The Pope's Visit to Vigevano and Pavia

Yesterday, the Pope was in Vigevano, Italy, and today he is in Pavia [Itinerary]. Television and radio broadcast information is here.  He will pray at the tomb of St. Augustine, to whom he has a great devotion.  Bl. Severinus Boethius is also buried there.  Carl Olson has a post at Insight Scoop on Benedict and Augustine.  Zenit has an interview with the prior general of the Augustinians, Father Rovert Prevost, about Benedict and Augustine.

Updated May 5:  The Vatican page on the journey now has the text of the Pope's various addresses given during the journey in several languages, including English.  Teresa Benedetta's translations are also available on Papa Ratzinger Forum.

Teresa Benedetta has translations of yesterday's address to youth and homily at Vigevano.  In that homily, he spoke from Sunday's Gospel reading for Mass.  From John 21:1-19, the disciples had fished all night and had caught nothing, when Jesus came to them at dawn and asked them to cast their net on the right side of the boat, where their net was so filled that they were not able to pull it in.  The Pope spoke of the meaning of dawn in the Bible, and of the need to be ardent witnesses for Christ even when the work seems to be in vain, as in the night, because Christ can change everything in a moment.  Here is an excerpt:

"The Gospel page that we have heard reminds us, on the one hand, that we should commit ourselves totally to pastoral activities as though the outcome depended completely on our efforts.
 
"On the other hand, it makes us understand that the true success of our mission is totally a gift of grace. In the mysterious deisgns of His wisdom, God knows when He must intervene. Thus, just as obedient compliance to the words of the Lord filled their net with fish, so also, in all times, even ours, the Spirit of the Lord can make the mission of the Church effective in the world."

Asia News has an article about today's visit and homily in Pavia.  During the morning, he visited with doctors, patients and relatives at a hospital.  The Vatican translation of the Pope's address at San Mateo Polyclinic is available from the Vatican and Zenit. 

The Vatican also has a full translation of the Pope's homily at Mass in Pavia.  He spoke of St. Peter's words to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem [Acts 5:29-32], and about St. Augustine's thoughts on conversion as a lifelong process.  Speaking of the life of St. Augustine, the Pope said:

"He –said the Pope – tells us that, through Platonic Philosophy, he had learned that ‘in the beginning there was the Word’ - Logos, creative reason. But philosophy did not show him how to reach it; this Logos was intangible and distant. Only in the faith of the Church did he find the second essential truth: the Word became flesh. And thus it touches us and we touch it. The humility of God’s incarnation must correspond to the humility of our faith, which does away with high-toned superbia and bows low as it enters to become part of the community of Christ’s body; which lives with the Church. Only in this way, can the faithful enter into concrete communion, bodily communion with the living God. It is unnecessary to point out how much all of this regards us today: be eternal searchers for the truth, do not content yourself with what others do or say. Do not be distracted from the eternal God and Jesus Christ. Renew the humility of your faith in the bodily Church of Jesus Christ"