[ELS]

Pope Benedict XVI (2nd R) is presented with a giant cake before his weekly general audience at the Vatican April 18, 2007. The pontiff celebrated his 80th birthday on April 16, and celebrates his second year of pontificate on April 19, 2007. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano (VATICAN)

Pope Benedict XVI is driven through a crowded St. Peter's Square during his weekly general audience, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 18, 2007. The pontiff celebrated his 80th birthday on Monday, April 16, and April 19th marks his second year of pontificate. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Pope Benedict XVI (R) greets a group of German horn musicians from Bayern as he arrives in his car to lead his weekly general audience in Saint Peter's square at the Vatican April 18, 2007. REUTERS/Dario Pignatelli (VATICAN)

[ELS]

There will be a special program on EWTN tomorrow (Thursday).

BENEDICTUS XVI: PAPA JOSEPH RATZINGER (60:00)

Thursday April 19, 2007 11:00 PM ET (8:00 PM PT)

[Iscool]

In this way, the thinker from Alexandria fosters the second great opportunity for dialogue between the Christian message and Greek philosophy.

This is about 180 degrees from what Paul the Apostle teaches...

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Last time, we had spoken about St. Irenaeus of Lyons and today we will speak of Clement of Alexandria, a great theologian who was probably born in Athens, sometime around the turn of the second century. In Athens, he picked up a keen interest in philosophy that would make him one of the great promoters of dialogue between faith and reason in the Christian tradition.

Act 6:9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

It was Alexandrians that murdered Stephen...And God was so fired up against the Alexandrians that he stood up from his Throne...

[NYer]

St. Clement of Alexandria