Pope tells German Catholics faith does not limit life, possibilities

Published: 2008-05-22

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Having faith in God does not limit one's life and possibilities, but rather opens a person to others and helps him or her face the future with courage, Pope Benedict XVI said. Many people today "fear that faith can limit their lives, that they could be caught in a web of commandments and church teachings" and would no longer be free to explore and experiment, the pope said in a message to German Catholics. The papal message, released May 22 at the Vatican, was read at the opening of the May 21-25 Katholikentag, the biennial German Catholic Church assembly, in Osnabruck. Pope Benedict said many people today are like the young brother in the story of Prodigal Son; they feel they have to leave "the father" in order to experience life. But fullness of life comes only when one is in a relationship with God, the creator of all life, the pope said. "A life without God does not become freer and broader. Man is destined for infinity; nothing other than that can be sufficient for him," he said.

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