The text of the Pope's speech on the occasion of the secret Consistory December 16 has now been published.
Tt exhorts the faithful to "indulge in spiritual exercises" and recalls the fact that Jesus retired to the desert for 40 days before starting public life, The speech emphasized the. need of spiritual exercises because the greatest ill of modern times is the lack of reflection and the constant, feverish effusion about external and the inordinate desire for riches and pleasure."—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.