Vatican City, Feb 13, 2011 / 10:54 am
At the Sunday Angelus, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of the “new law” of love which Jesus offered during the Sermon on the Mount. He called on all people to follow Christ on the path to a more fraternal and supportive society.
From the window of his studio, the pontiff prayed the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer with the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square. Among them were hundreds of representatives of the Community of Sant'Egidio.
The “new law” of Jesus is recounted in Sunday's Gospel reading from Matthew. In it, said Pope Benedict, Jesus declares the “definitive revelation of the law” which he brought at his coming.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill,” says Jesus in the Gospel account. To the disciples, he adds, “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”