ONE MILLION PEOPLE AT CANONIZATION OF FIVE BLESSEDS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 4, 2003 (VIS) - At 9 a.m. this morning the Pope left the apostolic nunciature and, on his way to Plaza de Colon for Mass, greeted hundreds of people who lined the adjacent streets. The Mass in which he canonized Pedro Poveda Castroverde, Jose Maria Rubio y Prealta, Genoveva Torres Morales, Angela de la Cruz and Maria Maravillas de Jesus, began at 10 a.m.

In his homily, while commenting on today's Gospel in which Jesus asks his apostles to be witnesses of His resurrection, the Holy Father exclaimed, addressing the million faithful present: "Spain, after a past of courageous evangelization: be a witness of Jesus Christ, resurrected, even today!"

"The new saints," he affirmed, "are presented to us today as true disciples of the Lord and witnesses of His resurrection. St. Pedro Poveda, understanding the importance of the social function of education, made an important humanitarian and educational commitment among the poor and needy. He was a teacher of prayer, a master of Christian life and of the relationship between faith and science, and was convinced that Christians must bring values and substantial contributions for the construction of a world which is more just and united. He ended his life with the crown of martyrdom."

"St. Jose Maria Rubio," he said, "lived his priesthood, first as a diocesan priest then as a Jesuit, with total gift of self to the apostolate of the Word and of the Sacraments, dedicating many hours in the confessional and leading numerous courses of spiritual exercises in which he formed many Christians who would then die as martyrs during the religious persecution in Spain. 'Do what God wants and want what God does' was his motto."

Speaking about St. Genoveva Torres, the Pope pointed out that "she was an instrument of God's compassion for people who were alone and in need of love, consolation and spiritual and physical care. The notable characteristic that drove her spirituality was adoration of the Eucharistic, the foundation on which she based an apostolate full of humility and simplicity, self-denial and charity."

"Similar love and sensitivity toward the poor moved St. Angela de la Cruz to found her 'Company of the Cross', with a charitable and social dimension in favor of the neediest and with an enormous impact in the Church and in Seville society at the time. Her distinctive trait was being natural and simple, seeking sanctity with a spirit of mortification to the service of God in her brothers and sisters."

Speaking about St. Maravillas de Jesus, the Holy Father emphasized that she lived a life "inspired by heroic faith, formed in response to an austere vocation, putting God at the center of her life. Having overcome the sad circumstances of the Spanish Civil War, she achieved new foundations within the Order of Carmel, imbued with the characteristic spirit of Teresian reform. Her cloistered and contemplative life did not keep her from attending to the needs of people that she treated and from promoting social and charitable projects in her surroundings."

"Dear Catholic faithful," John Paul II said, let yourselves "be called by these marvelous examples. While giving thanks to the Lord for so many gifts that He has bestowed on Spain, I invite you to ask with me that this land continue producing new saints. Other fruits of sanctity will come forth if the ecclesial communities keep faithful to the Gospel, ... if the family stays united, as an authentic sanctuary of love and life. When I made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, I said: 'The Christian and Catholic faith make up the identity of the Spanish people'. To know and go deeper into the past of a nation is to strengthen and enrich one's own identity. Do not break with your Christian roots! Only in this way will you be able to bring to the world and to Europe the cultural riches of your history."

After Mass and before praying the Regina Coeli, the Pope thanked the King and Queen, the royal family and the authorities of the nation, as well as Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid, and the other Spanish bishops for the invitation to return to Spain and for their warm welcome.

"You are recipients of a rich spiritual heritage that must be capable of invigorating your Christian vitality, united in great love for the Church and the Successor of Peter. With my arms wide open, I hold you all in my heart. The memory of these days will be solidified in prayer, invoking peace in fraternal coexistence for you, inspired by Christian hope which does not disappoint. And with great affection, I say to you, as I did the first time, 'Spain forever! Land of Mary!"

The Holy Father then proceeded to the nunciature, where he had lunch with seven Spanish cardinals, the members of the episcopal conference and the papal entourage.

PV-SPAIN;CANONIZATION;...;MADRID;VIS;20030505;Word: 840;