VATICAN CITY, 21 NOV 2010 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica at 9.30 a.m. today, Solemnity of Christ the King, the Pope presided at a Eucharistic concelebration with the twenty-four new cardinals created in yesterday's consistory. During the course of the ceremony he presented them with their ring of office.
In his homily, the Holy Father affirmed that "the primary service of Peter's Successor is the service of faith. ... The drama that takes place under the cross of Christ is a universal drama", he said. "It involves all mankind before God, Who reveals himself for what He is: Love. In the crucified Christ divinity is disfigured and stripped of all its visible glory, yet it is present and real. Only the faith can recognise it; the faith of Mary who, ... though she could not yet see everything, still continued to confide in God, repeating once again with the same abandonment: 'here am I, the servant of the Lord'".
Benedict XVI highlighted how "Peter's ministry consists entirely in his faith; ... a faith which must traverse the scandal of the cross in order to become authentic, truly 'Christian', in order to become the 'rock' upon which Jesus can build His Church".
"This ministry is difficult because it is not aligned with the way mankind thinks, with that natural logic which, nevertheless, also remains active in us. ... And we must bear witness to and announce this paradoxical regality just as He, the King, did; in other words, by following His path and struggling to adopt His logic, the logic of humility and service, the logic of the seed of grain which dies to bring forth fruit".
The Holy Father then went on to explain how "the effectiveness of our service to the Church, the Bride of Christ, essentially depends on this, on our faithfulness to the divine regality of crucified Love. For this reason, on the ring I give you today, the seal of your nuptial pact with the Church, is a depiction of the crucifixion. And for the same reason the colour of your robes alludes to blood, symbol of life and love, the Blood of Christ which according to ancient iconography was gathered by Mary from the pierced side of her Son, dead on the cross, and which the Apostle John saw as it flowed out mixed with water, in accordance with prophetic Scripture".
"The primacy of Peter and his Successors", Benedict XVI concluded, "remains entirely at the service of this primacy of Jesus Christ, the one Lord; at the service of His Kingdom, His Lordship of love, in order that it may come and spread, renewing mankind and creation, transforming the earth and bringing peace and justice".
HML/ VIS 20101122 (460)
In his homily, the Holy Father affirmed that "the primary service of Peter's Successor is the service of faith. ... The drama that takes place under the cross of Christ is a universal drama", he said. "It involves all mankind before God, Who reveals himself for what He is: Love. In the crucified Christ divinity is disfigured and stripped of all its visible glory, yet it is present and real. Only the faith can recognise it; the faith of Mary who, ... though she could not yet see everything, still continued to confide in God, repeating once again with the same abandonment: 'here am I, the servant of the Lord'".
Benedict XVI highlighted how "Peter's ministry consists entirely in his faith; ... a faith which must traverse the scandal of the cross in order to become authentic, truly 'Christian', in order to become the 'rock' upon which Jesus can build His Church".
"This ministry is difficult because it is not aligned with the way mankind thinks, with that natural logic which, nevertheless, also remains active in us. ... And we must bear witness to and announce this paradoxical regality just as He, the King, did; in other words, by following His path and struggling to adopt His logic, the logic of humility and service, the logic of the seed of grain which dies to bring forth fruit".
The Holy Father then went on to explain how "the effectiveness of our service to the Church, the Bride of Christ, essentially depends on this, on our faithfulness to the divine regality of crucified Love. For this reason, on the ring I give you today, the seal of your nuptial pact with the Church, is a depiction of the crucifixion. And for the same reason the colour of your robes alludes to blood, symbol of life and love, the Blood of Christ which according to ancient iconography was gathered by Mary from the pierced side of her Son, dead on the cross, and which the Apostle John saw as it flowed out mixed with water, in accordance with prophetic Scripture".
"The primacy of Peter and his Successors", Benedict XVI concluded, "remains entirely at the service of this primacy of Jesus Christ, the one Lord; at the service of His Kingdom, His Lordship of love, in order that it may come and spread, renewing mankind and creation, transforming the earth and bringing peace and justice".
HML/ VIS 20101122 (460)
Blessed be the new Cardinals as they take up their cross here on earth to serve His One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and may the Church militant pray for them so they remain strong against the winds of secular reletavism.
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