0n 25 October the Holy Father addressed a group ofabout 4,000 Germanspeakingpilgrims in St Peter's Basilica. He then went to the Paul Vl Hall where he held the customary general audience.

1. We read in the Acts of the Apostles that, after the descent of the Holy Spirit, when the apostles began to speak in various languages, "all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?’ " (Acts 2:12). The Acts enable us to discern the meaning of that extraordinary fact, because they have already described what took place in the Upper Room, when Christ's apostles and disciples—men and women—assembled together with Mary, his Mother, were "filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:4). In this event the Spirit-Paraclete himself remains invisible. However, the activity of those in whom and through whom the Spirit acts is visible. In fact, from the moment the apostles left the Upper Room, their unusual behaviour was noted by the crowd that came running and gathered around them. They all asked themselves: "What does this mean?" The author of Acts does not fail to add that among the witnesses of the event there were also some who scoffed at the apostles’ behaviour, suggesting that they were probably "filled with new wine" (Acts 2:13).

Such a situation required a word of explanation to clarify the true meaning of what had happened. It was also necessary to make known to those who had gathered outside the Upper Room the Holy Spirit's action experienced by those assembled within when the Holy Spirit descended upon them.

2. It was a fitting occasion for Peter's first discourse. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and speaking also in the name of, and in communion with, the other apostles, Peter exercised for the first time his function of herald of the Gospel, preacher of divine truth, witness to the Word, and initiated, it may be said, the mission of the popes and bishops who were to succeed him and the other apostles down the centuries. "Then Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice" (Acts 2: 14).

In this discourse of Peter one observes the Church's apostolic structure such as it was from the beginning. The eleven shared with Peter the same mission, the vocation to bear the same authoritative witness. Peter speaks as the first among them by virtue of the mandate received directly from Christ. No one calls in question his duty and right to speak first and in the name of the others. Already in that very fact is manifested the action of the Holy Spirit who, according to the Second Vatican Council, "guides the Church,... unifies her,... bestows upon her varied hierarchic and charismatic gifts, and in this way directs her" (Lumen Gentium, 4).

Peter's words at Jerusalem, in communion with the eleven, remind us that the Church’s primary pastoral task is proclaiming the Gospel: evangelization. This is what Vatican II teaches us: "The bishops are heralds of the faith, who draw new disciples to Christ; they are authentic teachers, that is, teachers endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach the faith to the people assigned to them, the faith which is destined to inform their thinking and direct their conduct; and under the light of the Holy Spirit they make that faith shine forth, drawing from the storehouse of revelation new things and old (cf. Mt 13:52); they make it bear fruit and with watchfulness they ward off whatever errors threaten their flock (cf. 2 Tim 4:1-4)" (Lumen Gentium, 25). Also " it is the first task of priests as co-workers of the bishops to preach the Gospel of God to all men and women. In this way they carry out the Lord’s command, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature’ (Mk 16:15) and thus set up and increase the People of God" (Presbyterorum Ordinis, 4).

4. Moreover, it may also be noted, according to that passage from Acts, that the spontaneous charismatic witnessing of individuals to Christ does not suffice for evangelization. These charismatic transports proceed from the Holy Spirit and, under some aspects, they provide the first witness to his work, as is seen in the "glossolalia" on the day of Pentecost. However an authoritative, motivated and, when necessary, "systematic" evangelization is also essential, as took place in apostolic times and in the first community of Jerusalem with the kerygma and catechesis, which, under the action of the Holy Spirit, enabled the mind to discover in its unity and to "comprehend" in its meaning the divine plan of salvation. This is precisely what happened on the day of Pentecost. It was necessary that the Event which had just taken place should be made known and explained to the people of different nations who had gathered outside the Upper Room; it was necessary to instruct them about God’s salvific plan, expressed in what had happened.

5. Peter's discourse is also important from this point of view. For this very reason, before proceeding to examine its content, we should dwell for a moment on the person of the speaker.

On two occasions before the Passion Peter had already professed his faith in Christ.

On one occasion, after the announcement of the Eucharist in the neighbourhood of Capernaum, Jesus, on seeing many of his disciples turning their backs on him, asked the apostles: "Will you also go away?" (Jn 6:67). Peter replied with those words inspired from on high: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and havecome to know, that you are the Holy One of God" (Jn 6:68-69).

On another occasion Peter's profession of faith took place near Caesarea Philippi, when Jesus asked the apostles: "Who do you say that I am?" According to Matthew, "Simon Peter replied: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’ ’’ (Mt 16:15-16).

Now, on the day of Pentecost, Peter, by this time freed from the crisis of fear that had led him to deny Jesus on the eve of the Passion, professed that same faith in Christ, strengthened by the paschal event, and he proclaims openly before all those people that Christ was risen! (cf. Acts 2:24 ff.).

An extension of Jesus' teaching

6. Moreover, in being, the first to speak out, Peter reveals his own awareness and that of the other eleven that he bore the chief responsibility for preaching and teaching the faith in Christ, even though the eleven shared with him in the task and responsibility. Peter is aware of what he is doing when, in his first discourse, he exercises the mission of teacher deriving from his apostolic "office".

On the other hand, Peter's discourse is, in a certain way, an extension of Jesus’ own teaching. Just as Christ exhorted his hearers to believe, so likewise did Peter. Jesus carried out his ministry in the prepaschal period—one might say, in the perspective of his resurrection, while Peter speaks and acts in the light of the Pasch already a fact, which confirmed the truth of the mission and Gospel of Christ. He speaks and acts under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, recalling Christ's words and deeds which shed light on the Pentecost event itself.

7. Finally, we read in the Acts of the Apostles that "Peter... lifted up his voice" (2:14). Here the author seems to want to refer not only to the strength of Peter's voice, but also and especially to the force of conviction and authority with which he spoke. Something happened similar to what the Gospels tell about Jesus, namely, that when he taught, those who heard him "...were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority" (Mt 1:22; cf. also Mt7:29), "because he spoke with authority" (Lk 4:32).

On the day of Pentecost Peter and the other apostles, having received the Spirit of truth, could by his power speak after the manner of Christ. From his very first discourse Peter expressed in his words the authority of revealed truth itself.