Benedict XVI looks out

April 19 will mark the first anniversary of the election of Pope Benedict XVI as Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church. Much to his credit, in less than a year, he has earned for himself the reputation not only for ensuring that celebrations have to be performed with renewed solemnity, as in both the funeral Mass for John Paul II, over which Benedict, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, presided as Dean of the College of Cardinals, and in his inaugural Mass at St Peter's Square on April 24, but also for his extremely well prepared homilies and his first-class speeches to heads of states and their representatives on presenting their credentials to the Pope.

Indeed for Pope Benedict the Church looks out all the time. First and foremost it looks out towards God; next it looks out meaningfully for the sake of the redemption of the world.

Pope Benedict has revealed himself as the typical humble genius who is unafraid of disputing issues of the most serious kind, issues that touch the heart, both of people, of rulers and of society as a whole. He firmly believes that it is often through an open encounter with our differences that the truth can be seen for what it is. For him truth and love go hand in hand.

As Denmark has been very much in news over these past weeks, the target of hatred and violence by Muslim fanatics, perhaps it is appropriate to quote from Benedict XVI's address to the new ambassador of Denmark when he presented his credentials to the Pope in December.

The Holy Father had words of praise for Denmark's financial aid to nations in need: "I am pleased to note, Mr Ambassador, that your country continues to be most generous in its dedication to reduce world poverty and foster international development. The Holy See appreciates the importance attacked by the Danish Government to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, particularly with regard to the contribution by richer countries of 0.7 per cent of their gross national product to the international aid budget.

"I offer you every encouragement to continue resolutely along this path towards a more just distribution of global resources, and I pray that many other nations will be inspired by the leadership your country has shown in this regard."

In his remarkable address the Pope also touched other points of deprivation afflicting the world today: "In Denmark, as in many European countries, there is currently much discussion of the issues associated with immigration.

I urge the Danish people to offer a welcome to the newcomers in their midst and I trust also that those who have found a home in Denmark will respect the values and sensibilities of their host nation... I pray that the various groups represented in Danish society will continue to live together peacefully, giving an example to other nations of the mutual enrichment that host countries and immigrants can offer one another."

Towards the end of his address, Pope Benedict stressed the need for an examination of secularisation in today's society: "As in much of Europe today, Danish society is becoming increasingly secular in outlook.

The Church has a right and a duty to point out the dangers that ensue when man's divine origin and destiny are ignored or denied... The defence of life from conception to natural death, for example, and the stability of marriage and family life are goods that must be safeguarded in every society, however vocal the forces that may seek to undermine them."