Montecassino, Italy, May 25, 2009 / 08:12 am
Pope Benedict XVI, speaking to a crowd of 20,000 people on Sunday, emphasized the need for leaders to give their attention to families, which are urgently in need of better protection because of the economic crisis.
The Holy Father made his comments while he was celebrating Mass at the famous Abbey of Montecassino, which was founded by St. Benedict.
The majority of the Pope's remarks were focused on yesterday's Feast of the Ascension, but he also mentioned the Benedictine motto, “Ora et Labora” (Pray and Work).
He explained: "In the first place, prayer, which is the greatest heritage St. Benedict left to his monks, ... is the silent path that leads directly to Gods' heart; it is the breath of the soul that restores peace to us amid the storms of life."
Turning to work, Benedict XVI recalled how Christian monasticism is called to “humanize the world of work.”