2006年VOA标准英语-Pope Holds Mass in Valencia

By Sabina Castelfranco
Valencia
09 July 2006

Pope Benedict XVI greets Spain's King Juan Carlos, left, and Queen Sofia, center, as he arrives to hold a Mass in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, July 9, 2006   
  
Pope Benedict has ended a lightening visit to Spain where he celebrated¹ mass for around a million people in the coastal² city of Valencia. The Pope urged Catholics to defend the traditional family made up of a man and woman.  

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Pope Benedict presided over a huge open-air mass with families at a futuristic arts and science complex near the sea in the Spanish coastal city of Valencia. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims turned out for the early morning service.

Many had slept outdoors on mats after having attended a rally for families with the pope which ended at midnight.

The 79-year-old pope came to Valencia for just over one day to stress the importance of traditional family values and to close the week long Catholic World Meeting of Families.

In his homily, speaking in Spanish, the pope stressed that marriage and the family must be composed of a man and a woman.

The Church, the pope said, teaches us to respect and foster the marvelous reality of the indissoluble marriage between man and woman which is also the origin of the family.

The pope also said that in contemporary culture, we often see an excessive exaltation of the freedom of the individual.

His words appeared to be a clear condemnation³ of legislation in favor of gay marriage passed by the Spanish government last year. The mass was not attended by the Spanish prime minister whose government promoted the new law.

As well as the homosexual marriage law, which gives gays the same adoption⁴ and inheritance rights as heterosexuals, the Church has criticized laws making divorce and fertility treatment easier and cuts to Catholic education in schools.

Spain has long been a bastion of Catholicism but less than a fifth of Spaniards now practice their faith.

During his visit, the Pope also announced that next world meeting of Families will be celebrated in Mexico City in 2009.

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

3 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

4 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。