The Primacy of God

It seems to me that today's preachers speak little about God. The "God" topic is often marginal. There is more talk about political, economic, cultural, psychological problems. It is thought that God is known; that the practical problems of society and of the individual are more urgent. In other words, it does not seem that to speak of God is to speak of a "practical" reality, of something that has to do with our real needs. And here Jesus corrects us: God is the most practical and the most urgent reality for man. As disciples of Christ, we must give to the world the most urgent reality: the presence of God. This announcement is opposed to the occult deism which is also very widespread among us Christians: God seems too distant. He does not interfere in our life--so it is thought--, let us speak, then, of real things. No, says Jesus: God is within reach of our voice. God is near: this is the first word of the Gospel, and it, if we believe, will transform our life. Starting from the mandate of Jesus all of this should be announced with renewed strength in our world.

"The Gospel and The Catechism" (February 1994), plinthos translation from Spanish.
Speech given by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger before the Pontifical Commission of Latin America