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BENEDICT XVI: ANGELUS DOMINI of Sunday, 24 October 2010 |
At the conclusion of the solemn Eucharistic Concelebration in St. Peter’s Basilica, before the Recital of the Angelus Domini in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father said: 
Dear brothers and sisters!
With the solemn Celebration this morning in the Vatican Basilica, the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, on the theme, "The Catholic Church in the Middle East: communion and witness" came to an end. Furthermore this Sunday is World Missionary Day which has as its motto: "The construction of the ecclesial communion is the key to the mission". The similarity between the themes of these two ecclesial events is striking. Both invite us to look at the Church as a mystery of communion that, by its nature, is destined to the whole man and to all men. The Servant of God Pope Paul VI affirmed: "The Church exists to evangelize, that is to say, to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, to perpetuate the sacrifice of Christ in the Holy Mass which is the memorial of his death and of his glorious Resurrection" (Apostolic Exhortation. Evangelii nuntiandi, 8 December 1975, 14: AAS 68, [1976], p. 13). For this reason, the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, in 2012, will be dedicated to the theme of "The new evangelization for the transmission of the Christian faith". In every time and in every place - today in the Middle East as well – the Church is present and works to welcome every man and offer him the fullness of life in Christ. As the Italian-German theologian Romano Guardini wrote: "The reality "Church" implies the whole fullness of the Christian being that develops throughout history, insofar as this embraces the fullness of the human that is in a relationship with God” (Formazione liturgica, Brescia 2008, 106-107).
Dear friends, in today’s Liturgy we read the testimony of Saint Paul regarding the final crown the Lord will give “to all those who have longed for his Appearing” (2 Tm 4:8). This is not an idle or solitary wait, on the contrary! The Apostle lived in communion with the risen Christ “so that the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear” (2 Tm 4:17). The missionary task is not to revolutionize the world, but to transfigure it, drawing the strength from Jesus Christ who "calls us to the table of his Word and the Eucharist, to enjoy the gift of his Presence, be educated at his school and always live more knowingly united to him, Master and Lord” (Message for the 84th World Missionary Day). The Christians of today as well – as it says in the Letter to Diognetus - "show how marvelous is … their extraordinary associated life. Their existence is on earth but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, but they surpass the laws in their own lives … They are put to death and yet they are endued with life. Doing good, they are … punished and increase more and more daily ". (V, 4.9.12.16; VI, 9 [SC 33], Paris 1951, 62-66).
To the Virgin Mary, who received from the Crucified Jesus the new mission of being Mother to all those who want to believe in Him and follow Him, we entrust the Christian communities of the Middle East and all the missionaries of the Gospel.
After the Recital of the Angelus Domini, the Pope said:
[In French] Today we close the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops. I ask you to pray for all the peoples of that region, asking the Lord to create throughout the world men and women of peace and reconciliation.
[In English] We give thanks to God for the blessings received during the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, which concluded this morning in St. Peter's Basilica.
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Pope Benedict XVI: Homily at Mass for the Conclusion of the Middle East Synod |
HOMILY BY THE HOLY FATHER:
At 9.30 this morning, 24 October 2010, XXX Sunday in ordinary time, in St. Peter’s Basilica, at the tomb of the Apostle Peter, the Holy Father Benedict XVI presided at the Solemn Concelebration of the Eucharist with the Synodal Fathers, for the conclusion of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, which was celebrated in the Synod Hall of the Vatican from 10 October 2010, on the theme The Catholic Church in the Middle East:Communion and Witness. "Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul" (Acts 4:32).
The entrance into the Basilica began at 9.15 with the singing Iubilate Deo. The Concelebrants, led by the Masters of Ceremony took their places around the Altar of Confession. Then Their Eminences and the Components of the Presidency of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops joined the Holy Father in the entrance procession.
Concelebrating with the Pope were 177 Synod Fathers (19 Cardinals, 9 Patriarchs, 72 Archbishops, 67 Bishops and 10 Priests) and 69 Collaborators.
The Presidents Delegate H. B. Card. Nasrallah Pierre SFEIR, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, Bishop of Joubbé, Sarba and Jounieh of the Maronites (LEBANON), ad honorem, H. B. Card. Emmanuel III DELLY, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans (IRAQ) , ad honorem,
H. Em. Card. Leonardo SANDRI, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches (VATICAN CITY), H. B. Ignace Youssif III YOUNAN, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians (LEBANON); General Relator H. B. Antonios NAGUIB, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts (ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT);General Secretary H. Exc. Mons. Nikola ETEROVIĆ, Titular Archbishop of Cibalae (VATICAN CITY); Special Secretary H. Exc. Mons. Joseph SOUEIF, Archbishop of Cyprus of the Maronites (CYPRUS) all joined at the Altar for the Eucharistic Prayer.
The first reading was in French, the responsorial Psalm in Latin and the second reading in English. The Gospel was proclaimed in Latin and in Greek. The Prayer of the Faithful was in Arabic, English, Farsi, Turkish, Hebrew. The songs “Maior est caritas”, in Latin, and the“Cherubic Hymn”, in Greek, accompanied the Offertory; “Bonus Pastor”, in Latin, and “Let Us Give Praise”, in Arabic, accompanied Communion. At the end of the celebration, the Marian antiphon “Ave Regina Caelorum” was sung.
