Pope Encourages Vacation

[Theologian in Training]

[url="http://www.zenit.org/english/show_4.php"]http://www.zenit.org/english/show_4.php[/url]

God Bless him....

[Noel's angel]

i read that earlier today, bless :wub:

Question though-why does he wear Serengeti sunglasses which cost upwards of £200???

[IcePrincessKRS]

They probably give them to him for free. Advertising. Famous people get all the free stuff.

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Noel's angel' date='Jul 18 2005, 01:53 PM']i read that earlier today, bless :wub:

Question though-why does he wear  Serengeti sunglasses which cost upwards of £200???
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He probably wears them in order to cut down on the glare from the sun, and to protect his eyes from the uv rays that can damage a person's eyesight.

[sweetpea316]

That too.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='Apotheoun' date='Jul 18 2005, 05:02 PM']He probably wears them in order to cut down on the glare from the sun, and to protect his eyes from the uv rays that can damage a person's eyesight.
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[1337 k4th0l1x0r]

How is Canon Law related to vacations???

[Fidei Defensor]

[quote name='1337 k4th0l1x0r' date='Jul 18 2005, 05:07 PM']How is Canon Law related to vacations???
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Lol. Zenit has changed the story already at that link. Let me see if i can find the story about vacationing.

[Fidei Defensor]

Benedict XVI Points to Spiritual Side of Vacations
More Time for Prayer, Reading and Meditation, He Says at Angelus

LES COMBES, Italy, JULY 17, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI proposed a holiday program which predisposes the heart "to receive more easily … the light of Truth and practice it in freedom and love."

The Pope delivered that message today before praying the midday Angelus with some 6,000 people who came to the Alpine chalet where he is vacationing.

The encounter on a sunny day took place among fir trees in a garden in front of the chalet in Les Combes, near the town of Introd, where the Holy Father arrived last Monday.

Benedict XVI described the holiday as "a truly providential gift of God, after the first months of the demanding pastoral service that Divine Providence has entrusted" to him, since his election as Pope.

A local road and two panoramic paths lead to the small wood-and-stone house owned by the Salesians.

As has been the custom, the recitation of the Angelus was preceded by a Mass celebrated by Bishop Giuseppe Anfossi of Aosta and Father Paolo Curtz, a pastor from Introd.

Almost a necessity

Benedict XVI's first public words at the foot of Mount Blanc were a remembrance of Pope John Paul II, his "beloved predecessor, … who for several years spent brief relaxing and invigorating stays here."

Benedict XVI said that it is "almost a necessity" in "the world in which we live … to regain one's strength of body and spirit, especially for those who live in the city, where the conditions of life, often feverish, leave little room for silence, reflection and relaxed contact with nature."

Holidays, in fact, offer more time to dedicate "to prayer, reading and meditation on the profound meaning of life, in the peaceful context of one's family and loved ones," he said.

It is a time which "offers the unique opportunity to pause before the thought-provoking spectacles of nature, a wonderful 'book' within reach of everyone, adults and children," the Pope continued.

In fact, in "contact with nature, a person rediscovers his correct dimension, rediscovers himself as a creature, small but at the same time unique, with a 'capacity for God' because interiorly he is open to the Infinite," he added.

The person, "driven by his heartfelt urgent search for meaning, … perceives in the surrounding world the mark of goodness and Divine Providence and opens almost naturally to praise and prayer," said Benedict XVI.

"Pudzo!"

On this point, the Holy Father invited the faithful to join in prayer to ask the Virgin Mary "to teach us the secret of the silence that becomes praise, of recollection that disposes to meditation, of love of nature that blossoms in thanksgiving to God."

"We will thus be able to receive more easily in our hearts the light of Truth and practice it in freedom and love," he noted.

The Pontiff used the occasion to express his gratitude to the bishop of Aosta and all those who have made these days of rest possible, as well as "the local population and the tourists for their cordial welcome."

After greeting the pilgrims in Italian, French, English, German and Spanish, Benedict XVI addressed the residents of the area in their own dialect, thanking them for their presence and ended with a typical friendly greeting: "Pudzo!"

Salvatore Mazza, who is reporting from Introd on the Pope's holidays for the Italian newspaper Avvenire and Vatican Radio, was impressed by the number of residents and pilgrims at the Angelus: some 6,000.

There were others who were unable to get close to the Holy Father, since, according to police, the line of traffic extended to the state highway, some 8-9 kilometers (about 5 miles) away.

Days of writing

Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro Valls described Benedict XVI's days in Les Combes, where he will stay until July 28, as a "working holiday."

The Pope gets up early, celebrates Mass, has breakfast, prays the Liturgy of the Hours and writes for virtually the rest of the day, Mazza commented on Vatican Radio.

The Holy Father goes out every day around 5:30 p.m. for at least a two-hour walk. On his return on Saturday, he greeted his temporary neighbors, the few dozen residents of Les Combes, explained the journalist.

