At 11:15am this morning, in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the pilgrims who are visiting from El Salvador for the occasion of the Canonization of Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez, which took place yesterday, Sunday 14 October, in Saint Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning and thank you very much for being here. The canonization of Bishop Oscar Romero, a distinguished pastor from the American continent, allows me to have an encounter with all of you who have come to Rome to venerate him and, at the same time, to express your attachment and closeness to the Successor of Peter. Thank you.
First of all, I greet my brothers in the Episcopate, the bishops of El Salvador, who have come to Rome accompanied by their priests and faithful, and many nuns, right? Saint Óscar Romero knew how to perfectly make present the image of the good Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep. Therefore, and now much more since his canonization, you can find in him an example and a stimulus in the ministry entrusted to you. An beloved example for those most in need of God's mercy. A source of encouragement to bear witness to the love of Christ and care for the Church, knowing how to coordinate the actions of each of its members and collaborating with other particular Churches in collegial affection. May the holy Bishop Romero help you to be for all people, signs of that unity in the plurality that characterizes the holy faithful People of God.
I also greet with special affection the numerous priests, religious men and women who are here and those who remained in your native land. You, who feel called to live a Christian commitment inspired by the style of this new saint, become worthy of his teachings by being above all servants of the priestly people, in the vocation to which Jesus, the only and eternal priest, has called you. Saint Óscar Romero saw the priest placed in the middle of two great abysses: that of the infinite mercy of God and that of the infinite misery of men (cf Homily during priestly ordination, December 10, 1977). Dear brothers, work tirelessly to act as channels to that infinite longing of God to forgive everyone who repents of his or her misery, and to open the hearts of their brothers and sisters to the tenderness of God's love through the prophetic denunciation of the evils of the world.
I would also like to extend a cordial greeting to the many pilgrims who have come to Rome to participate in this canonization, and also the members of the Salvadoran community in Rome. The message of Saint Oscar Romero is addressed to all people without exception, large and small, for all. I was impressed when a ninety-year-old grandmother came in and shouted and applauded as if she were fifteen. The strength of faith is the strength of the People of God. He, Oscar Romero, fervently repeated his advice that every Catholic must be a martyr, because the word martyr means witness, that is, a witness of God's message to mankind (see Homily on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 1977). God wants to be present in our lives, and calls us to proclaim his message of freedom to all humanity. Only in Him can we be free: free from sin, free from evil, free from hatred in our hearts - he was a victim of hatred-, totally free to love and welcome the Lord and our brothers and sisters. True freedom already here on earth, freedom which passes through concern for the person of each man and woman to awaken in each heart the hope of salvation.
We are well aware of the fact that this is not easy, and that is why we need the support of prayer. We need to be united with God and in communion with the Church. Saint Óscar tells us that without God, and without the ministry of the Church, this is not possible. On one occasion, he referred to Confirmation as to the sacrament of martyrs (Homily, December 5, 1977). And without that strength of the Holy Spirit, which the early Christians received from their bishops, from the Pope ..., they would not have stood the test of persecution; they would not have died for Christ (Homily, December 5, 1977).
Let us take to our prayer these prophetic words, asking God for his strength in our daily struggles so that, if necessary, we may also be willing to give our lives for Christ" (Homily, December 5, 1977).
Also from here I send my greeting to all the holy people of God who are on pilgrimage in El Salvador and who today are vibrating with the joy of seeing one of their children raised to the honour of the altars. The people of El Salvador have a living faith that is expressed in different forms of popular piety and shapes their social and family life: the faith of the holy and faithful people of God. To the priests, to the bishops, I ask you: Take care of the holy and faithful people of God, do not scandalize them, take care of them. There has been no shortage of difficulties: the scourge of division, the scourge of war; violence has been felt strongly in your recent history, but your people resist and keep going forward. There are a few Salvadorans who have had to leave their land looking for a better future. The memory of Saint Oscar Romero is an exceptional opportunity to send a message of peace and reconciliation to all the peoples of Latin America. The people wanted him: they sought out Bishop Romero, the people of God wanted him to be canonized. And do you know why? Because the People of God know how to sniff well where there is holiness. And here among you, I must thank so many people, all the people who accompanied him, who followed him, who were close to him. But how do I thank you? So I chose a person, a person who was very close to him, one who accompanied him and followed him; a very humble person: Angelita Morales. In her I see a representative of the people of God. I would ask Angelita if she could come forward (applause and songs as Mrs. Morales approaches.
United in joy with all of you, I ask Mary, the Queen of Peace, to tenderly care for all the inhabitants of El Salvador and for our Lord to bless his people with the caress of his mercy. And, please ... - Did you pay an entrance fee to enter here, or not? (They reply: No!) Well, now you're going to have to pay, and the price is that you must pray for me. Together, let us pray to the Virgin before receiving the blessing. Hail Mary ... Saint Óscar Romero (They answer: Pray for us), and may Almighty God bless you all ...