During the Sacred Rite, after the proclamation of the Gospel, the Holy Father pronounced the following homily:
HOMILY BY THE HOLY FATHER
Venerable Brothers,
Illustrious Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear brothers and sisters,
Two weeks on from the opening Celebration, we are gathered once again on the Lord’s day, at the Altar of the Confession in St. Peter’s Basilica, to conclude the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops. In our hearts is a deep gratitude towards God who has afforded us this truly extraordinary experience, not just for us, but for the good of the Church, for the People of God who live in the lands between the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia. As Bishop of Rome, I would like to pass on this gratitude to you, Venerable Synod Fathers: Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops. I wish to especially thank the Secretary General, the four Presidents Delegate, the Relator General, the Special Secretary and all the collaborators, who have worked tirelessly in these days. This morning we left the Synod Hall and came to “the temple to pray”: in this, we are touched directly by the parable of the pharisee and the publican, told by Jesus and recounted by the evangelist St Luke (cf. 18:9-14). We too may be tempted, like the pharisee, to tell God of our merits, perhaps thinking of our work during these days. However, to rise up to Heaven, prayer must emanate from a poor, humble heart. And therefore we too, at the conclusion of this ecclesial event, wish to first and foremost give thanks to God, not for our merits, but for the gift that He has given us. We recognize ourselves as small and in need of salvation, of mercy; we recognize all that comes from Him and that only with his Grace we may realize what the Holy Spirit told us. Only in this manner may we “return home” truly enriched, made more just and more able to walk in the path of the Lord.
The First Reading and the responsorial Psalm stress the theme of prayer, emphasizing that it is much more powerful to God’s heart when those who pray are in a condition of need and are afflicted. “The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds” affirms Ecclesiasticus (35:21); and the Psalmist adds: “Yahweh is near to the broken-hearted, he helps those whose spirit is crushed” (34:18). Our thoughts go to our numerous brothers and sisters who live in the region of the Middle East and who find themselves in trying situations, at times very burdensome, both for the material poverty and for the discouragement, the state of tension and at times of fear. Today the Word of God also offers us a light of consoling hope, there where He presents prayer, personified, that “until he has eliminated the hordes of the arrogant and broken the sceptres of the wicked, until he has repaid all people as their deeds deserve and human actions as their intentions merit” (Ecc 35:21-22). This link too, between prayer and justice makes us think of many situations in the world, particularly in the Middle East. The cry of the poor and of the oppressed finds an immediate echo in God, who desires to intervene to open up a way out, to restore a future of freedom, a horizon of hope.
This faith in God who is near, who frees his friends, is what the Apostle Paul witnesses to in today’s epistle, in the Second Letter to Timothy. Realizing that the end of his earthly life was near, Paul makes an assessment: “I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith” (2 Tm 4:7). For each one of us, dear brothers in the episcopacy, this is a model to imitate: May Divine Goodness allow us to make a similar judgment of ourselves! St Paul continues, “the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed for all the gentiles to hear” (2 Tm 4:17). It is a word which resounds with particular strength on this Sunday in which we celebrate World Mission Day! Communion with Jesus crucified and risen, witness of his love. The Apostle’s experience is a model for every Christian, especially for us Shepherds. We have shared a powerful moment of ecclesial communion. We now leave each other so that each may return to his own mission, but we know that we remain united, we remain in his love.
The Synodal Assembly which concludes today has always kept in mind the icon of the first Christian community, described in the Acts of the Apostles: “The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul” (Acts 4:32). It is a reality that we experienced in these past days, in which we have shared the joys and the pains, the concerns and the hopes of Christians in the Middle East. We experienced the unity of the Church in the variety of Churches present in that region. Led by the Holy Spirit, we became “united, heart and soul” in faith, in hope, and in charity, most of all during Eucharistic celebrations, source and summit of ecclesial communion, and in the Liturgy of the Hours as well, celebrated every morning according to one of the seven Catholic rites of the Middle East. We have thus enhanced the liturgical, spiritual and theological wealth of the Eastern Catholic Churches, as well as of the Latin Church. It involved an exchange of precious gifts, from which all the Synodal Fathers benefitted. It is hoped that this positive experience repeats itself in the respective communities of the Middle East, encouraging the participation of the faithful in liturgical celebrations of other Catholic rites, thus opening themselves to the dimensions of the Universal Church.
Common prayer helped us to face the challenges of the Catholic Church in the Middle East as well. One of these is communion within each sui iuris Church, as well as in the relationships between the various Catholic Churches of different traditions. As today’s Gospel reminded us (cf Lk 18:9-14), we need humility, in order to recognize our limitations, our errors and omissions, in order to be able to truly be “united, heart and soul”. A fuller communion within the Catholic Church favors ecumenical dialogue with other Churches and ecclesial communities as well. The Catholic Church reiterated in this Synodal meeting its deep conviction to pursuing such dialogue as well, so that the prayer of the Lord Jesus might be completely fulfilled: “May they all be one” (Jn 17:21).
The words of the Lord Jesus may be applied to Christians in the Middle East: “There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom” (Lk 12:32). Indeed, even if they are few, they are bearers of the Good News of the love of God for man, love which revealed itself in the Holy Land in the person of Jesus Christ. This Word of salvation, strengthened with the grace of the Sacraments, resounds with particular potency in the places in which, by Divine Providence, it was written, and it is the only Word which is able to break that vicious circle of vengeance, hate, and violence. From a purified heart, in peace with God and neighbor, may intentions and initiatives for peace at local, national, and international levels be born. In these actions, to whose accomplishment the whole international community is called, Christians as full-fledged citizens can and must do their part with the spirit of the Beatitudes, becoming builders of peace and apostles of reconciliation to the benefit of all society.
Conflicts, wars, violence and terrorism have gone on for too long in the Middle East. Peace, which is a gift of God, is also the result of the efforts of men of goodwill, of the national and international institutions, in particular of the states most involved in the search for a solution to conflicts. We must never resign ourselves to the absence of peace. Peace is possible. Peace is urgent. Peace is the indispensable condition for a life of dignity for human beings and society. Peace is also the best remedy to avoid emigration from the Middle East. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” we are told in the Psalm (122:6). We pray for peace in the Holy Land. We pray for peace in the Middle East, undertaking to try to ensure that this gift of God to men of goodwill should spread through the whole world.
