Vatican City, Nov 7, 2012 / 13:49 pm
Pope Benedict XVI continued his series of teachings on faith by observing that although secularism is on the rise, everyone has a desire for God, and this can be seen in the experience of love.
"Even in today's secularized society, this desire for God continues to make itself felt, above all in the experience of love," he told thousands of pilgrims assembled in St. Peter's Square for the Nov. 7 general audience.
The Pope quoted St. Augustine's famous words about hearts remaining restless until they rest in God. And love, he noted, is the way to begin satisfying that longing, which finds its fulfillment in faith in God.
Love by its very nature means encountering another, the pontiff said, noting that this can be in another person or in God himself.