Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Saturday 24 November, in St Peter's Basilica, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI held a public Consistory for the creation of 23 new Cardinals, in the form of a Celebration of the Word. In his homily the Pope said “a Consistory is an event which gives rise to special emotion not only in those who with these rites are admitted to the College of Cardinals, but in the whole Church, happy for this eloquent sign of Catholic unity. The ceremony its structure highlights the value of the task the new Cardinals are called to undertake in close cooperation with the Successor of Peter, and invites the whole people of God to pray that in their service these Brothers may remain ever faithful, even to the point of sacrificing their lives if necessary, to Christ and that they allow themselves to be guided solely by His Gospel.”
Addressing the new Cardinals the Pope reminded them that they were being "inserted with full rights into the venerable Church of Rome of which the Successor of Peter is the Bishop. In the College of Cardinals there relives in this way the early presbyterium of the Bishop of Rome, whose members, while fulfilling pastoral and liturgical duties in the different churches, assured him their valid collaboration with regard to the carrying out of the tasks connected with his universal apostolic ministry ”. “The great family of the disciples of Christ is today spread in every continent to the most remote corners of the earth … The diversity of the members of the College of Cardinals, in geographical and cultural origin, highlights this providential growth and emphasises at the same time the changed pastoral needs which the Pope must meet ”.
Pope Benedict XVI expressed his appreciation to the Cardinals “for the faithful service offered in many years in different areas of ecclesial ministry”, and with regard to those in change of large ecclesial communities he said: “I am thinking with affection of the communities entrusted to your care and especially those most sorely tried by suffering, trials and all kinds of difficulties. Among these how can I fail to look with apprehension and affection, at this moment of joy, at those beloved Christian communities in Iraq? The brothers and sisters in the faith experience in their flesh he dramatic consequences of a persistent conflict and they are living at present in a most fragile and delicate political situation. I called the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church to enter the College of Cardinals to express concretely my spiritual closeness and affection for those people. Together, my dear venerable Brothers, let us reaffirm the solidarity of the whole Church towards the Christians in that beloved land and urge everyone to pray to the God of mercy for the people involved, the advent of the desired reconciliation and peace.”
Referring to the Word of God proclaimed during the Liturgy the Holy Father said to the new Cardinals: “Mark the evangelist reminds us my dear and venerable Brothers, that every true disciple of Christ can aspire to one thing only: to share his passion, claiming no reward. The Christian is called to assume the condition of "servant" following in the footsteps of Jesus, spending his life for others freely and disinterestedly. Not the quest for power and success, but the humble gift of self for the good of the Church should characterise our every gesture and word. In fact true Christian greatness consists not in ruling, but in serving… Dear Brothers, as you join the College of Cardinals the Lord asks from you and entrusts to you the service of love: love for God, love for his Church, love for others with maximum and unconditioned dedication, usque ad sanguinis effusionem, as it says in formula for the imposition of the berretta says and as is demonstrated by your red garments. Be apostles of God who is Love and Witnesses of evangelical hope: this is what the Christian people expects of you ”… Christ asks you to confess His truth before men, to embrace and share His cause; and to do this with ‘gentleness, respect and an upright conscience’ (1 Pt 3,15-16), that is with that interior humility which is a fruit of cooperation with God's gace ”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 26/11/2007; righe 48, parole 709)
