Vatican, Nov. 21, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Continuing his series of Wednesday talks on the early Church fathers, Pope Benedict XVI spoke on November 21 about Aphraates, the 4th-century Syrian teacher.

Speaking to about 15,000 people who had gathered in St. Peter's Square for his weekly audience, the Holy Father said that Aphraates represented a Christian community with strong ties to the Church in Jerusalem, which"sought to remain faithful to the Judeo-Christian tradition of which it felt itself to be a product."

At that time, the Pope reminded his listeners, Christians particularly in the Middle East saw themselves as strongly connected to "the Semitic world from which the Bible itself emerged." The young faith, he continued, had not yet "comet into contact with different cultural trends" that would later play a role in shaping Christian thought. Aphraates, the Pope said, "defined himself as a disciple of Sacred Scripture," and drew from the Bible as "his only source of inspiration."

However the Syrian teacher clearly saw Jesus as the central figure in the history of salvation, the Pope observed. Aphraates portrayed Christ as a doctor, providing the remedy for sin-- which is "a wound that only penance can heal." The 4th-century scholar urged Christians to imitate Christ, particularly by cultivating the vitue of humility.

Aphraates also emphasized the importance of fasting and self-denial in various forms, as a means of spurring charity and humility. The Pope concluded his Wednesday talk by citing the observation of the Syrian teacher that prayer comes alive "when Christ dwells in the heart of Christians, inviting them to a coherent commitment of charity towards their fellows."