Vatican
City, 6 January 2013 (VIS) - At midday today, Solemnity of the Lord's
Epiphany, the Holy Father appeared at the window of his study to pray
the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. The
event had been slightly delayed because of the length of the
morning's Mass during which the Pope had consecrated four new
archbishops, including Msgr. Georg Ganswein, his private secretary.
The
Pope began by apologizing to the faithful for the delay: "I
ordained four new bishops in St. Peter's Basilica today and the
ceremony lasted a little longer than normal. Above all, however,
today we celebrate the Lord's Epiphany, his manifestation to the
peoples, when many Oriental Churches celebrate His Nativity according
to the Julian calendar. This small difference, which superimposes
these two events, highlights the fact that the Child, born in a
humble grotto in Bethlehem, is the light of the world that guides the
paths of all peoples. It is a combination that also makes us think
from the perspective of faith: on the one hand, on Christmas, in the
presence of Jesus, we see the faith of Mary, Joseph, and the
shepherds; on the other, at Epiphany, we see the faith of the Three
Wise Men who have come from the East to adore the King of the Jews".
"The
Virgin Mary, along with her husband, represent the 'lineage' of
Israel, the 'remnant' foretold by the prophets, from which the
Messiah will spring forth. The Three Wise Men, on the other hand,
represent the peoples―and we
can also say the civilizations, cultures, and religions―that
are, so to speak, on the path to God, in search of His reign of
peace, justice, truth, and freedom. There is first a nucleus
embodied, above all, by Mary, the 'daughter of Zion': a nucleus of
Israel, the people that knew and had faith in that God who had
revealed himself to the patriarchs and in the course of history. This
faith reaches its fulfilment in Mary, in the fullness of time. In
her, who was 'blessed because she believed', the Word was made flesh,
God 'appeared' in the world. Mary's faith becomes the first fruits
and the model of faith of the Church, the People of the New Covenant.
Bur, from the beginning, this people is universal and we see this
today in the figures of the Three Wise Men who come to Bethlehem
following the light of a star and the indications given in the Sacred
Scriptures".
In
conclusion, the Pope referred to the episcopal ordinations conferred
that morning: "two of the new bishops will remain here in their
service of the Holy See and the other two will depart to become papal
representatives to two nations. Let us pray for each of them, for
their ministry, and that the light of Christ may shine forth
throughout the world".
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