Pope says St. Augustine's conversion like that of many youths today

Published: 2008-01-09

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As a young man, St. Augustine, like many young Catholics today, left the practice of the faith for a time, but his search for truth and meaning eventually led to his conversion, Pope Benedict XVI said. Continuing his series of audience talks about early church theologians, the pope Jan. 9 gave the first of what he said would be several talks about St. Augustine, who lived 354-430, and was the subject of his doctoral dissertation when he was Father Joseph Ratzinger. Briefly presenting St. Augustine's biography, the pope said he was "a man of passion, of faith, of very high intelligence and of untiring pastoral concern." In addition, he said, St. Augustine is "the father of the church that left us the greatest number of works" and, in fact, "it seems impossible that one man could have written so much in one lifetime." St. Augustine's most famous work is his autobiography, "The Confessions." Pope Benedict told the estimated 4,500 people at his general audience that St. Augustine's mother, St. Monica, was a devout Christian and educated him in the faith.

Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .