RIMINI, Italy, AUG. 20, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI sent a message to Bishop Francesco Lambiasi of Rimini on the occasion of the 33rd Rimini Meeting, which began Sunday. The theme of this year’s meeting is, «By Nature, Man is Relation to the Infinite.»
In his message, the Pope wrote that «to speak of man and his desire for infinity — means first acknowledging his constitutive relationship with the Creator.»
«Man is a creature of God. Today this word ‘creature’ appears almost out of fashion. We prefer to think of man as being complete in itself, and master of its own destiny,» the Holy Father said.
The Pontiff went on to say that despite man trying to escape this fundamental relationship with God, his heart is still in search of the infinite, albeit in the wrong direction. He «begins a frantic search for a sterile and false infinite that leads to dangerous places: to drugs, sexuality lived in a disorderly manner, success at any cost, and even deceptive forms of religiosity.»
«To truly find himself and his identity,» recommended Pope Benedict, «man must return to recognizing himself as a creature, dependent on God. In recognition of this dependence, man experiences the joyful discovery that we are children of God linked to the possibility of a truly free and full life.»