Another contribution that Christians can bring to society is the promotion of an authentic freedom of religion and conscience, one of the fundamental human rights that each state should always respect. In numerous countries of the Middle East there exists freedom of belief, while the space given to the freedom to practice religion is often quite limited. Increasing this space of freedom becomes essential to guarantee to all the members of the various religious communities the true freedom to live and profess their faith. This topic could become the subject of dialogue between Christians and Muslims, a dialogue whose urgency and usefulness was reiterated by the Synodal Fathers. During the work of the Synod what was often underlined was the need to offer the Gospel anew to people who do not know it very well or who have even moved away from the Church. What was often evoked was the need for a new evangelization for the Middle East as well. This was quite a widespread theme, especially in the countries where Christianity has ancient roots. The recent creation of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization also responds to this profound need. For this reason, after having consulted the episcopacy of the whole world and after having listened to the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, I have decided to dedicate the next Ordinary General Assembly, in 2012, to the following theme: “Nova evangelizatio ad christianam fidem tradendam - The new evangelization for the transmission of the Christian faith”.
Dear brothers and sisters of the Middle East! May the experience of these days assure you that you are never alone, that you are always accompanied by the Holy See and the whole Church, which, having been born in Jerusalem, spread through the Middle East and then the rest of the world. We entrust the results of the Special Assembly for the Middle East, as well as the preparation for the Ordinary General Assembly, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of Peace. Amen.
[00210-02.02] [NNNNN] [Original text: Italian]
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CONVIVIUM: SPEECH OF BENEDICT XVI TO THE SYNODAL FATHERS |
During the course of the convivium in the atrium of the Paul VI Hall, in the Vatican, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, H.E.R. Mons. Nikola Eterović, presented the Pope with the principal data regarding the works in which 173 Synodal Fathers took part . There were 14 General Congregations and 6 meetings of the Working Groups. There were 10 meditations and homilies. There were 125 interventions plus 5 that were handed in in writing. There were a further 12 interventions by Fraternal delegates and 12 reports were presented. In addition, there were 111 free interventions in the presence of the Pope. The president delegate H.B. Ignace Youssif III Younan, thanked the Pontiff for the opportunity offered to the Churches of the Middle East to have their voice heard, ensuring that the pastors of the Eastern Churches will return to their lands to proclaim, without fear, the Gospel in charity and truth, and to live it every day. The Greek-Melchite Patriarch H.B. Gregorius III Laham gave a present of a splendid Eastern liturgical vestment to the Holy Father. The Pope said that the best gift of the Synodal Assembly is the communion in the diversity of the Eastern Churches, a communion that becomes witness:
Dear friends,
according to a beautiful tradition established by Pope John Paul II, the Synods end with a lunch, a convivial act that also sits well in the climate of this Synod that speaks of communion: non only did it speak of it, but it led us to create communion.
This for me is the time to say thank you. Thank you to the Secretary General of the Synod and his staff, who prepared and are still preparing the follow-up to the work. Thank you to the Presidents Delegate, thank you, above all, to the Relater and the Deputy Secretary, whose work was incredible. Thank you! I too was once relater at the Synod on the family and I have some idea of the work you have undertaken. Thank you also to all the Fathers who presented the voice of the Church in the East, to the Auditors, to the Fraternal Delegates, to everyone!
Communion and witness. In this moment we thank the Lord for the communion he gave us and continues to give us. We have seen the wealth and the diversity of this communion. You are Churches with different rites, who form, all the same, with all the other rites, the single Catholic Church. It is beautiful to see this true Catholicity, that is so rich in diversity, so rich in possibilities, of different cultures; and, yet, this is truly the way in which grows the polyphony of a single faith, of a real communion of hearts, that only the Lord can grant. For this experience of communion we thank the Lord, I thank all of you. It seems to me that this is the most important gift of the Synod that we have lived and realized: the communion that links us all and that is in itself witness.
Communion. Catholic, Christian communion is an open communion, one of dialogue. Thus we were in permanent dialogue as well, internally and externally, with the Orthodox brothers, with the other Ecclesial communities. And we felt that it is truly in this that we are united – even if there are exterior divisions: we felt the deep communion in the Lord, in the gift of his Word, of his life, and we hope that the Lord will guide us to move on in this profound communion.
We are united with the Lord and so – we can say – we have been “found” by the truth. And this truth does not close, if does not impose borders, but it opens. For this reason we are also in frank and open dialogue with our Muslim brothers and our Jewish brothers, all of whom together are responsible for the gift of peace, in a real way for the gift of peace in that part of the earth that is blessed by the Lord, the cradle of Christianity and also of the other two religions. We want to continue on this journey with strength, tenderness and humility, and with the courage of the truth which is love and which opens up in love.
I said that we are ending this Synod with a meal. But the real conclusion tomorrow is the living together with the Lord, the celebration of the Eucharistic. The Eucharistic, in reality, is not a conclusion but an opening. The Lord walks with us, he is with us, the Lord sets us on our way. And thus, in this sense, we are in Synod, that is, a walk that continues even once we have dispersed: we are Synod, in a shared journey. Let us pray to the Lord to help us. And thank you to all of you!
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GIFT FROM THE POPE TO THE SYNOD FATHERS |
At the closing of the General Congregation, the General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops, H. Exc. Mons. Nikola ETEROVIČ, announced that the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has given to the Synod Fathers a gold plated bronze reproducing a detail of Giambattista Tiepolo's fresco of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, conserved in the Oratory of the Purità in Udine (Italy). The piece, executed by the Savi brothers, commemorates the 60th anniversary of the proclamation of the marian dogma by Pope Pius XII, and is intended to be a special sign of entrustment of the Eastern Churches to the maternal protection of the Mother of God.
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GIFT FROM THE POPE TO THE PARTICIPANTS AT THE SYNOD |
The Holy Father wished to gift the Synod Fathers and the other Participants of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops the commemorative medal from the Apostolic Visit to Cyprus (4 6 June 2010), when he gave out the Instrumentum laboris of the Assembly.