-----------------------------------------------

here is his address to the people -

On the Value of Vacation

"Days in Which More Time Can Be Dedicated to Prayer"

LES COMBES, Italy, JULY 17, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today before praying the midday Angelus with some 6,000 people gathered in this Alpine village. The Pope has been here on holiday since last Monday.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

I have been here for a few days, in the marvelous mountains of Val d'Aosta, where the memory is still alive of my beloved predecessor John Paul II, who for several years spent brief relaxing and invigorating stays here.

This summer pause is a truly providential gift of God, after the first months of the demanding pastoral service that Divine Providence has entrusted to me. My heartfelt gratitude goes to the bishop of Aosta, esteemed Monsignor Giuseppe Anfossi, and to all those who made it possible, as well as to those who with discretion and generous abnegation see to it that everything runs smoothly. Moreover, I am also grateful to the local population and to the tourists, for their cordial welcome.

In the world in which we live, it is almost a necessity to be able to regain one's strength of body and spirit, especially for those who live in the city, where the conditions of life, often feverish, leave little room for silence, reflection and relaxed contact with nature.

Holidays are, moreover, days in which more time can be dedicated to prayer, reading and meditation on the profound meaning of life, in the peaceful context of one's family and loved ones.

Vacation time offers the unique opportunity to pause before the thought-provoking spectacles of nature, a wonderful "book" within reach of everyone, adults and children. In contact with nature, a person rediscovers his correct dimension, rediscovers himself as a creature, small but at the same time unique, with a "capacity for God" because interiorly he is open to the Infinite. Driven by his heartfelt urgent search for meaning, he perceives in the surrounding world the mark of goodness and Divine Providence and opens almost naturally to praise and prayer.

Reciting the Angelus together in this pleasant Alpine locality, let us ask the Virgin Mary to teach us the secret of the silence that becomes praise, of recollection that disposes to meditation, of love of nature that blossoms in thanksgiving to God. We will thus be able to receive more easily in our hearts the light of Truth and practice it in freedom and love.

[After reciting the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims in several languages. In English, he said:]

I greet the English-speaking visitors who join us for this Angelus. May the summer holidays be a time of rest and an opportunity to draw closer to the Lord in gratitude and prayer. Upon you and your families I cordially invoke God's blessings of joy and peace.

[Noel's angel]

next he'll be wearing a huge piece of 'bling' around his neck...

[Frankencow]

[quote name='Noel's angel' date='Jul 19 2005, 08:31 AM']next he'll be wearing a huge piece of 'bling' around his neck...
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Alright! Think the Pope will let me crash at his place? The movie rentals are on me. ;-)

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Noel's angel' date='Jul 19 2005, 06:31 AM']next he'll be wearing a huge piece of 'bling' around his neck...
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I don't even know what a "bling" is. But as a someone who is slowly going blind, I can certainly understand the Pope wearing expensive sunglasses to protect his vision. None of us is privy to the issues surrounding his health, but he is a nearly 80 year old man, and he has suffered several strokes over the past few years, and so he may have problems with his vision. I sincerely doubt that he is wearing the sunglasses as a fashion statement. I don't know about you, but he doesn't really strike me as a man who is all that concerned with modern fashions.

[Noel's angel]

you just have to get past the Swiss guards first

[Noel's angel]

[quote name='Apotheoun' date='Jul 19 2005, 08:39 AM']I don't even know what a "bling" is.  But as a someone who is slowly going blind, I can certainly understand the Pope wearing expensive sunglasses to protect his vision.  None of us is privy to the issues surrounding his health, but he is a nearly 80 year old man, and he has suffered several strokes over the past few years, and so he may have problems with his vision.  I sincerely doubt that he is wearing the sunglasses as a fashion statement.  I don't know about you, but he doesn't really strike me as a man who is all that concerned with modern fashions.
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calm down dear, 'twas only a joke

i love the Pope as much as anyone around here

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Noel's angel' date='Jul 19 2005, 06:44 AM']calm down dear, 'twas only a joke

i love the Pope as much as anyone around here
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Sorry, I simply take matters concerning vision very seriously.



Protect your vision, because it's a precious gift.

[Noel's angel]

i shall sorry if you took offence

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Noel's angel' date='Jul 19 2005, 06:47 AM']i shall   sorry if you took offence
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I wasn't offended, but I myself spend an exorbitant amount of money in order to protect my eyes, because I want to see as long as I possible can.

[Noel's angel]

better to spend money on your health than anything else

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Noel's angel' date='Jul 19 2005, 06:58 AM']better to spend money on your health than anything else
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Very true.

[Norseman82]

Has anyone checked out [url="http://www.iwantmyvacation.com"]www.iwantmyvacation.com[/url] yet? I can just see it now - in addition to the "bash the boss" game (my high score on that one is 85.6 so far), they can have an "excommunicate the boss" game!