At a question and answer session with Italian priests in recent days at Bressanone, Italy, where the Holy Father is spending a period of vacation, Fr. Paolo Ruzzi asked Pope Benedict for advice on how generous a priest should be in administering the sacraments of baptism and confirmation.
In answer, the Holy Father said, “When I was younger, I was more severe...
With time, I came to understand the importance of taking the path of mercy, following the example of the Lord, who welcomed even a flicker of desire for communion in the faith.”
He added, however, that this doesn’t mean the sacraments should be administered when faith is absent.
(Photo: Pope Benedict baptizes Magdi Allam, Mass of Easter Vigil 2008, Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome. Dario Pignatelli, Reuters.)
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