The work is inspired by the “Vials of the pilgrims in the Holy Land”, small metal flasks for pilgrims kept in the Treasury of the Cathedral of Monza, and one of these in particular, depicting “Christ ascending to heaven”, following a typical Eastern iconography, seated on a throne.
The reverse of the Medal depicts the Ascension. At the bottom center is Our Lady praying and hallowed, wrapped in a maphorion (cloak), surrounded by the twelve Apostles, divided into two groups and with a demeanor of deep emotion in being witnesses of the Ascension. Above, four Angels hold an almond, in which appears the Christ blessing, seated on a throne with a cross shaped halo while bearing the Gospel in his left hand. On the neck of the vial appears a cross placed under an arch with a garland of golden leaves.
The work which depicts the Ascension, by the artist Louis Teruggi, was produced by the “Johnson 1836” factory of Italian medals, the oldest and most important factory of medals in Italy, with offices in Baranzate (MI) and in Rome, also supplying other Papal medals.
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ANGELUS of Sunday, 10 October 2010 |
BENEDICT XVI, ANGELUS:
St Peter's Square
Sunday, 10 October 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I have just come from St Peter's Basilica where I presided at the opening Mass for the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops. This extraordinary Synod Meeting that will last for two weeks, sees gathered at the Vatican the Pastors of the Church who live in the region of the Middle East, a particularly variegated situation: in those lands, in fact, the one Church of Christ is expressed in the full richness of her ancient Traditions. The theme on which we shall reflect is: "The Catholic Church in the Middle East: communion and witness". In fact, in those countries, unfortunately marked by deep divisions and torn by age-old conflicts, the Church is called to be a sign and instrument of unity and reconciliation, modelled on the first community of Jerusalem, in which "the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul", as St Luke says (Acts 4: 32). This task is not easy, since the Christians of the Middle East often find themselves having to bear difficult living conditions, at both family and community levels. But this must not be a discouragement: it is precisely in this context that Christ's perennial message rings out, more necessary and urgent than ever: "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" (Mk 1: 15). On my recent Visit to Cyprus I presented the Instrumentum Laboris of this Synodal Assembly. Now that it has begun, I ask everyone to pray, invoking from God an abundant outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The month of October is called the month of the Rosary, a "spiritual cadence", so to speak, that derives from the liturgical Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, which is celebrated on 7 October. We are therefore asked to let ourselves be guided by Mary in this prayer, ancient and ever new, which is especially dear to her because it leads us directly to Jesus, contemplated in his Mysteries of salvation: joyful, luminous, sorrowful and glorious. In the footsteps of Venerable John Paul ii (cf. Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae), I would like to recall that the Rosary is a biblical prayer, interwoven with Sacred Scripture throughout. It is a prayer of the heart, in which the repetition of the Hail Mary directs the thoughts and affections to Christ and therefore becomes a trusting supplication to his Mother and ours. It is a prayer that helps us to meditate on the word of God and to assimilate Eucharistic Communion, modelling ourselves on Mary who cherished in her heart all that Jesus did and said, and his Presence itself.
Dear friends, we know how deeply our brothers and sisters in the Middle East love and venerate the Virgin Mary. They all look to her as a caring Mother, close to all who suffer, and as a Star of hope. Let us entrust to her intercession the Synodal Assembly that begins today, so that the Christians of this region may be strengthened in communion and may bear witness to the Gospel of love and peace to all.
After the Angelus:
I offer warm greetings to the English-speaking visitors gathered for this Angelus prayer. I invite all of you to join me in praying for the "Special Assembly for the Middle East" of the Synod of Bishops, which opened this morning in St Peter's Basilica. May this momentous ecclesial event strengthen the communion of the faithful in the Middle East, especially as they give witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to the gift of peace he offers. As we entrust these prayers to the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Joseph, her Spouse, who themselves came from that region, I invoke upon you and your families God's abundant Blessings.
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Homely of the Holy Father Benedict XVI |
Listen the Homely:
Dear brothers and sisters!
Today in Saint Peter’s Square we are renewing the feast of holiness. With joy I address my cordial welcome to those who have come here to take part, even from very far away. A special greeting to the Cardinals, to the Bishops, and to the Superiors General of the Institutes founded by the new Saints, and to the official delegations and all the civic authorities. Together we will try to accept what the Lord tells us in the Sacred Scripture we have just heard. The Liturgy this Sunday offers us a fundamental teaching: the need to always pray ceaselessly. Sometimes we get tired of praying, we have the impression that prayer is not very useful in life, that it is not terribly effective. So we are tempted to dedicate ourselves to activity, to using all human means to achieve our aims, and without turning to God. Jesus instead affirms that we always need to pray and he does so through a particular parable (cf Lk 18:1-8).
This talks about a judge who does not fear God and who has no respect for anyone, a judge who has no positive qualities, but pursues only his own interests. He is not afraid of the judgment of God, and he has no respect for his neighbor. The other character is a widow, someone in a situation of weakness. In the Bible, the widow and the orphan are the most needy categories because they are defenseless and without means. The widow goes to the judge and asks for justice. Her chances of being heard are almost non-existent because the judge holds her in contempt and she is unable to exercise any pressure on him. She cannot even appeal to religious principles, since the judge does not fear God. As a result this widow seems to have no chance. But she persists, she asks insistently, she is tiresome, and thus at the end, she manages to obtain a result from the judge. At this point Jesus makes a reflection using an a fortiori argument: if in the end a dishonest judge lets himself be convinced by the prayer of a widow, how much more will God who is good answer those who pray? God in fact is generosity personified, he is merciful, and therefore he is always willing to listen to prayers. Therefore we must never despair, but always persist in prayer.
