Pope expresses concern over hostility toward Christianity in US

January 19, 2012. (Romereports.com) A group of American bishops met with Benedict XVI during their Ad limina visit to Rome. Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington DC spoke on behalf of the bishops and thanked the pope for the meeting.

Benedict XVI expressed his concern over the hostility against Judeo-Christian tradition and “Christianity as such”. He said it's “imperative that the entire Catholic community in the United States come to realize the grave threats to the Church’s public moral witness presented by a radical secularism which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres”.

Benedict XVI
“When a culture attempts to suppress the dimension of ultimate mystery, and to close the doors to transcendent truth, it inevitably becomes impoverished and falls prey.”

The pope also applauded their “efforts to maintain contacts with Catholics involved in political life,” adding that Catholic politicians needed to respect the values of respect for life, human dignity, and human rights.

He noted that a strong faith would help American Catholics contribute to a renewal of the society and the evangelization of American culture.

Benedict XVI also expressed the importance of lay people in articulating the Christian vision, saying it was a primary task for the Church in the US.

The bishops in this ad limina visit came from Washington D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, the US Virgin Island, and the U.S. Archdiocese for Military Services who serves as the spiritual director for all the armed forces of the United States.