NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- Even non-Christian religions contain "germs of truth," Pope John Paul II said during at his weekly catechetical audience.

      In the 16th talk of his series on the working of the Holy Spirit, the Pope said that the Spirit "inspires the search for truth, for goodness, and ultimately for God." That inspiration, he continued, is written in men's hearts, and leads ultimately to a recognition of the Cross of Christ.

      An attitude of "sincere respect, profound sympathy, and cordial collaboration" toward other religions does not imply that Christians fail to recognize the unique importance of Christ's redemptive action, the Holy Father pointed out. Rather, these attitudes form the basis for missionary work.