” “” ” ” “This morning, Benedict XVI’s catechesis for the Wednesday’s general audience was devoted to the figure of Saint Ephrem, the most important champion of Christianity in the Syriac language. The Pope explained, at the beginning of his catechesis, why he made such choice. Nowadays, people think said the Pope – that Christianity is the expression of a European and Western culture. And instead "reality is much more complex. The roots of Christianity are in Jerusalem and in the Old Testament", and the expansion of Christianity also moved "towards the West and the Greek-Latin world", imbuing the European culture, as well as "towards the East and therefore towards Persia and India". And it was just to prove the cultural diversity of Christianity that Pope Benedict XVI decided last Wednesday to focus his catechesis on the figure of Aafrate. Today, the figure of Saint Ephrem the Syrian continues such approach. (continued)” “” “
