VATICAN - 4 priests and 17 deacons of the Urban College ordained in St. Peter’s: "The Prince of the Apostles, by looking at you in the eyes, renews his wonder for the fidelity with which Christ loves, sanctifies and renews his Church"

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - "Today, in truth, is a memorable day for all of you: both for the seventeen that with the diaconate become part of the clergy, consecrating their lives to the service of the Church, and, especially, for the four deacons who are to receive the Order of Priesthood." With these words Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, spoke to the 21 students of the Pontifical Urban College "de Propaganda Fide", from Africa, Asia, America and Oceania, during the Mass for the ordination of priests and deacons which he presided at the Vatican Basilica on Saturday afternoon, May 12 (see Fides 12/05/2012).
Speaking to the new deacons, Cardinal Filoni said that "whoever receives this ordination, receives it in relation to an office to which he is qualified, ie to the service of God's word and charity. But what especially characterizes it is its configuration to Christ - a servant, that in humility became a man of God and for God, man for others ". He then invited the ordained to exercise their service "with joy and generosity." "You have chosen to belong totally to Christ and the Church by choosing celibacy- the Cardinal continued -. You are convinced not that the love for a woman, is not beautiful and noble, but this love is generous and complete in Christ and his Church is the highest and most beautiful. Free from human conditioning, you are ready to exercise your diaconal ministry towards everyone, especially towards the poor and the needy, according to Christ who bowed with love for sinners and the last ones."
Even the priest, as the deacon, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples said later, "is to cultivate an extraordinary inner life; I would say that the inner dimension of priesthood cannot absolutely lack, and in the highest degree, cannot become hacks of divine things. " The priest therefore, is "the friend with whom Jesus spoke, he is the one who has the highest degree for Christ as a friend." To the ordained to priesthood, the Cardinal also said: "Today the Church, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, consecrates you in the love of Christ and comforms you in a special way to Him, allowing you to talk about Him as witnesses and to celebrate the Eucharist ... In the world there is no action greater than this. Celebrating the Eucharist! In that act is the fullness of grace that you make present, it is the culmination of every aspiration. The Church places this treasure in your hands that now will be consecrated."
Cardinal Filoni ended his homily with a reflection on the origin of the ordained: "I also note that you come from China, Korea, Viet-nam, Cameroon, Burundi, Ghana, Mali, Uganda from Haiti and Papua New Guinea, and I cannot refrain from saying that like Peter in Cornelius’ house: 'In truth I see that God shows no partiality' (Acts 10, 34). Even today, in this place of the martyrdom of Peter, it is again the Prince of the Apostles, who looking at you in the eyes renews his wonder for the fidelity with which Christ loves, sanctifies and renews his Church." (SL) (Agenzia Fides 14/5/2012)