THE CHURCH MUST OPEN FRONTIERS AND BREAK DOWN BARRIERS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 15, 2005 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica today, Solemnity of Pentecost, Benedict XVI presided at Mass during which he ordained 21 deacons of the diocese of Rome. The Mass was concelebrated by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome, Archbishop Luigi Moretti, vicegerent, the auxiliary bishops, the superiors of the seminaries where the deacons were formed, and their pastors.

   Eleven of the new priests are from Italy, two from Bolivia, and one each from Uruguay, Costa Rica, Peru, Ireland, Romania, Kenya, Angola and Nigeria.

  In his homily, the Pope recalled how on the day of Pentecost, "the Holy Spirit, under the signs of the mighty wind and the fire, broke in upon the praying community of Jesus' disciples, and so gave origin to the Church."

  "The Church," said the Holy Father, "must always become anew that which she already is: she must open the frontiers between peoples and break down the barriers between classes and races. In her, no one can be forgotten or scorned. ... The wind and the fire of the Holy Spirit must ceaselessly open the frontiers that we human beings continue to build between ourselves."

  Addressing the new priests, Benedict XVI said that in the Risen Lord's greeting to the Apostles - "peace be with you," which is mentioned in today's Gospel - "we may also see a call to the great mystery of faith, to the Holy Eucharist, in which He continues to give Himself to us and, in that way, continues to give us true peace."

  In Jesus' name, the Pope went on, "you can say, this is My body, this is My blood. Always allow yourselves to be drawn back to the Holy Eucharist, to communion of life with Christ. Consider the worthy celebration of the Eucharist as the center of each day. Always lead men back again to this mystery. Help them, on the foundation of the Eucharist, to bring Christ's peace into the world."

  The Pope also referred to a priest's "power of forgiveness." He said: "The Sacrament of Penance is one of the Church's precious treasures, because only in forgiveness is true renewal of the world achieved. Nothing can improve in the world, if evil is not overcome. And evil can be overcome only through forgiveness. Of course, this must be efficacious forgiveness, but this forgiveness can only be given to us by the Lord. A forgiveness that does not overcome evil only with words, but that truly transforms it."
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