As the Synod of Bishops opened its discussion of the Word of God recently, Pope Benedict XVI compared the enduring power of the Gospel message with the evanescence of worldly wealth and power.
Pointing to the current world economic crisis, the Pope remarked that the collapse of international financial institutions underlines the temporary nature of earthly treasure.
"Money disappears; it becomes nothing," he observed. "Only the Word of God is the foundation of reality -- stable, like heaven."
He went on to say that modern man is tempted to think of material objects as the ultimate reality. But that is an error, he said, adding:
"A realist is one who recognizes that the Word of God - this reality that appears so weak - is in fact the foundation of everything."
The Pontiff spoke at the opening session of the Synod, with 244 participating bishops in attendance at the Vatican meeting. Pope Benedict plans to attend most of the sessions during the 3-week Synod, to follow the bishops' discussions.
(Source: CWNews.com)