The Georgia Bulletin

Sun, Nov 23, 2008


What I Have Seen and Heard - Archbishop Gregory's Weekly Column

Pope, at audience, discusses Revelation canticle about Christ's death

Published: 2004-11-03

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II gathered inspiration from the Liturgy of the Hours' evening prayer to concentrate on the death of Christ and how it had turned Christians into "a kingdom of priests." During his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square Nov. 3, the pope recalled how Christ's death is presented as the slaying of the lamb in a canticle from the Book of Revelation. The canticle is included in the evening prayer. The canticle "concentrates in a particular way on Christ, the lamb, who has been slain but now reigns glorious. In him God's eternal project has been fulfilled," said the English summary of the pope's talk. Christ, the summary read, "has freed us from evil and made us into a kingdom of priests."