Vatican City, Dec 6, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Twenty thousand pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square this morning to hear Pope Benedict’s weekly general audience in which he expounded on God’s faithfulness and mercy, particularly toward the small and vulnerable.
The Holy Father continued his ongoing catechesis on the Psalms, speaking today about Psalm 137, called, "a hymn of thanksgiving."
He began by quoting the psalmist, who "raises his voice before the Temple assembly or, at least, having the Shrine of Zion as a reference. ... He sings before God Who is in heaven with His host of angels, but Who also listens within the earthly space of the Temple."
The writer is certain, the Pope noted “that the 'name' of the Lord - in other words His personal, living and active reality and His virtues of faithfulness and mercy - are the ... bastion of all faith and all hope.”