Pope says Jesus demonstrates God's love by incarnation, death

Published: 2006-08-09

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In a way unique among all religions, Jesus demonstrated God's absolute love by his incarnation and death, Pope Benedict XVI said. Love becomes truly Christian when, in imitation of Christ, one loves "all without distinction" and continues to do so even if it has "extreme consequences," the pope said Aug. 9 at his weekly general audience. Pope Benedict, who flew by helicopter to the Vatican from his summer residence south of Rome, shook hundreds of hands as he made his way down the main aisle of the Vatican's audience hall. Thousands of hands reached out to grab him, provoking unusually mild rebukes from security officers and forcing the pope continually to push the fisherman's ring back below his knuckle. Reaching the stage, but before beginning his audience talk, the pope posed for a group photograph with the costume-clad children of Taiwan's Lan Yang Catholic Youth Center dance troupe.

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