Vatican City, May 11, 2008 / 09:35 am
This morning Pope Benedict XVI celebrated the Mass of Pentecost at St. Peter’s Basilica. In his homily, the Holy Father spoke about the ”harmony of gifts” of the Holy Spirit, and emphasized the responsibility of the Church to become an instrument of peace, a theme Pope Benedict has recited often in recent days.
“Only the Holy Spirit, which creates unity in love and mutual acceptance of diversity, can liberate humanity from the constant temptation of a desire for power on earth that wants to dominate everything and make everything more uniform.”
At the feast of Pentecost, Pope Benedict, the Church was founded not by human will, but “by the strength of the Spirit of God."
The Pope recalled that the Jewish feast of Pentecost commemorates the covenant of Sinai when God, through Moses, established the Israelites as his chosen people. “According to the Book of Exodus, this pact was accompanied by a terrifying demonstration of power by the Lord,” Pope Benedict said.