Pope watches St. Augustine film, says saint's message will endure forever

Vatican City, Sep 3, 2009 / 08:39 am

On Wednesday afternoon Pope Benedict attended a screening of a film on St. Augustine. Reacting to the movie, the Holy Father noted that at the end of his life, St. Augustine's world seemed to be crumbling around him. But because the saint's message was about the Truth, that is, Jesus, his message will remain until the end of time.

The film, called simply "St. Augustine," is an Italian, German, Polish co-production. The film was made by Lux Vide/Rai Fiction, Bayerischer Rundfunk/Tellux Film, Eos Entertainment Rai Trade and Grupa Filmova Baltmedia. It was directed by Christian Duguay.

At the end of the screening, the Holy Father expressed his thanks to everyone involved in the project and pronounced some brief remarks. "I feel this film to be a spiritual journey in a spiritual continent, far distant from us yet at the same time very near because the human drama remains the same," he said.

"We have seen how, in a context far removed from our own, the reality of human life is represented with all its problems, sadness and failures, just as we have seen how, in the end, Truth is stronger than any obstacle and seeks out man. This is the great hope that remains at the end: we alone cannot seek out Truth, but Truth, which is a Person, seeks out us.

"Seen from the outside, the life of St. Augustine seems to finish tragically as the world for which and in which he lived comes to an end. But as was made clear in this film, his message remains and, even as the world changes, it endures because it comes from Truth and guides us to Charity, which is our shared destination," the Pope explained.

The Pontiff concluded his remarks by thanking everyone and saying, "Let us hope that many people, watching this human drama, may be sought out by Truth and so discover Charity."