The conclusion of the Gospel passage speaks of faith: “But when the Son of man comes, will he find any faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8). This is a question that seeks to inspire an increase in faith on our part. It is clear, in fact, that prayer has to be an expression of faith, otherwise it is not real prayer. If one does not believe in the goodness of God, one cannot pray in a truly appropriate manner. Faith is essential as the basis for prayerful behavior. And this is what the six new Saints who today are being proposed for veneration by the Universal Church did: Stanisaw Sotys, André Bessette, Cándida María de Jesús Cipitria y Barriola, Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Giulia Salzano and Battista Camilla Da Varano.
Saint Stanisaw Sotys, a 15th century religious, can also be for us an example and intercessor. All his life was tied to the Eucharist. Above all, in the Church of Corpus Domini, in Kazimierz, in modern-day Krakow, where, with his mother and father, he learned faith and piety; where he took his vows as a religious with the Canons Regular of the Lateran; where he worked as a priest, educator and was attentive to the care of the needy. In a particular way, though, he was attached to the Eucharist through his ardent love for Christ present under the form of bread and wine; living the mystery of the death and resurrection, which take place in a bloodless way during Holy Mass; through the practice of loving one’s neighbor, whose source and sign is Communion.
Brother André Bessette, born in Quebec, in Canada, and a religious of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, knew suffering and poverty very early in life. This led him to turn to God for prayer and an intense interior life. Doorman at the Notre Dame College in Montreal, he showed boundless charity and did everything possible to soothe the despair of those who confided in him. With little instruction, he nevertheless understood what was essential to his faith. For him, to believe meant to submit freely and lovingly to Divine Will. Everything existed through the mystery of Jesus, he lived the beatitude of the pure of heart, that of personal rectitude. It is thanks to this simplicity, he showed many God. He had the Saint Joseph Oratory of Mont Royal built, where he was the faithful guardian until his death in 1937. There, he was the witness of many healings and conversions. “Do not try to have your trials taken away from you”, he said, “rather, ask for the grace to endure them well”. For him, everything spoke of God and His presence. May we, following his example, search for God with simplicity to discover Him always present in the core of our lives! May the example of Brother André inspire Canadian Christian life!
When the Son of Man comes to deliver justice for the chosen, will he find faith in this land? (Cf. Lk 18:8). Today we can say yes, with relief and conviction, in contemplating figures such as Mother Cándida María de Jesús Cipitria y Barriola. That girl of humble origins, with a heart in which God put His mark and that soon would lead her, with the guidance of her Jesuit spiritual directors, to firmly resolve to live “only for God”. This was a decision she maintained faithfully, as she herself recalls as she is dying. She lived for God and for what He loves the most: reaching all, bringing them the hope that does not waver, especially to those who need Him the most. “Where there is no room for the poor, there is no room for me”, the new Saint used to say, who with scarce means managed to inspire other Sisters to follow Jesus and dedicate themselves to teaching and to the promotion of women. This is how the Daughters of Jesus was founded, who today see in their Founder a model of sublime life to be imitated, and a fervent mission that needs to be continued in the many countries where both the spirit and desires of the Apostolate of Mother Candida can already be found.
“Remember who your teachers were – from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” For many years countless young people throughout Australia have been blessed with teachers who were inspired by the courageous and saintly example of zeal, perseverance and prayer of Mother Mary MackKillop. She dedicated herself as a young woman to the education of the poor in the difficult and demanding terrain of rural Australia, inspiring other women to join her in the first women’s community of religious sisters of that country. She attended to the needs of each young person entrusted to her, without regard for station or wealth, providing both intellectual and spiritual formation. Despite many challenges, her prayers to Saint Joseph and her unflagging devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to whom she dedicated her new congregation, gave this holy woman the graces needed to remain faithful to God and to the Church. Through her intercession, may her followers today continue to serve God and the Church with faith and humility!
In the second half of the 19th century, in Campania, in the South of Italy, the Lord called a young elementary school teacher, Giulia Salzano, and made of her an apostle of Christian education, founder of the Congregation of the Catechetical Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Mother Giulia understood well the importance of catechesis in the Church, and, uniting pedagogical preparation to spiritual zeal, she dedicated herself to this with generosity and intelligence, contributing to the formation of people of every age and social class. She repeated to her fellow sisters that she wanted to teach catechism up to the last hour of her life, showing with her whole being that if “God created us to know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this life”, nothing should take precedence over this task. May the example and intercession of Saint Giulia Salzano sustain the Church in her perennial task of proclaiming Christ and forming authentic Christian consciences
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Saint Battista Camilla Varano, Sister of the Order of St. Clare of the 15th century, profoundly witnessed to the Gospel meaning of life, persevering especially in prayer. Having entered the monastery of Urbino at age 23, she became a protagonist in that vast movement of female Franciscan reform which was intended to fully recover the charism of St. Clare of Assisi. She promoted new monastic foundations at Camerino, where she was elected Abbess on several occasions, at Fermo and at San Severino. The life of St. Battista, completely immersed in the depths of the divine, was a constant ascent along the path of perfection, with heroic love for God and her neighbor. This was marked by great sufferings and mystical consolations; she had decided, in fact, as she herself wrote, “to enter into the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and to drown in the ocean of his most bitter sufferings”. In an age in which the Church was experiencing a relaxation of customs, she followed with decision the way of penitence and prayer, animated by the ardent desire for renewal of the Mystical Body of Christ.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us give thanks to the Lord for the gift of holiness, which shines in the Church and is visible today on the faces of these our brothers and sisters. Jesus also invites each of us to follow Him in order to inherit eternal life. Let us be drawn by these shining examples, let us be guided by their teachings, so that our existence might be a canticle of praise to God. Let the Virgin Mary and the intercession of the six new Saints whom we venerate with joy today obtain for us this grace. Amen.
