At Angelus, pope greets new US seminarians

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy - Just four days after arriving in Rome, the new seminarians at the Pontifical North American College had their first glimpse of Pope Benedict XVI.

The 76 new men from 52 different dioceses -- four Australian dioceses, one Canadian and 47 U.S. dioceses -- joined 2,000 other pilgrims in the courtyard of the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo for the recitation of the Angelus Aug. 28.

The North American College is sponsored by the U.S. bishops. Students live at the college and receive spiritual and pastoral training there while attending one of the pontifical universities in Rome.

After reciting the Marian prayer, the pope singled out the students for a special greeting.

"Dear seminarians, do not be afraid to take up the challenge in today's Gospel to give your lives completely to Christ. Indeed, may all of us be generous in our commitment to him, carrying our cross with faith and courage," he said.

In his main audience talk, the pope spoke about the Gospel story of Peter insisting that Jesus should not have to suffer and die, and Jesus rebuking him, "Get behind me, Satan."

Jesus told Peter, "You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do," and he told him that being a disciple means taking up the cross and following him.

"The Christian follows the Lord when he accepts his cross with love, which appears to the world to be a defeat," the pope said. Christians know that they do not carry the cross alone, "but with Jesus, sharing the same path of self-giving" that he did.