Silence might be a fearful thing to modern man, but Benedict XVI is encouraging an acceptance of interior and exterior silence, so as to be able to hear God's voice, and the voices of our neighbors.

His trip marked the 800th anniversary of the birth of Celestine V, the only Pope in history to abdicate Peter's Throne.

The Pope went on to glean relevant teachings from the saint's life. The first he highlighted was the importance of silence.

"[St. Peter Celestine] went in search of truth and happiness, he went in search of God and, to hear his voice, decided to separate himself from the world and to live as a hermit," he said. "Silence thus became the element that characterized his daily life. And it is precisely in external silence, but above all in internal silence, that he succeeded in perceiving God’s voice, a voice that was able to guide his life. 

"Here a first aspect that is important for us: We live in a society in which it seems that every space, every moment must be 'filled' with initiatives, activity, sound; often there is not even time to listen and dialogue. Dear brothers and sisters! Let us not be afraid to be silent outside and inside ourselves, so that we are able not only to perceive God’s voice, but also the voice of the person next to us, the voices of others."