Vatican City, Nov 25, 2009 / 08:27 am
Continuing the theme of Christian culture in the Middle Ages in his weekly catecheses, Pope Benedict chose Hugh and Richard of Saint Victor's Monastery in Paris as the subjects of today's address at his general audience. These 12th century theologians "remind us that theology is grounded in the contemplation born of faith and the pursuit of understanding, and brings with it the immense joy of experiencing the eternal love of the Blessed Trinity."
Hugh of Saint Victor is known for his treatise, “On the Sacraments of the Christian Faith,” which was an influential document in defining the nature of a sacrament. He reached considerable status in his time, to the point of being called "a second St. Augustine." Hugh was known for inculcating the desire in his disciples to constantly seek the truth.
In his famous treatise, he emphasized the institution of sacraments by Christ and the communication of grace through the sacraments. Also proposed in the document was the value of sacraments as outward signs.
Among Hugh's students at the monastery was Richard, a disciple who would later become the prior of Saint Victor. In Richard's teachings there was an emphasis on the allegorical sense of Scripture and on the continuous observance of virtue, both of which were promoted in his instruction as fundamental to achieving human maturity and contemplative wisdom.
Richard's treatise “On the Trinity” studied the mystery of the triune God by analyzing love, whereby the mutual giving and receiving between two persons finds its perfection in the creation of a third.
Pope Benedict XVI said the authors such as these two move us to the contemplation of heavenly realities and the admiration of the Holy Trinity as a perfect model of communion.
"How much the world would change if in families, parishes and any type of community, if relationships had as a model the three divine Persons, that not only live with the others, but for them and in them!" the Holy Father exclaimed.
In closing, the Pontiff extended a welcome to pilgrims from all nations, including those on pilgrimage from Japan to celebrate the first anniversary of the beatification of Blessed Peter Kibe and Companions.