VATICAN - During his general weekly audience Pope Benedict XVI reports on his recent pastoral visit to Austria: “what we saw was the living, faithful and varied reality of the Catholic Church … a joyful and involving presence of a Church which, like Mary, is called always to "look to Christ" in order to be able to show him and offer him to everyone ”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - His recent pastoral visit to Austria was the subject of Pope Benedict XVI's address at the Wednesday general audience on September 11 in St Peter's Square in the Vatican, which he reached by helicopter from his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. “The specific reason for the visit- the Pope recalled - was the 850th anniversary of the Shrine of Mariazell, the most important Marian shine in Austria, very dear also to Hungarian Catholics and visited by pilgrims from other neighbouring countries. It was therefore first and foremost a pilgrimage and the motto was: ‘Look to Christ: let us go to Mary who shows us Jesus.”
The pastoral visit included meetings with the president of Austria and the Diplomatic Corps: “These are precious opportunities for the Successor of Peter to urge the leaders of nations to support the cause of peace and authentic economic and social development - Pope Benedict XVI said -. Looking at Europe, I renewed my encouragement to continue to present process of unification on the basis of values inspired by our common Christian heritage. Mariazell is a symbol of the encounter of the peoples of Europe around the Christian faith. How can we forget that Europe is the bearer of a tradition of thought which binds faith, reason and sentiment together? Illustrious philosophers, also independently from the faith, have recognised the central role played by Christianity to preserve modern conscience from nihilistic or fundamentalist drifting.”
The Pope made his actual pilgrimage to Mariazell on Saturday September 8, the feast of the Nativity of Mary and the Shrine's patronal feast-day: “It gave me great joy to return to that holy place so dear to the peoples of central and eastern Europe as the Successor of Peter. There I admired the exemplary courage of several thousands of pilgrims determined, despite rain and cold, to be present to celebrate the recurrence with immense joy and faith. I reflected on the central theme of my visit: "Look to Christ", a theme chosen by the Bishops of Austria and on which they had carefully dwelt with the people during months nine months of preparation … Looking to Jesus with the eyes of Mary means to encounter God Love, who for us became man and died on the cross.”
In the afternoon of the same day the Holy Father met with the clergy, deacons, men and women religious and seminarians to celebrate Vespers inside the Basilica of Mariazell: “Spiritually united with Mary, we blessed the Lord for the humble dedication of so many men and women who entrust themselves to his mercy and consecrate themselves to God's service. These people, despite their human limits, indeed, precisely with the simplicity and humility of their humanity and following Jesus along the path of poverty, chastity and obedience, strive to offer a reflection of the goodness and beauty of God to others”.
On Sunday 9 September the Pope celebrated a solemn Mass in St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. “In my homily -Benedict XVI recalled -, I dwelt on the profound meaning and value of Sunday… We too, Christians of two thousand, cannot live without Sunday: a day which gives meaning to work and to rest, actualises the significance of creation and redemption, expresses the value of freedom and service of others … yes Sunday is all this: far more than a precept! If peoples of ancient Christian civilisation abandon this significance and let Sunday become merely the week-end, an occasion for mundane and commercial interests, this means they have decided to renounce their culture.”
At Heiligenkreuz Abbey on Sunday afternoon, meeting the flourishing community of Cistercian Monks the Pope reminded them of the "great teaching of Saint Benedict with regard to the Divine Office, underlining the value of prayer as a service of praise and adoration due to God because of his infinite beauty and goodness… neither can theological study be separated from spiritual life and prayer”.
The last encounter of the journey was with the world of Volunteer Associations. “Volunteer work is not only "doing": it is first of all a way of being which comes from the heart, from an attitude of gratitude for life and a desire to "give back", to share with others the gifts received. In this perspective, I encouraged the culture of volunteer work… Everyone can be a volunteer: even the most needy and disadvantaged person has, without a doubt, much to share with others and to offer as a contribution to building a civilisation of love.”
At the end of his Audience address, Benedict XVI thanked God for allowing him to make the pilgrimage visit to Austria of which the main destination was a Marian Shrine and he concluded: “In Vienna and at Mariazell what we saw was the living, faithful and varied reality of the Catholic Church present at the planned events in such numbers; a joyful and involving presence of a Church which, like Mary, is called always to "look to Christ" in order to be able to show him and offer him to others; a Church, teacher and witness of a generous "yes" to live in its every dimension; a Church which actualises her bi-millennial tradition at the service of a future of peace and authentic social progress for the whole human family.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 13/9/2007 - righe 64, parole 893)