EUROPE/SPAIN - “St Francis Xavier was God’s great gift to Navarra, the universal Church and to all humanity”: says Archbishop of Pamplona in pastoral letter

Friday, 7 April 2006

Navarra (Fides Service) - In a letter for the 500th anniversary of the birth of St Francis Xavier the Archbishop of Pamplona Fernando Sebastián described the main celebrations on April 7th in Javier the birth place of the great missionary as “a great demonstration of recognition and gratitude for our saint”.
In his letter, entitled “500 years”, the archbishop said “St Francis Xavier was God’s great gift to Navarra, the universal Church and to all humanity”. “From the moment of his conversion Saint Francis was first and foremost an enthusiastic disciple of Jesus Christ .... It was the total and radical dedication of his life to following Christ and serving the Church that made him truly great and universal and earned him the admiration and veneration of all Christians”.
The archbishop said recognition of this great figure was the reason for the Jubilee Year organised by the archdiocese as a time of “prayer and renewal”. Many initiatives in Javier the archbishop said, “demonstrate the love and devotion with which the people of Navarra regard their patron Saint, their honour, model and intercessor”.
The Archbishop concluded his pastoral letter encouraging people to live celebrations of 7 April with spiritual intensity under the protection of St Francis Xavier “faith and Christian life harmony and prosperity... spiritual renewal of Christians, peace between East and West". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 7/4/2006 - Righe 22, parole 267)


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