If we call Jesus "the one universal Mediator of salvation," said the Pope, "this does not mean that we despise other religions, nor that we are arrogantly proposing the absolutism of our own ideas; on the contrary, it means that we are gripped by Him Who has touched our hearts and lavished gifts upon us, so that we, in turn, can offer gifts to others.
The Crisis of Truth in the West
"In fact, our faith is decisively opposed to the attitude of resignation that considers man incapable of truth, as if this were more than he could cope with. This attitude of resignation with regard to truth lies at the heart of the crisis of the West, the crisis of Europe. If truth does not exist for man, then neither can he ultimately distinguish between good and evil. And then the great and wonderful discoveries of science become double-edged: they can open up significant possibilities for good, for the benefit of mankind, but also, as we see only too clearly, they can pose a terrible threat.
Truth prevails through love not force
"We need the truth. Yet admittedly, in the light of our history we are fearful that faith in the truth might entail intolerance. If we are gripped by this fear, which is historically well grounded, then it is time to look towards Jesus as we see Him in the shrine at Mariazell.
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We see Him here in two images: as the Child in His mother's arms, and ... as the Crucified One. These two images tell us this: truth prevails not through external force. Rather, it is humble and it yields itself to man only via the inner force of its veracity. Truth proves itself in love."
To the plea to "show us Jesus" said the Pope, "Mary responds, showing Him to us in the first instance as a Child. God has made Himself small for us. God comes not with external force, but He comes in the powerlessness of His love, which is where His true strength lies."
"The Child Jesus naturally reminds us also of all the children in the world. ... Europe has become child-poor: we want everything for ourselves, and place little trust in the future. Yet the earth will be deprived of a future only when the forces of the human heart and of reason illuminated by the heart are extinguished - when the face of God no longer shines upon the earth. Where God is, there is the future."