On that occasion as well Benedict XVI had spoken about monks and how their service to the world had been driven not by wanting to serve the world, but rather by wanting to seek God not in the penultimate things, but in the ultimate things, with ensuing benefits also for the ultimate things. (This is an itinerary that was turned around after the Council, even if Cardinal Ratzinger had made it clear in a famous conference of 2000 that the aim of the Council Fathers had been to restore God to center place).
E’ in fondo lo stesso concetto espresso il 12 settembre 2008 nel grandioso discorso al College des Bernardins, a Parigi, davanti al mondo della cultura. Anche qui Benedetto XVI parla dei monaci e di come il loro servizio al mondo non abbia preso le mosse dal voler servire il mondo, ma piuttosto dal cercare Dio, non dalle cose penultime ma dalle cose ultime, dalle quali poi poteva derivare il beneficio anche per le penultime.