Pope Benedict XVI
touched on many of the themes close to his heart,
including celibacy in the priesthood, dialogue between
religions, and his opposition to legal rights for gay
and unmarried couples in a year-end speech Friday in
Vatican City. The pontiff recalled his visits to
Poland--which included a visit to the Auschwitz death
camp--Spain, and Germany, and he reaffirmed the
church's position on marriage and same-sex
partnerships in his Christmas address.
"I cannot silence my worry about the laws on
unmarried couples," Benedict said. "Many of these
couples have chosen that road because, for the time
being, they don't feel up to accepting the judicially
ordered and binding cohabitation of marriage." The Italian
government has promised legislation for all unmarried
couples, including same-sex couples, by the end of January.
"And so joining a man and a woman and two people
of the same sex becomes the same," Benedict said.
"With that, the ominous theories that deny any
relevance to the human person's masculinity and
femininity are tacitly confirmed." The pope also reiterated
the importance of celibacy in the priesthood, noting
that priests' lives must be centered around God.
Benedict also deplored "the horrors of war near
the holy land" and the danger of a clash between
religions and cultures. "The problem of finding roads
to peace has therefore become a challenge of primary
importance for all those who worry about mankind," Benedict
said. "We must learn that peace cannot be reached only from
the outside with structures and that attempts to
obtain it through violence only beget more violence,"
he added. "We must learn that peace can only exist
only if hate and selfishness are overcome from the
inside." (AP)