(Original text in Spanish)
Greetings offered by His Holiness, Pope Francis
to pilgrims from El Salvador
Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning and thank you very much for being here. The canonization of Bishop Oscar Romero, a distinguished pastor from the American continent, allows me to have an encounter with all of you who have come to Rome to venerate him and, at the same time, to express your attachment and closeness to the Successor of Peter. Thank you.
First of all, I greet my brothers in the Episcopate, the bishops of El Salvador, who have come to Rome accompanied by their priests and faithful, and many nuns, right? Saint Óscar Romero knew how to perfectly make present the image of the good Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep. Therefore, and now much more since his canonization, you can find in him an example and a stimulus in the ministry entrusted to you. An beloved example for those most in need of God's mercy. A source of encouragement to bear witness to the love of Christ and care for the Church, knowing how to coordinate the actions of each of its members and collaborating with other particular Churches in collegial affection. May the holy Bishop Romero help you to be for all people, signs of that unity in the plurality that characterizes the holy faithful People of God.
I also greet with special affection the numerous priests, religious men and women who are here and those who remained in your native land. You, who feel called to live a Christian commitment inspired by the style of this new saint, become worthy of his teachings by being above all servants of the priestly people, in the vocation to which Jesus, the only and eternal priest, has called you. Saint Óscar Romero saw the priest placed in the middle of two great abysses: that of the infinite mercy of God and that of the infinite misery of men (cf Homily during priestly ordination, December 10, 1977). Dear brothers, work tirelessly to act as channels to that infinite longing of God to forgive everyone who repents of his or her misery, and to open the hearts of their brothers and sisters to the tenderness of God's love through the prophetic denunciation of the evils of the world.
I would also like to extend a cordial greeting to the many pilgrims who have come to Rome to participate in this canonization, and also the members of the Salvadoran community in Rome. The message of Saint Oscar Romero is addressed to all people without exception, large and small, for all. I was impressed when a ninety-year-old grandmother came in and shouted and applauded as if she were fifteen. The strength of faith is the strength of the People of God. He, Oscar Romero, fervently repeated his advice that every Catholic must be a martyr, because the word martyr means witness, that is, a witness of God's message to mankind (see Homily on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 1977). God wants to be present in our lives, and calls us to proclaim his message of freedom to all humanity. Only in Him can we be free: free from sin, free from evil, free from hatred in our hearts - he was a victim of hatred-, totally free to love and welcome the Lord and our brothers and sisters. True freedom already here on earth, freedom which passes through concern for the person of each man and woman to awaken in each heart the hope of salvation.
We are well aware of the fact that this is not easy, and that is why we need the support of prayer. We need to be united with God and in communion with the Church. Saint Óscar tells us that without God, and without the ministry of the Church, this is not possible. On one occasion, he referred to Confirmation as to the sacrament of martyrs (Homily, December 5, 1977). And without that strength of the Holy Spirit, which the early Christians received from their bishops, from the Pope ..., they would not have stood the test of persecution; they would not have died for Christ (Homily, December 5, 1977).
Let us take to our prayer these prophetic words, asking God for his strength in our daily struggles so that, if necessary, we may also be willing to give our lives for Christ" (Homily, December 5, 1977).
Also from here I send my greeting to all the holy people of God who are on pilgrimage in El Salvador and who today are vibrating with the joy of seeing one of their children raised to the honour of the altars. The people of El Salvador have a living faith that is expressed in different forms of popular piety and shapes their social and family life: the faith of the holy and faithful people of God. To the priests, to the bishops, I ask you: Take care of the holy and faithful people of God, do not scandalize them, take care of them. There has been no shortage of difficulties: the scourge of division, the scourge of war; violence has been felt strongly in your recent history, but your people resist and keep going forward. There are a few Salvadorans who have had to leave their land looking for a better future. The memory of Saint Oscar Romero is an exceptional opportunity to send a message of peace and reconciliation to all the peoples of Latin America. The people wanted him: they sought out Bishop Romero, the people of God wanted him to be canonized. And do you know why? Because the People of God know how to sniff well where there is holiness. And here among you, I must thank so many people, all the people who accompanied him, who followed him, who were close to him. But how do I thank you? So I chose a person, a person who was very close to him, one who accompanied him and followed him; a very humble person: Angelita Morales. In her I see a representative of the people of God. I would ask Angelita if she could come forward (applause and songs as Mrs. Morales approaches.
United in joy with all of you, I ask Mary, the Queen of Peace, to tenderly care for all the inhabitants of El Salvador and for our Lord to bless his people with the caress of his mercy. And, please ... - Did you pay an entrance fee to enter here, or not? (They reply: No!) Well, now you're going to have to pay, and the price is that you must pray for me. Together, let us pray to the Virgin before receiving the blessing. Hail Mary ... Saint Óscar Romero (They answer: Pray for us), and may Almighty God bless you all ...
(Original text in Spanish)
No comments:
Post a Comment