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Pope: 'Lent is a time of spiritual combat'


Pope Benedict XVI prayed the Angelus with tens of thousands of pilgrims in St Peter's Square today, an unusually warm first Sunday of Lent.

Speaking from his window in the Apostolic Palace above the Square before the prayers the Holy Father said: "In this Year of Faith, Lent is a favorable time to rediscover the faith in God as the basic criterion of our life and the life of the Church."

The Pope went on to say that this always involves a struggle - a real spiritual combat - because the spirit of evil that is opposed to our sanctification seeks to throw us off the path that God has set out for us. Noting that it is for this reason that the Church traditionally proclaims the Gospel narrative of Christ's temptation in the desert on the first Sunday of Lent, Pope Benedict said: "The tempter is subtle: he does not push us directly toward evil, but to a false good."

He said: "but, if we look closely, in every moment, we are at a crossroads: do we want to follow the self, or God?"

During his greetings in English, he said: "Today we contemplate Christ in the desert, fasting, praying, and being tempted. As we begin our Lenten journey, we join him and we ask him to give us strength to fight our weaknesses. Let me also thank you for the prayers and support you have shown me in these days. May God bless all of you!"

The Angelus this Sunday was the second-to-last scheduled before Pope Benedict XVI's resignation becomes effective at 8pm Rome time on 28 February.

Source: VIS/Vatican Radio

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