Vatican City, Jun 15, 2007 / 07:43 am
Recalling the founding of the Pontifical Council for Culture by the Servant of God John Paul II, the Pope received participants of the congress gathered to celebrate its 25th anniversary today. In his address to the congress, he stressed the importance of culture for helping man encounter the love of God in his life and the lives of those around him.
The Holy Father recalled how Servant of God John Paul II created the council on May 20, 1982 with the aim "of giving renewed impulse to the Church's commitment to ensure the Gospel encounters the plurality of cultures in the various parts of the world."
Benedict pointed out that Christian culture is always at the service of the good of people. "In its dealings with the world of culture, the Church always places man at the center, both as the instigator of cultural activity and as its ultimate recipient."
Benedict XVI then recalled that to celebrate its 25th anniversary, the pontifical council has organized this congress "to meditate upon the relationship between evangelization and culture," and "to consider how that relationship presents itself today in Asia, America and Africa."