PAVIA, Italy (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI pressed his campaign in support of traditional families Saturday, saying during a pilgrimage to northern Italy that they are the "fundamental" element of society and need to be defended.
Benedict celebrated an open-air Mass in the colonnaded piazza of Vigevano, a fortified town southwest of Milan that was the only diocese in the region not visited by Pope John Paul II during his globe-trotting 26-year pontificate.
The Vigevano stop was the first leg of a two-day trip to the region. Saturday evening, Benedict headed to nearby Pavia, where he will pray at the tomb of St. Augustine, one of the fathers of the early Christian church who is particularly dear to the pontiff. Thousands of faithful gathered before the city's 15th-century cathedral to welcome the pope.
In his homily Saturday in Vigevano, Benedict mentioned the role of families, a theme he has touched on frequently in recent months.
"They are the fundamental element of social life. Only by working in favor of families can the fabric of the ecclesial community and civil society be renewed," the pontiff said.
After he was interrupted by applause, he added: "I see we're in agreement."
Benedict has spearheaded a Vatican campaign defending the "traditional family" based on marriage between a man and a woman. His support has emboldened Italy's bishops, who are waging a fierce battle against the government's proposal to extend some rights to non-married couples, including same-sex unions.
On Sunday, the pontiff is expected to pray at the tomb of Augustine, whose writings include "City of God" and "Confessions" — considered by many to be the foundations of Western theology.
Benedict wrote his doctoral thesis on Augustine in 1953 and is one of the best Augustinian thinkers alive today, church experts said.
Unlike John Paul, the 80-year-old Benedict has limited his travel and in his two-year pontificate, has made only a few trips within Italy and beyond. He is due to travel to Brazil next month — his first trip to the Americas as pope.
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Comments