Pope at Angelus: Sin still paralyzes people

Reciting the Angelus Feb. 19, Pope Benedict said the day's Gospel reading about Jesus forgiving the sins of the paralyzed man and healing him demonstrates that Christ's primary mission is to heal souls.

"The paralyzed man is the image of every human being impeded by sin from moving freely, from walking on the path of goodness, from giving the best of himself," the pope said.

"Evil, nesting in the soul, binds man with the ropes of lies, anger, envy and the other sins, and paralyzes him little by little," he said.

The presence of sin prevents humanity from fully developing "those values of brotherhood, justice and peace" which are celebrated and proclaimed in solemn declarations signed by most countries in the world, he said.

Pope Benedict said there obviously are many complex reasons for the failure of the international community to realize the ideals it proclaims, but the Gospel calls Christians to trust that Christ can and will heal the world.

"Only the love of God can renew the heart of man, and only if it is healed in its heart can paralyzed humanity get up and walk," he said. "The love of God is the true force that will renew the world."

At the end of his Angelus address, Pope Benedict offered special prayers for the victims of the Feb. 17 mudslides on Leyte Island in the Philippines, where more than a thousand are feared dead, buried beneath the mud.

"Our hearts turn to all those suffering the devastating consequences of the landslide in the Philippines," the pope said. "I ask you to join me in praying for their victims, their loved ones and all those affected. May the grieving families experience the consolation of the Lord's presence and rescue workers be assured of our concern and support."

When meeting the Diocese of Rome's deacons and their wives Feb. 18, the pope spoke of the power of God's love to free people from sin so they could live lives filled with meaning and joy.

Since the earliest days of Christianity in Rome, the pope said, the church has reached out to the poor.

In recent years, he said, "new forms of poverty have emerged: Many people, in fact, have lost the meaning of their lives and do not have a truth upon which they can build their existence; many young people want to meet men who know how to listen and advise them in life's difficulties."

"Alongside material poverty, we also find a spiritual and cultural poverty," he said.

Pope Benedict thanked the deacons for their service and thanked their wives and children for their generosity in supporting the deacons' ministry.

He told the men, "be deacons of the truth that sets people free and lead the inhabitants of this city to encounter Jesus Christ. Meeting the Redeemer in one's own life is a source of profound joy, a joy that can give peace, even in times of trial."

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