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REFLECTION BY THE HOLY FATHER |
At the opening of the First General Congregation this morning, Monday 11 October 2010, after the brief reading of the Hour of Terce, the Holy Father Benedict XVI gave the following reflection:
Dear brothers and sisters,
On October 11 1962, 48 years ago, Pope John XXIII inaugurated Vatican Council II. At the time, on October 11, the feast day of the Divine Motherhood of Mary was celebrated and, with this gesture, with this date, Pope John wished to entrust the whole Council into the motherly hands and maternal heart of the Madonna. We too begin on October 11th, we too wish to entrust this Synod, with all its problems, with all its challenges, with all its hopes, to the maternal heart of the Madonna, the Mother of God.
Pius XI, in 1930, introduced this feast day, 1600 years after the Council of Ephesus, which had legitimated, for Mary, the title of Theotokos, Dei Genitrix. With this great word Dei Genitrix, Theotokos, the Council of Ephesus had summarized the entire doctrine of Christ, of Mary, the whole of the doctrine of redemption. So it would be worthwhile to reflect briefly, for a moment, on what was said during the Council of Ephesus, on what this day means.
In reality, Theotokos is a courageous title. A woman is the Mother of God. One could say: how is this possible? God is eternal, he is the Creator. We are creatures, we are in time: how could a human being be the Mother of God, of the Eternal, since we are all in time, we are all creatures? Therefore one can understand that there was some strong opposition, in part, to this term. The Nestorians used to say: one can speak about Christotokos, yes, but Theotokos no: Theos, God, is beyond, beyond the events of history. But the Council decided this, and thus it enlightened the adventure of God, the greatness of what he has done for us. God did not remain in Himself: he went out, He united in such a way, so radically to this man, Jesus, that this man Jesus is God, and if we speak about Him, we can also speak about God. Not only was a man born that had something to do with God, but in Him was born God on earth. God came from himself. But we could also say the opposite: God drew us to Himself, so that we are not outside of God, but we are within the intimate, the intimacy of God Himself.
Aristotelian philosophy, as we well know, tells us that between God and man there is only an unreciprocated relationship. Man refers to God, but God, the Eternal, is in Himself, He does not change: He cannot have this relation today and another relationship tomorrow. He is within Himself, He does not have ad extra relations. It is a very logical term, but it is also a word that makes us despair: so God has no relationship with me. With the incarnation, with the event of the Theotokos, this has been radically changed, because God drew us into Himself and God in Himself is the relationship and allows us to participate in His interior relationship. Thus we are in His being Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we are within His being in relationship, we are in relationship with Him and He truly created the relationship with us. At that moment, God wished to be born from woman and remain Himself: this is the great event. And thus we can understand the depth of the act by Pope John, who entrusted the Council, Synodal Assembly to the central mystery, to the Mother of God who is drawn by the Lord into Himself, and thus all of us with Her.
The Council began with the icon of the Theotokos. At the end, Pope Paul VI recognized the same title of Mater Ecclesiae to the Madonna. And these two icons, which begin and end the Council, are intrinsically linked, and are, in the end, one single icon. Because Christ was not born like any other individual. He was born to create a body for Himself: He was born - as John says in Chapter 12 of his Gospel - to attract all to Him and in Him. He was born - as it says in the Letters to the Colossians and to the Ephesians - to summarize the whole world, He was born as the firstborn of many brothers, He was born to unite the cosmos in Him, so that He is the Head of a great Body. Where Christ is born, the movement of summation begins, the moment of the calling begins, of construction of his Body, of the Holy Church. The Mother of Theos, the Mother of God, is the Mother of the Church, because she is the Mother of He who came to unite all in His resurrected Body.
Saint Luke leads us to understand this in the parallel between the first chapter of his book and the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, which repeat the same mystery on two different levels. In the first chapter of the Gospel the Holy Spirit comes upon Mary and thus she gives birth to and gives us the Son of God. In the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, Mary is at the center of Jesus’ disciples who are praying all together, pleading with the cloud of the Holy Spirit. And thus from the believing Church, with Mary at its heart, is born the Church, the Body of Christ. This dual birth is the only birth of the Christus totus, of the Christ who embraces the world and all of us.
Birth in Bethlehem, birth at the Last Supper. Birth of the Infant Jesus, birth of the Body of Christ, of the Church. These are two events or just one event. But between the two lie truly the Cross and the Resurrection. And only through the Cross comes the path towards the totality of Christ, towards His resurrected Body, towards the universalization of His being in the unity of the Church. And thus, bearing in mind that only from the wheat fallen to earth can a great harvest be reaped, from the Lord pierced on the Cross comes the universality of His disciples reunited in this His Body, dead and risen.
Keeping this connection between Theotokos and Mater ecclesiae in mind, we turn our attention to the last book of the Holy Scripture, Revelation, where, in chapter 12, we can find this synthesis. The woman clothed with thesun, with twelve stars over her head and the moon at her feet, gives birth. And gives birth with a cry of pain, gives birth with great suffering. Here the Marian mystery is the mystery of Bethlehem extended to the cosmic mystery. Christ is always reborn in all generations and thus takes on, gathers humanity within Himself. And this cosmic birth is achieved in the cry of the Cross, in the suffering of the Passion. And the blood of martyrs belongs to this cry of the Cross.
So, at this moment, we can look at the second psalm of this Hour, Psalm 81, where we can see part of this process. God is among gods - they are still considered as gods in Israel. In this Psalm, in a great concentration, in a prophetic vision, we can see the power taken from the gods. Those who seemed to be gods are not gods and lose their divine characteristics, and fall to earth. Dii estis et moriemini sicut homines (cf. Psa 81:6-7): the wresting of power, the fall of the divinities.
