Vatican City, Oct 31, 2007 / 07:14 am
Steady rain fell on St. Peter’s Square today, but that did not stop 30,000 people from attending the Pope’s Wednesday audience. He pointed the gathered pilgrims to the example of St. Maximus of Turin, who teaches Christians that they are called to be good citizens of earth and of Heaven.
Maximus became bishop of the Italian city of Turin in the year 398 just as it was being threatened by various barbarian tribes. Since Turin was protected by a military garrison, it served as a safe haven for people fleeing rural areas.
Faced with such a situation the activities of Maximus, "bear witness to his commitment to react to the degradation and break-up" of civil society, said the Pope. The bishop censured the faithful when they sought to turn another's disadvantage to their own benefit, thus highlighting "the profound relationship between a person's duties as a Christian and as a citizen." And Maximus was concerned "not only with people's traditional love for their hometown" but also proclaimed "the specific duty of paying taxes."
A historical and literary analysis of the figure of St. Maximus, said the Pope, "demonstrates his growing awareness of the political responsibility of the ecclesiastical authorities at a time in which they were, in effect, substituting civil authority."