Pope Benedict reminds the Church of her origins and mission

From Catholic News Service:
ROME, May 27, 2007 / 11:44 am (CNA).- On an overcast, humid Pentecost Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI met with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square to give the last Regina Coeli address of the year.

The Pope began by calling to mind that, "today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost." This feast is especially important for the Church since "we can say that the Church had its solemn beginning with the descent of the Holy Spirit."

Moreover, Benedict explained that "in this extraordinary event, we find the essential characteristics and qualifications of the Church." First, "the Church is One, like the community at Pentecost, united in prayer." Second, "the Church is Holy, not by her merits, but because, animated by the Holy Spirit, she keeps her eyes fixed on Christ."

The Church is also Catholic "because the Gospel is destined for all people and for this reason, from the very beginning, the Holy Spirit makes it so that she speaks all languages." Lastly, "the Church is Apostolic because she was raised on the foundation of the Apostles and faithfully guards their teachings through the uninterrupted chain of Apostolic Succession."

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