On the morning of March 25th, Benedict XVI presided at the Holy Mass concelebrated with the new Cardinals. He mentioned that it was “providential “ that it was celebrated on the liturgical solemnity of the Annunciation.
He said:”In the Incarnation of the Son of God we recognize the beginnings of the Church. Everything starts from that moment. Therefore, all the historical accomplishments of the Church and also the whole Chuch institution flow from that original Source: they come from Christ, the incarnate Word of God. It is Him we always celebrate: the Emmanuel, the God-with-Us, through whom the salvific will of the Father is done. And today we contemplate this aspect of the Mystery, the divine Fountain flows through the privileged outlet: the Virgin Mary. Celebrating the Incarnation of the Son, we honor the Mother.
The Holy Father insisted on the light which results from this mystery for the life of the ministers of the Church. In particular, for the new Cardinals in their mission as “pre-eminent Senate of the Successor of Peter.” He emphasized that this coincidence proves the petrine principle of the Church in the light of another principle, the Marian principle, which is more original and fundamental.
In this context, the Holy Father evoked His Predecessor John Paul II, who showed in special way the importanceof the Marian principle of the Church, coherently with his motto “Totus Tuus.” This evocation was applauded with emotion by approximately 30,000 faithful who assisted at the celebration.
Short Photo Album of Pope and New Cardinals
Pope Bendeict XVI, recalling his Predecessor, said:”In his spiritual focus and his indefatigable ministry has opened to the eyes of all the presence of Mary as Mother and Queen of the Church. This maternal presence was specially experienced by him during the May 13, 1981 assassination attempt right here at the St.Peter’s Square. As a remembrance of that tragic event, he himself wanted that the image of the Virgin, represented in a mosaic, may dominate, from the heights of the Apostolic Palace, the St.Peter’s Square, in order to accompany the culminating moments as well as the odinary flow of his long pontificate, which around one year ago, entered in its last, painful and at the same time triumphant, and truly paschal phase .”
After pointing out that the theme of the relation between the petrine and Marian principle is also found in the symbol of the ring which he gave to the new Cardinals, a marriage symbol-“proper of the cardinal’s dignity”- which renews the the commitment of the total giving of oneself to Christ and His Church, Benedict XVI repeated that the two dimensions of the Church, Marian and petrine, are found in what constitutes the fulfillment of both, that is in the supreme value of the Charity, the “superior Charisma,” the “more excellent way,” according to Paul, the Apostle.
“In this world,everything passes. In eternity,only Love stays,” the Pope emphasized by exhorting the need to put into effect especially in the proper time “that everything in our personal life, as well as in the Church activity in which we are inserted, be driven forward by Charity and tend towards Charity.” An authentic , humble and valiant Charity, like that of the Virgin Mary, impelled by the faith in the Word of God and by the Holy Spirit. He who lives forgets himself and places himself at the service of the neighbor.
“Behold the image and the model of he Church!,” emphasized Benedict XVI. Noting that with the way of love he wishes to start his pontificate, words that were applauded with loving enthusiasm. “This is the way on which I wished to start my pontificate inviting all, with my first Encyclical, to build the Church in Charity, as a “ community of love.” In order to accomplish this end, venerable Brother Cardinals, your closeness-spiritual and active-is a great help and encouragement for me. Because of this I am grateful to you, at the same time, I also invite all of you, priests, deacons, religious and laymen, so that you unite yourselves in the invocation of the Holy Spirit, with the end that the College of Cardinals be more and more ardent in pastoral charity, in order to help the whole Church to radiate in the world the love of Christ for the praise and glory of the Holy Trinity. Amen!”
