Pope tells Swiss bishops to react to secular influences in society

Published: 2006-11-08

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In many rich nations, Christians are left to wonder whether God will disappear completely from people's lives, Pope Benedict XVI said. "We see the emptying of churches, seminaries and convents," the pope said in a Nov. 7 homily at a Mass he celebrated with the bishops of Switzerland. Although outright refusals to believe in God and the more frequent plea of "I have more important things to do" are disturbing, the pope said, the bishops of Switzerland and other increasingly secular societies are called to react. "The problems can be resolved if God is at the center, if he becomes the measure we use," the pope told the bishops, who were concluding their 2005 "ad limina" visits to report on the status of their dioceses. The 2005 visits were interrupted by the hospitalization and death of Pope John Paul II.

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