VATICAN CITY, 5 FEB 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father conferred episcopal ordination upon the following five priests: Msgr. Savio Hon Tai-Fai S.D.B., secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples; Msgr. Marcello Bartolucci, secretary of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints; Msgr. Celso Morga Iruzubieta, secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy; Msgr. Antonio Guido Filipazzi, apostolic nuncio, and Msgr. Edgar Pena Parra, apostolic nuncio to Pakistan.
Commenting on the Gospel reading from today's Mass, "The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few", the Pope said: "Although it may seem that a large part of the modern world, of the men and women of today, turn their backs on God and consider faith as a thing of the past, there is still a longing that justice, peace and love will finally be established, that poverty and suffering will be overcome, that mankind may find happiness".
"Today's liturgy", he went on, "gives us two definitions of your mission as bishops, as priests of Jesus Christ: that of being labourers in the harvest of world history with the task of healing, of opening the doors of the world to the lordship of God that His will of may be done on earth as in heaven; ... and that of co-operating in the mission of Jesus Christ".
In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke illustrates "the fundamental elements of Christian existence in the communion of the Church of Jesus Christ. He writes: 'They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers''. These four major elements of Church life also describe the essential task of her pastors", the Pope explained.
"Devotion, constancy, is part of the essence of being Christian, and it is fundamental for the role of pastors, labourers in the Lord's harvest. ... Intrepidness, the courage to oppose the trends of the moment, are an essential part of a pastor's duties. ... Only where there is stability can there also be growth".
Referring then to the second of the "pillars" of the Church, "communion", the Holy Father highlighted how "by being in communion with the Apostles, by abiding in their faith, we ourselves are in contact with the living God. This is the goal of the ministry of bishops. May this chain of communion not be broken! The essence of apostolic succession is to maintain our communion with the people who visibly and tangibly met with the Lord ".
"Help to ensure that joy in the great unity of the Church remains alive, joy in the communion of all places and times, in the communion of the faith which embraces heaven and earth", the Pope told the new archbishops.
The third fundamental element of ecclesial life is "the breaking of bread", said Benedict XVI. "Breaking the bread - the Blessed Eucharist - is the core of the Church and must be the core of our being Christian, of our priestly lives. The Lord gives Himself to us; the Risen One enters my intimate self and wishes to transform me, bringing me into profound communion with Him".
"Let us seek to celebrate the Eucharist devotedly, with ever deeper fervour; let us seek to organise our days around it and to allow ourselves to be moulded by it. Breaking the bread is also an expression of sharing, of transmitting our love for others. This social dimension, this sharing, is not some moral appendix added to the Eucharist, but an essential part thereof".
Commenting then on the fourth aspect of ecclesial life, "prayer", the Pope noted that, "on the one hand, prayer must be highly personal, a union with God in my most intimate being. ... However, it is never an exclusively private affair regarding only my individual self, disassociated from others. Prayer is always essentially an activity we undertake together as children of God. Only in this 'us' can we be children of our Father, to whom the Lord taught us to pray. ... Thus, in the final analysis, prayer cannot just be an activity like any other, a little corner of my time".
"'Duc in altum' the Lord is telling you today, dear friends", the Holy Father concluded. "You have been called to play roles that concern the universal Church. You are called to throw out the nets of the Gospel into the stormy seas of our time, to obtain the adherence of men and women to Christ, so as to draw them out, so to speak, from the salty waters of death and from the dark where the light of heaven does not reach. You must bring them onto the earth, to live in communion with Jesus Christ".
HML/ VIS 20110207 (800)
Commenting on the Gospel reading from today's Mass, "The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few", the Pope said: "Although it may seem that a large part of the modern world, of the men and women of today, turn their backs on God and consider faith as a thing of the past, there is still a longing that justice, peace and love will finally be established, that poverty and suffering will be overcome, that mankind may find happiness".
"Today's liturgy", he went on, "gives us two definitions of your mission as bishops, as priests of Jesus Christ: that of being labourers in the harvest of world history with the task of healing, of opening the doors of the world to the lordship of God that His will of may be done on earth as in heaven; ... and that of co-operating in the mission of Jesus Christ".
In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke illustrates "the fundamental elements of Christian existence in the communion of the Church of Jesus Christ. He writes: 'They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers''. These four major elements of Church life also describe the essential task of her pastors", the Pope explained.
"Devotion, constancy, is part of the essence of being Christian, and it is fundamental for the role of pastors, labourers in the Lord's harvest. ... Intrepidness, the courage to oppose the trends of the moment, are an essential part of a pastor's duties. ... Only where there is stability can there also be growth".
Referring then to the second of the "pillars" of the Church, "communion", the Holy Father highlighted how "by being in communion with the Apostles, by abiding in their faith, we ourselves are in contact with the living God. This is the goal of the ministry of bishops. May this chain of communion not be broken! The essence of apostolic succession is to maintain our communion with the people who visibly and tangibly met with the Lord ".
"Help to ensure that joy in the great unity of the Church remains alive, joy in the communion of all places and times, in the communion of the faith which embraces heaven and earth", the Pope told the new archbishops.
The third fundamental element of ecclesial life is "the breaking of bread", said Benedict XVI. "Breaking the bread - the Blessed Eucharist - is the core of the Church and must be the core of our being Christian, of our priestly lives. The Lord gives Himself to us; the Risen One enters my intimate self and wishes to transform me, bringing me into profound communion with Him".
"Let us seek to celebrate the Eucharist devotedly, with ever deeper fervour; let us seek to organise our days around it and to allow ourselves to be moulded by it. Breaking the bread is also an expression of sharing, of transmitting our love for others. This social dimension, this sharing, is not some moral appendix added to the Eucharist, but an essential part thereof".
Commenting then on the fourth aspect of ecclesial life, "prayer", the Pope noted that, "on the one hand, prayer must be highly personal, a union with God in my most intimate being. ... However, it is never an exclusively private affair regarding only my individual self, disassociated from others. Prayer is always essentially an activity we undertake together as children of God. Only in this 'us' can we be children of our Father, to whom the Lord taught us to pray. ... Thus, in the final analysis, prayer cannot just be an activity like any other, a little corner of my time".
"'Duc in altum' the Lord is telling you today, dear friends", the Holy Father concluded. "You have been called to play roles that concern the universal Church. You are called to throw out the nets of the Gospel into the stormy seas of our time, to obtain the adherence of men and women to Christ, so as to draw them out, so to speak, from the salty waters of death and from the dark where the light of heaven does not reach. You must bring them onto the earth, to live in communion with Jesus Christ".
HML/ VIS 20110207 (800)
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