Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) – The ‘lecture’ of Benedict XVI at Regensburg was a reflection on the relationship between faith and reason and “it is important to reflect on the role of reason in today’s society that is affected by consumerism”. Fr Peter Nguyen Van Kham, director of the pastoral center of Ho Chi Minh City, believes that the “reading of the current state of affairs offered by the pope is a big event and lesson for us all.”
He told AsiaNews: “The lecture stressed the correlation between faith and reason and the role of reason in faith. But many only mentioned one phrase, taking it out of context and losing sight of the objective of the lecture. Through the Holy Father’s lecture, we listen to and learn about faith and reason. He has vast resources of knowledge and analyses deeply the history of human’s ideas that have given rise to ways of life.”
Fr Peter continued: “Today, consumerism affects every person and country in the world to a greater or lesser extent. Therefore it is important to see the role of reason in human existence. Otherwise we and future generations will experience a moral crisis as we face existence.”
A 17-yer-old youth from a rehabilitation center told AsiaNews: “Life really let me know. My parents quarreled everyday and I became addicted to drugs.” A girl from high school said: “My family was hell in the earth. My parents never concerned themselves about me and never talked to me. I followed my friends and was addicted to drugs for two years. There are so many traps for young people nowadays. We need to listen to the pope so that we will not lose the truth, goodness and the beauty of Catholic living.”