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POPE-ITALY Jun-24-2005 (700 words) With photos. xxxi
On state visit, pope says Italy should not abandon Christian heritage
By John Thavis
Catholic News Service
ROME (CNS) -- Making his first official state visit to Italy, Pope Benedict XVI urged Italians not to abandon their Christian heritage and age-old values on human life and the family.
The pope made his comments during a formal encounter June 24 with Italian President Azeglio Ciampi, who hosted the pontiff at Rome's Quirinal Palace, the presidential residence.
The tone of the two-and-a-half-hour visit was friendly and cordial. But in his speech, the pope challenged Italians on several key issues, including abortion, euthanasia, marriage and aid to private schools.
Saying that Italian culture was "permeated with Christian values," the pope warned that the country would be seriously damaged if they were eroded. He told the president that he had several specific worries in mind.
On human life, he said, the church asks that it be protected "from its conception to its natural end." Abortion is legal in Italy, while euthanasia remains illegal. The pope noted that the church believes palliative care should be given to the terminally ill to make death "more human."
On marriage, the pope said the family founded on matrimony is a value that "must be defended against every attack that aims to undermine its solidity and put its very existence in question."
While same-sex marriage proposals have made little headway in Italy, church officials are worried that approval of gay marriage in other European countries could influence Italian opinion on the issue.
The pope also referred to a longstanding church-state issue in Italy, the public funding of Catholic schools. Italian church leaders have for years sought legislation to increase government aid to private schools.
Pope Benedict said it was the state's responsibility to protect the right of parents to freely choose schools without having to bear a heavy economic burden.
On all these issues, the pope said, Italian lawmakers should have the wisdom to find solutions that respect the "inviolable values" involved.
The pope's visit, which was carried live on Italian television, was marked by pomp and pageantry. As the pope rode in his open Mercedes through St. Peter's Square and crossed the border into Italy, he was met by a delegation of government officials and a crowd of cheering Romans.
A military band played as the pope rode slowly in a motorcade through downtown Rome, his car flanked by a squad of helmeted carabinieri police on horseback. He donned sunglasses and occasionally wiped his brow in the summer heat, waving to well-wishers who lined the streets.
His motorcade stopped briefly in the historic Piazza Venezia so the pope could greet the city's mayor, Walter Veltroni, before reaching the Quirinal Palace, a one-time papal residence that passed to Italy's civil authorities in the 19th century.
Ciampi welcomed the pope warmly, leading him through the ornate rooms of the palace. The two paused on a loggia to admire a view of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica across the roofs of the city.
In his own speech, Ciampi said it was clear that Italy and the pope shared a set of fundamental values. But he also spoke of the necessary distinction between religious conviction and political activity, and said he was proud of the secular nature of the Italian state.
Pope Benedict also spoke of the essentially "lay" character of the state as a healthy thing, but said it cannot operate without reference to ethical values that find their ultimate basis in religion.
The pope said the best example of how the church should operate in the social and political world was offered by Jesus Christ. He said announcing the Gospel is an act of service not only to religious life but also to social life.
When Christ's message is accepted, he said, "the civil community becomes more responsible, more attentive to the demands of the public good, and closer to the poor, the abandoned and the marginalized."
Before leaving the presidential palace, the pope presented Ciampi with a mosaic of Mary and Jesus. The Italian president gave the pope a book on the Quirinal Palace and a gold medal coined especially for the papal visit.
END
Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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