This process that is achieved along the path of faith of Israel, and which here is summarized in one vision, is the true process of the history of religion: the fall of the gods. And thus the transformation of the world, the knowledge of the true God, the loss of power by the forces that dominate the world, is a process of suffering. In the history of Israel we can see how this liberation from polytheism, this recognition - “Only He is God” - is achieved with great pain, beginning with the path of Abraham, the exile, the Maccabeans, up to Christ. And this process of loss of power continues throughout history, spoken of in Revelation chapter 12; it mentions the fall of the angels, which are not truly angels, they are not divinities on earth. And is achieved truly, right at the time of the rising Church, where we can see how the blood of the martyrs takes the power away from the divinities, starting with the divine emperor, from all these divinities. It is the blood of the martyrs, the suffering, the cry of the Mother Church that makes them fall and thus transforms the world.
This fall is not only the knowledge that they are not God; it is the process of transformation of the world, which costs blood, costs the suffering of the witnesses of Christ. And, if we look closely, we can see that this process never ends. It is achieved in various periods of history in ever new ways; even today, at this moment, in which Christ, the only Son of God, must be born for the world with the fall of the gods, with pain, the martyrdom of witnesses. Let us remember all the great powers of today’s history, let us remember the anonymous capital that enslaves man, which is no longer in man’s possession, but is an anonymous power served by men, by which men are tormented and even killed. It is a destructive power, that threatens the world. And then the power of the terroristic ideologies. Violent acts are apparently made in the name of God, but this is not God: they are false divinities that must be unmasked; they are not God. And then drugs, this power that, like a voracious beast, extends its claws to all parts of the world and destroys it: it is a divinity, but it is a false divinity that must fall. Or even the way of living proclaimed by public opinion: today we must do things like this, marriage no longer counts, chastity is no longer a virtue, and so on.
These ideologies that dominate, that impose themselves forcefully, are divinities. And in the pain of the Saints, in the suffering of believers, of the Mother Church which we are a part of, these divinities must fall, what is said in the Letters to the Colossians and to the Ephesians must be done: the dominations, the powers fall and become subjects of the one Lord Jesus Christ. On this battle we find ourselves in, of this taking power away from God, of this fall of false gods, that fall because they are not deities, but powers that can destroy the world, chapter 12 of Revelations mentions these, even if with a mysterious image, for which, I believe, there are many different and beautiful interpretations. It has been said that the dragon places a large river of water before the fleeing woman to overcome her. And it would seem inevitable that the woman will drown in this river. But the good earth absorbs this river and it cannot be harmful. I think that the river is easily interpreted: these are the currents that dominate all and wish to make faith in the Church disappear, the Church that does not have a place anymore in front of the force of these currents that impose themselves as the only rationality, as the only way to live. And the earth that absorbs these currents is the faith of the simple at heart, that does not allow itself to be overcome by these rivers and saves the Mother and saves the Son. This is why the Psalm says - the first psalm of the Hour - the faith of the simple at heart is the true wisdom (cf Psa. 118:130). This true wisdom of simple faith, that does not allow itself to be swamped by the waters, is the force of the Church. And we have returned to the Marian mystery.
And there is also a final word in Psalm 81, “movebuntur omnia fundamenta terrae” (Psa 81:5), the foundations of earth are shaken. We see this today, with the climatic problems, how the foundations of the earth are shaken, how they are threatened by our behavior. The external foundations are shaken because the internal foundations are shaken, the moral and religious foundations, the faith that follows the right way of living. And we know that faith is the foundation, and, undoubtedly, the foundations of the earth cannot be shaken if they remain close to the faith, to true wisdom.
And then the Psalm says: “Arise, God, judge the world” (Psa 81:8). Thus we also say to the Lord: “Arise at this moment, take the world in your hands, protect your Church, protect humanity, protect the earth”. And we once again entrust ourselves to the Mother of God, to Mary, and pray: “You, the great believer, you who have opened the earth to the heavens, help us, open the doors today as well, that truth might win, the will of God, which is the true good, the true salvation of the world”. Amen
[00013-02.04] [NNNNN] [Original text: Italian]
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The Holy Father’s homily for opening mass of Synod of Bishops for Middle East |
Below we publish the full text of a Vatican Radio translation of the Holy Father’s homily for mass inaugurating the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Churches of the Middle East. Original text and audio in Italian:
Venerable Brothers,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear brothers and sisters!
The Eucharistic celebration, the highest form of giving thanks to God, has extraordinary meaning for us today here at the tomb of St. Peter: the grace of seeing gathered together for the first time in a Synodal Assembly, around the Bishop of Rome and Universal Pastor, the Bishops of the Middle East. This unique event demonstrates the interest of the entire Church for that precious and beloved part of the People of God who live in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.
First of all we raise our thanksgiving to the Lord of history, because he has willed it so despite often difficult and troubled events, from the time of Jesus until today, the Middle East has see the continued presence of Christians. In those lands the one Church of Christ is expressed in the variety of the liturgical spiritual, cultural and disciplinary traditions of the six venerable Oriental Catholic Churches sui iuris, as well as in the Latin tradition. The fraternal greeting, which I address with great affection to the patriarchs of each of them, I would also like to extend to all the faithful entrusted to their pastoral care in their own countries and also in the Diaspora.
On this Sunday, the 28th in Ordinary Time, the Word of God offers a theme for meditation that is significantly relevant to the Synodal event we are inaugurating today. Our continuation in reading from Luke's Gospel brings us to the episode of the healing of the ten lepers, of whom only one, a Samaritan, returns to thank Jesus. In connection with this text, the first reading from the Second Book of Kings recounts the healing of Naaman, the Aramean army chief, also a leper who is healed by dipping himself seven times in the waters of the River Jordan, as ordered by the prophet Elisha. Naaman also returned to the Prophet and, recognizing him as the mediator of God, professes his faith in the one Lord. So, two people with leprosy, two non-Jews, are healed because they believe in word of God’s messenger. They are healed in body, but they are open to faith, and this heals their soul, it saves them.
