MAY THE CHURCH DRAW INSPIRATION FROM LIFE OF ST. TORIBIO

VATICAN CITY, APR 24, 2006 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from the Pope for celebrations marking the fourth centenary of the death of St. Toribio de Mogrovejo, the second archbishop of Lima, Peru. The celebrations are being held in Lima from April 24 to 29.

  Addressing Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima, as well as the bishops, priests, religious and laity participating in the event, the Pope invites them to "consider this anniversary as a providential opportunity to reactivate the journey of the Church in the various dioceses, drawing inspiration from the life and work of St. Toribio."

  That saint, writes the Pope, "distinguished himself for his selfless commitment to the edification and consolidation of the ecclesial communities of his day. He did so with a great spirit of communion and collaboration, always seeking unity as is shown by his calling of the third provincial council of Lima (1582-1583), ... one fruit of which was the so-called Catechism of St. Toribio."

  The Holy Father highlights the fact that the saint founded the conciliar seminary in Lima, which still exists today. He also expresses his hope that the seminary "may continue to give abundant fruit, precisely at a time when it is urgently necessary to promote vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life in order to face the immense task of building Christian communities that gather joyfully on Sunday, perform the Sacraments, foment spiritual life, transmit and cultivate the faith, bear witness of resolute hope, and always practice charity."

  "St. Toribio's profound missionary spirit," writes the Pope, was apparent in "his efforts to learn various languages in order to be able to preach personally to all those entrusted to his pastoral care." This, the Holy Father's message concludes, "was also a sign of his respect for the dignity of all human beings, whatever their condition, in whom he always sought to promote the joy of feeling themselves to be true children of God."
MESS/ST. TORIBIO MOGROVEJO/CIPRIANI                VIS 20060424 (340)