Pope Benedict in the Czech Republic 2009
Pope Benedict XVI has spent three days on an Apostolic visit to the Czech Republic - his first visit to the country. Here you'll find the Holy Father's homilies and addresses. The Vatican also has some video footage of the visit (you will need Quicktime installed as the clips are .mov files).
Itinerary
Itinerary: The Holy Father's visit to the Czech Republic (pdf)
Welcoming ceremony
Stará Ruzyně International Airport, Prague
26 September 2009
"The Presidential flag flying over Prague Castle proclaims the motto “Pravda Vítezí - the Truth wins”: it is my earnest hope that the light of truth will continue to guide this nation, so blessed throughout its history by the witness of great saints and martyrs. In this scientific age, it is instructive to recall the example of Johann Gregor Mendel, the Augustinian Abbot from Moravia whose pioneering research laid the foundations of modern genetics. Not for him the reproach of his patron, Saint Augustine, who regretted that so many were “more concerned with admiring facts than seeking their causes” (Epistula 120:5; cf. John Paul II, Address for the Commemoration of Abbot Gregor Mendel on the First Centenary of his Death, 10 March 1984, 2). The authentic progress of humanity is best served by just such a combination of the wisdom of faith and the insights of reason. May the Czech people always enjoy the benefits of that happy synthesis."
Visit to the "Holy Infant of Prague"
Church of Our Lady Victorious
September 26, 2009
"My thoughts turn to your own families and to all the families in the world, in their joys and difficulties. Our reflections should lead us to prayer, as we call upon the Child Jesus for the gift of unity and harmony for all families. We think especially of young families who have to work so hard to offer their children security and a decent future. We pray for families in difficulty, struggling with illness and suffering, for those in crisis, divided or torn apart by strife or infidelity. We entrust them all to the Holy Infant of Prague, knowing how important their stability and harmony is for the true progress of society and for the future of humanity."
Pope Benedict's greeting at the visit to the "Holy Infant of Prague" (pdf)
Meeting with the civil and political authorities and the diplomatic corps
Presidential Palace of Prague
26 September 2009
"For Christians, truth has a name: God. And goodness has a face: Jesus Christ. The faith of Christians, from the time of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the early missionaries, has in fact played a decisive role in shaping the spiritual and cultural heritage of this country. It must do likewise in the present and into the future. The rich patrimony of spiritual and cultural values, each finding expression in the other, has not only given shape to the nation’s identity but has also furnished it with the vision necessary to exercise a role of cohesion at the heart of Europe."
Pope Benedict's address to civil and political authorities and diplomats (pdf)
Celebration of Vespers with priests, religious, seminarians and lay movements
Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert, Prague
26 September 2009
"Twenty years ago, after the long winter of Communist dictatorship, your Christian communities began once more to express themselves freely, when, through the events triggered by the student demonstration of 17 November 1989, your people regained their freedom. Yet you are well aware that even today it is not easy to live and bear witness to the Gospel. Society continues to suffer from the wounds caused by atheist ideology, and it is often seduced by the modern mentality of hedonistic consumerism amid a dangerous crisis of human and religious values and a growing drift towards ethical and cultural relativism."
Pope Benedict's homily, Holy Mass
Tuřany Airport, Brno
September 27, 2009
"In fact, in the modern age both faith and hope have undergone a 'shift', because they have been relegated to the private and other-worldly sphere, while in day-to-day public life confidence in scientific and economic progress has been affirmed (cf. Spe Salvi, 17). We all know that this progress is ambiguous: it opens up possibilities for good as well as evil. Technical developments and the improvement of social structures are important and certainly necessary, but they are not enough to guarantee the moral welfare of society (cf. ibid., 24). Man needs to be liberated from material oppressions, but more profoundly, he must be saved from the evils that afflict the spirit."
Angelus Domini - the Holy Father's address
Tuřany Airport, Brno
September 27, 2009
"At times one cannot help noticing, with a certain nostalgia, that the pace of modern life tends to diminish some elements of a rich heritage of faith. Yet it is important not to lose sight of the ideal expressed by traditional customs, and above all to maintain the spiritual patrimony inherited from your forebears, to guard it and to make it answer to the needs of the present day. May the Virgin Mary assist you in this, as we renew the entrustment to her of your Church and of the entire Czech nation."
Ecumenical meeting
Throne Hall, Archbishop's House, Prague
September 27, 2009
"Christianity has much to offer on the practical and ethical level, for the Gospel never ceases to inspire men and women to place themselves at the service of their brothers and sisters. Few would dispute this. Yet those who fix their gaze upon Jesus of Nazareth with eyes of faith know that God offers a deeper reality which is nonetheless inseparable from the “economy” of charity at work in this world (cf. Caritas in Veritate, 2): He offers salvation."
Holy Mass on the liturgical memorial of Saint Wenceslaus, Patron of the Czech Republic
Esplanade on the Way to Melnik in Stará Boleslav
28 September 2009
"We are gathered around the altar for the glorious commemoration of the martyr Saint Wenceslaus, whose relics I was able to venerate before Mass in the Basilica dedicated to him. He shed his blood in your land, and his eagle, which you chose as a symbol for this visit, constitutes the historical emblem of the noble Czech nation. This great saint, whom you are pleased to call the “eternal” Prince of the Czechs, invites us always to follow Christ faithfully, he invites us to be holy. He himself is a model of holiness for all people, especially the leaders of communities and peoples."
Pope Benedict's homily at Mass, Liturgical Memorial of Saint Wenceslaus (pdf)
Meeting with members of the academic community
Vladislav Hall, Prague Castle
27 September 2009
"The freedom that underlies the exercise of reason – be it in a university or in the Church – has a purpose: it is directed to the pursuit of truth, and as such gives expression to a tenet of Christianity which in fact gave rise to the university. Indeed, man’s thirst for knowledge prompts every generation to broaden the concept of reason and to drink at the wellsprings of faith."
Pope Benedict's message to the young people
On the Esplanade on the Way to Melnik in Stará Boleslav
September 28, 2009
"The Pope asks you to live your faith with joy and enthusiasm; to grow in unity among yourselves and with Christ; to pray and to be diligent in frequenting the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession; to take seriously your Christian formation, remaining ever obedient to the teachings of your Pastors. May Saint Wenceslaus guide you along this path through his example and his intercession, and may you always enjoy the protection of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother. I bless all of you with affection!"