The Responsorial Psalm sings of this reality: “Yahweh has made known his saving power,/ revealed his saving justice for the nations to see. /Mindful of his faithful love and his constancy to the House of Israel” (Ps 98:2-3). This then is the theme: salvation is universal, but it passes through a specific historical mediation: the mediation of the people of Israel, which goes on to become that of Jesus Christ and the Church. The door of life is open for everyone, but this is the point, it is a “door”, that is a definite and necessary passage. This is summed up in the Pauline formula we heard in the Second Letter to Timothy: “the salvation that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 2:10). It is the mystery of the universality of Salvation and at the same time of its necessary link with the historical mediation of Christ Jesus, preceded by that of the people of Israel and continued by that of the Church. God is love and wants all men to be part of His life; to carry out this plan He, who is One and Trine, creates in the world a mystery of a communion that is human and divine, historical and transcendent: He creates it with the “method” - so to speak - of the covenant, tying himself to men with faithful and inexhaustible love, forming a holy people, that becomes a blessing for all the families of the earth (cf Gen 12:13). Thus He reveals Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (cf Ex 3:6), who wants to lead his people to the “land” of freedom and peace. This “land” is not of this world; the whole of the divine plan goes beyond history, but the Lord wants to build it with men, for men and in men, beginning with the coordinates of space and time in which they live and which He Himself gave them.
With its own specificity, that which we call the “Middle East”, makes up part of those coordinates. God sees this region of the world, too, from a different perspective, one might say, “from on high”: it is the land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the land of the Exodus and the return from exile; the land of the Temple and of the Prophets, the land in which the Only Begotten Son of Mary was born, lived, died, and rose from the dead; the cradle of the Church, established in order to carry Christ’s Gospel to the ends of the earth. And we too, as believers, look at the Middle East with this view, from the perspective of the history of salvation. It is this internal point of view which guided me during Apostolic visits to Turkey, the Holy Land–Jordan, Israel, Palestine–and Cyprus, where I was able to experience firsthand the joys and concerns of the Christian communities. It was for this reason, too, that I willingly accepted the proposal of the Patriarchs and Bishops to convoke a Synodal Assembly to reflect together, in light of Sacred Scripture and Church traditions, on the present as well as the future of the faithful and populations of the Middle East.
Looking at that part of the world from God’s perspective means recognizing in it the “cradle” of a universal design of salvation in love, a mystery of communion which becomes true in freedom and thus asks man for a response. Abraham, the prophets, and the Virgin Mary are the protagonists of this response which, however, has its completion in Jesus Christ, son of that same land, yet descended from Heaven. From Him, from his Heart and his Spirit was born the Church, which is a pilgrim in this world, yet belongs to Him. The Church was established to be a sign and an instrument of the unique and universal saving project of God among men; She fulfils this mission simply by being herself, that is, “Communion and witness”, as it says in the theme of this Synodal Assembly which opens today, referring to Luke’s famous definition of the first Christian community: “The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul” (Acts 4:32). Without communion there can be no witness: the life of communion is truly the great witness. Jesus said it clearly: “It is by your love for one another, that everyone will recognize you as my disciples” (Jn 13:35). This communion is the same life of God which is communicated in the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ. It is thus a gift, not something which we ourselves must build through our own efforts. And it is precisely because of this that it calls upon our freedom and waits for our response: communion always requires conversion, just as a gift is better if it is welcomed and utilized. In Jerusalem the first Christians were few. Nobody could have imagined what was going to take place. And the Church continues to live on that same strength which enabled it to begin and to grow. Pentecost is the original event but also a permanent dynamism, and the Synod of Bishops is a privileged moment in which the grace of Pentecost may be renewed in the Church’s journey, so that the Good News may be announced openly and heard by all peoples.
Therefore, the reason for this synodal assembly is mainly a pastoral one. While not being able to ignore the delicate and at times dramatic social and political situation of some countries, the Pastors of the Middle Eastern Churches wish to concentrate on the aspects of their own mission. As regards this, the Instrumentum laboris, elaborated by a Presynodal Council whose members we thank for their work, underlined these ecclesial finalities of the Assembly, pointing out that, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it wishes to re-enliven communion of the Catholic Church in the Middle East. First of all within each Church, between all its members: Patriarch, Bishop, priests, religious persons, persons of consecrated life and the laity. And, thereby, in the relationships with the other Churches. Ecclesial life, corroborated in this way, will see the development of very positive fruits in the ecumenical path with the other Churches and ecclesial Communities present in the Middle East. This occasion is also propitious to constructively continue the dialogue with Jews, to whom we are tied by an indissoluble bond, the lengthy history of the Covenant, as we are with the Muslims. Also, the workings of the Synodal assembly are oriented to the witness of Christians on a personal, family and social level. This requires the reinforcing of their Christian identity through the Word of God and the Sacraments. We all hope that the faithful feel the joy in living in the Holy Land, a land blessed by the presence and by the Paschal Mystery of the Lord Jesus Christ. Over the centuries those Places attracted multitudes of pilgrims and even men and women in religious communities, who have considered it a great privilege to be able to live and bear witness in the land of Jesus. Despite the difficulties, the Christians in the Holy Land are called to enliven their consciousness of being the living stones of the Church in the Middle East, at the holy Places of our salvation. However, living in a dignified manner in one’s own country is above all a fundamental human right: therefore, the conditions of peace and justice, which are necessary for the harmonious development of all those living in the region, should be promoted. Therefore all are called to give their personal contribution: the international community, by supporting a stable path, loyal and constructive, towards peace; those most prevalent religions in the region, in promoting the spiritual and cultural values that unite men and exclude any expression of violence. Christians will continue to contribute not only with the work of social promotion, such as institutes of education and health, but above all with the spirit of the Evangelical Beatitudes, which enliven the practice of forgiveness and reconciliation. In this commitment, they will always have the support of the entire Church, as is solemnly attested by the presence here of the Delegates of the Episcopacies of other continents.
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