least reminders of the need to pass on actual Catholic teaching in universities that bear that...

The following is a transcript of Pope Benedict XVI's remarks at ground zero: O God of love, compassion, and healing, look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions, who gather today at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain. We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here -- the heroic first-responders: our fire fighters, police officers, emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel, along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work or service brought them here on...

Original Free Republic LinkFree Republic:Pope Benedict XVI Pays Historical Visit To The Park Street Synagogue

Pope Benedict XVI paid a 22-minute visit to the Park East Synagogue — the first papal trip to a United States synagogue — on Friday afternoon. He presented the synagogue with a medieval Jewish manuscript from the Vatican library and received three gifts: a seder plate, a Passover haggadah and a box of matzoh. The pope offered warm remarks and was showered with praise and music, but in a brief, three-minute address, he did not address the Holocaust, anti-Semitism or historic tensions between Jews and the Catholic Church. The pope entered the temple As the choir sang “Sh’ma Yisrael,” a...

Just a puny personal pronoun, yet one that perhaps spoke volumes about MSM attitudes toward religion. On the occasion of the Mass that Pope Benedict XVI will be celebrating later day at DC's Nationals Park, Early Show co-anchor interviewed Father Thomas Williams, a Roman Catholic priest who also serves as a CBS religion analyst. For the liberal media, even a subject as seemingly innocuous as a nice spring day can suddenly turn into a PC minefield should it put an MSMer in the position of having to recognize God's work, as this exchange reveals. View video here.

Benedict XVI's Address to the U.S. BishopsBasilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Washington, D.C., April 16, 2008 * * * Dear Brother Bishops, It gives me great joy to greet you today, at the start of my visit to this country, and I thank Cardinal George for the gracious words he has addressed to me on your behalf. I want to thank all of you, especially the Officers of the Episcopal Conference, for the hard work that has gone into the preparation of this visit. My grateful appreciation goes also to the staff and volunteers of the...

President and Mrs. Bush welcomed His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the White House today during his first visit to the United States as Pope. Link Tonight, the President and Mrs. Bush will hold a Social Dinner in honor of the Pope. He will not attend due to a longstanding Vatican policy. German food will be served in his honor. This afternoon, the President addressed Climate Change in a speech in the Rose Garden. Link Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

Catholic education will be front and center this week when Benedict XVI makes his first papal visit to America. On April 17, at Catholic University in Washington, DC, he will address more than 400 college, university, elementary and secondary school leaders. His subject will be the importance of Catholic education, and he'll probably argue for strict adherence to the usual orthodox Church teachings--a call for academics to behave and for bishops to insure that they do. What Benedict is unlikely to address is the failure of many in the church hierarchy to abide by another social teaching that is far...

A PERSONAL INVITATION TO THE EWTN FAMILY By Raymond Arroyo Pope Benedict XVI is coming to the United States April 15-20 and, as most Catholics know, tickets to the live events are scarce. But EWTN family will have a front row seat. I will be anchoring each event live with my co-host, Father Richard John Neuhaus, and other papal commentators, including Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus. I can promise you that no one will have coverage as complete and as authoritative as EWTN. From the Pope’s arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, where he is being...

On St. Benedict of Norcia "The Great Monk Is Still a True Teacher" VATICAN CITY, APRIL 9, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience in St. Peter's Square. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, Today I would like to talk about St. Benedict, the father of Western monasticism, and also the patron saint of my papacy. I will begin with a few words from Pope St. Gregory the Great who wrote the following about St. Benedict: “The man of God who shone on this earth with so many miracles...

Death Was the Seal of an Existence Totally Given to Christ VATICAN CITY, APRIL 2, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the homily Benedict XVI gave today when he celebrated Mass on the third anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, The date of April 2 has been imprinted in the Church's memory as the day the Servant of God Pope John Paul II [said] good-bye to this world. Let us again live with emotion the hours of that Saturday afternoon, when the news of his passing away was received...

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 26, 2008.- Here is a translation of the catechesis Benedict XVI gave during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square. * * * Dear brothers and sisters! "Et resurrexit tertia die secundum Scripturas" – "And on the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures." Every Sunday, with the Credo, we renew our profession of faith in the resurrection of Christ, a surprising event that represents the keystone of Christianity. In the Church, everything is understood from the perspective of this great mystery which changed the course of history and which becomes actual in every...

Riyadh, Mar. 25, 2008 (CWNews.com) - The president of the Middle East Center for Strategic Studies, Anwatr al Oshqi, has reported that Saudi Arabia’s royal family has decided against building a Catholic church in the kingdom. Earlier this month Vatican Radio reported that the Saudi government was weighing a proposal for the construction of a Catholic church. That report came as a surprise, since the Saudi regime does not allow public worship by any faith other than Islam. In November 2007, when King Abdullah became the first reigning Saudi king ever to visit the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI urged...

