Papal audience topic: Julian of Norwich
December 01, 2010
Continuing his series of weekly talks on women who have influenced Catholic thought, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about Julian of Norwich at his public audience on December 1.
Living in the "difficult years" of the late 14th and early 15th centuries, when the Church was troubled by schism and Europe was wracked by war between England and France, Julian experienced mystical visions that prompted her to choose a life of seclusion and prayer. Nevertheless she was a source of spiritual counsel to many people who sought her out.
In her Revelations of Divine Love, the English mystic compared God's love for mankind to a mother's love for her children. Noting that her words are cited in the Catechism on the vexing question of evil, Pope Benedict said: "Julian of Norwich understood the central message of spiritual life: that God is love. Only when we open ourselves totally to this love, only when we allow it to become the one guide to our existence, does everything become transfigured and do we find true peace and joy which we can pass on to others."
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