VATICAN - The Pope consigns to the Cardinals the ring impressed with the Cross: “this will remind you always of the King you serve and of the Throne upon which he was lifted up and was faithful to the end, in order to conquer sin and death”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “This year the solemnity of Christ, King of the universe, crowning feast of the liturgical year, is enriched by the inclusion in the College of Cardinals of 23 new members who, according to tradition, today I have invited to concelebrate with me the Eucharist. I greet each one of them cordially and extend this greeting to all the Cardinals present”. With these words the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, began his homily during the Eucharistic Concelebration with 23 new Cardinals which he presided in St Peter's on Sunday 25 November, Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus, King of the Universe.
Referring to the Bible readings of the day the Pope said: “We have before us an impressive fresco with three great scenes: at the centre the Crucifixion, according to St Luke; on one side the royal anointing of David by the elders of Israel; on the other the Christological hymn with which St Paul starts his Letter to the Colossians. The whole is dominated by the figure of Christ, the only Lord, before whom we are all brothers”. Benedict XVI then stressed the necessity to “start from the central event: the Cross. Here Christ reveals his singular royalty … Jesus reveals his glory precisely by remaining there, on the Cross, as the immolated Lamb…The crucified Jesus is the greatest possible revelation in this world of God, because God is love and Jesus' death on the cross is the greatest act of love in the whole of history”.
The special ring which the Holy Father consigned to each of the new members of the College of Cardinals bears the image of the crucifixion: “This, my dear new-Cardinal Brothers, will remind you always of the King you serve and of the Throne upon which he was lifted up and was faithful to the end to conquer sin and death with the power of divine mercy - Pope Benedict XVI said in his homily -. Wearing the Cardinal's ring you are continually reminded to give your life for the Church.”
The scene of the royal anointing of David presented in the first Reading, evokes the "corporative" dimension of his regality. “The elders of Israel go Hebron, they make a pact of alliance with David, declaring that they consider themselves united to him and desire to be one with him- the Pope recalled -. If we refer this figure to Christ, I find this profession of alliance is adapt to be made by you, Dear Cardinal Brothers. You too… can say to Jesus: ‘We consider ourselves your bones and your flesh' (2 Sam 5,1). We belong to you, and wish to be one with you. You are the Shepherd of the People of God, You are the Head of the Church (cfr 2 Sam 5,2). In this solemn Eucharistic celebration we wish to renew our pact with You, our friendship, because only in this intimate and profound relationship with You, Jesus our King and Lord, the dignity conferred on us and the responsibility it implicates, assume meaning and value”.
The Christological hymn in the Letter to the Colossians gives rise to sentiments of joy and gratitude “for the fact that the Kingdom of Christ is not only something seen from afar, it is a reality in which we are called to share, into which we have been "transferred", thanks to the redeeming act of the Son of God” said the Holy Father, recalling that “through his Son's death on the cross God reconciled every creature with himself”, and he underlined: “We are once again before the cross, the central event of Christ's mystery. In Paul's vision the cross is set within the whole plan for salvation, where the royalty of Jesus is unfurled in all its cosmic extent… The Church is the depositary of the mystery of Christ: and she is this in all humility, free of any hint of pride or arrogance, because this is the greatest gift she has received without any merit and which she is called to offer freely humanity of every epoch, as a horizon of meaning and salvation… This is, particularly our task venerable Cardinal Brothers: to announce to the world the truth of Christ, hope for every person and for the whole human family”.
In the last part of his homily Pope Benedict XVI gave the Cardinals one final consignment: “You have dedicated your life to the service of the Church and now in her you are called to assume a task of greater responsibility… to pray for peace and unity constitutes your first and principal mission, that the Church may be ‘secure and united', a sign and tool of unity for the whole human race”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 26/11/2007; righe 51, parole 750)