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ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
TO THE DELEGATION OF THE "BAYERISCHER RUNDFUNK"
THE BAVARIAN RADIO STATION

Castel Gandolfo
Wednesday, 13 August 2008

 

Dear Mr Mandlig,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

This was not merely a film, it was a pilgrimage. The Bayerischer Rundfunk has brought us on pilgrimage with many people to Our Lady: young and old, men and women, all the generations, and thus the diverse facets of our country have become evident to us. What brought us all together, however, was the fact of our being on the path toward Mary and [the fact] of our trust in the Mother of the Lord that preserves and guides all people on their journey.

We were able to feel the faith of those who witnessed in the simplicity of their thoughts and being and, for this very reason, with the credibility of someone who does not pretend but rather is natural. And through faith we saw Mary herself, the Mother of God; in her God's goodness is reflected. For this gift I thank you, dear Mr Mandlig, all your collaborators and the Bayerischer Rundfunk. I desire and hope that a great many people, in seeing this film, may be involved personally in the pilgrimage to our Mother and to our Lord.

But I do not want to forget to say a cordial "Vergelt's Gott" to the citizens of Oberaudorf, who previously gave me a splendid greeting in Munich with the "Gott grüße Dich" and who have now come to us and made us feel anew the beauty of Bavarian folk music. May God reward you!

Dear friends, this was not merely a film, it was a pilgrimage. The Bavarian Radio has involved us in a pilgrimage to Our Lady: there were young people, the elderly, the simple and the cultured, all on the way towards Our Lady. And in their pilgrimage we too felt their faith - faith which radiates from the face of Our Lady and in which God's goodness emanates.

We are grateful to the Bavarian Radio for this and hope that the film may involve many people in the pilgrimage to Our Lady and guide them on the path of faith. Thank you. Near the Feast of the Assumption this is a special gift! I wish you all a good feast day! Thank you.


© Copyright 2008 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana



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