Magdi Allam Recounts His Path to Conversion Benedict XVI Baptized the Journalist at Easter Vigil VATICAN CITY, MARCH 23, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of Magdi Allam’s account of his conversion to Catholicism. The Muslim journalist was baptized by Benedict XVI at Saturday's Easter Vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. An abbreviated form of this account appeared as a letter to Paolo Mieli, the director of the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Allam is the paper’s deputy director. The Italian version of the complete text is available at magdiallam.it. * * * Dear Friends, I am particularly happy to...

On the Easter Triduum "Love Is Stronger Than Hate, It Has Triumphed" VATICAN CITY, MARCH 19, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the greetings Benedict XVI gave today to students participating in the international UNIV congress who had gathered at St. Peter's Basilica, and the catechesis he gave afterward during his weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * [Pope's greeting to students in St. Peter's Basilica] [In English, he said] Dear Friends, I offer a cordial welcome to all of you who have come to Rome from various countries and universities to celebrate Holy Week together,...

On Boethius and Cassiodorus VATICAN CITY, March 12, 2008 - The General Audience today took place once again in two places. Here is a translation of the greeting by the Holy Father at St. Peter's Basilica before he proceeded to Paul VI Hall for the catechesis. Dear brothers and sisters! I am happy to welcome you to this Basilica and I address my heartfelt greeting to this, your festive assembly, predominantly composed of young students. I greet particularly representatives of the Folklore Groups of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the students of the city of Paola and students of various scholastic institutes from...

On St. Leo the Great VATICAN CITY, March 5, 2008 The General Audience today took place once again in two places. First, the Pope greeted the faithful inside St. Peter's Basilica, including Italian students belonging to two national associations. Afterwards, he proceeded to Paul VI Hall where he delivered his Wednesday catechesis and greetings to various pilgrim groups. Here is a translation of the catechesis: Dear brothers and sisters, Continuing our journey with the Fathers of the Church, true stars who shine from afar, today we come to a Pope who was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Benedict...

On St. Augustine's Conversion "A Journey That Remains a True Example for Each One of Us" VATICAN CITY, FEB. 26, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the greetings Benedict XVI gave today at St. Peter's Basilica to those who could not be accommodated in Paul VI Hall for the general audience, and a translation of the catechesis he delivered in the Vatican auditorium. This is the fifth and final address the Pope has dedicated to the figure of St. Augustine. * * * [Greetings at St. Peter's Basilica in English] Dear Brothers and Sisters, I am pleased to welcome...

On the Writings of St. Augustine "He Truly Lives in His Works, He Is Present With Us" VATICAN CITY, FEB. 20, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the greetings Benedict XVI gave today at St. Peter's Basilica to those who could not be accommodated in Paul VI Hall for the general audience, and a translation of the catechesis he delivered in the Vatican auditorium. This is the fourth address the Pope has dedicated to the figure of St. Augustine. * * * [Greetings at St. Peter's Basilica in English] I am pleased to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims gathered...

On the Lenten Journey "A Spiritual Retreat That Lasts 40 Days" VATICAN CITY, FEB. 6, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today, Ash Wednesday, at the general audience in Paul VI Hall. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today, Ash Wednesday, we begin again our Lenten journey as we do every year, with a more intense spirit of prayer and reflection, of penance and of fasting. We are entering into a very "intense" liturgical season that, while preparing us for the celebration of Easter -- the heart of the Church calendar and of...

A Papal Masterstroke Pope's Good Friday Prayer Reinforces Infallible Church Teaching Christopher A. Ferrara REMNANT COLUMNIST, New Jersey (Posted 2/05/08 www.RemnantNewspaper.com)The reports were true: The Pope has changed the traditional Good Friday prayer for the conversion of the Jews.  But, amazingly enough, the change is another positive development in this papacy, although I would never have thought so until I actually read the text of the new prayer. First of all, there is only one thing we need to know about the revised prayer in order to assess whether it is good or bad for the cause of the...

On St. Augustine's Search for Truth "Faith and Reason Are the Two Forces That Lead Us to Knowledge " VATICAN CITY, JAN. 30, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today at the general audience in Paul VI Hall. The reflection is the third in a series on St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo. * * * Dear friends, After the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we return today to the great figure of St. Augustine. In 1986, on the 1,600th anniversary of his conversion, my beloved predecessor John Paul II dedicated a long and...