Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On 16 April his eightieth birthday, during a special lunch with the Cardinals who reside in Rome Pope Benedict XVI said “The real gift today is prayer which gives me the certainty that I am accepted from within and above all assisted and sustained in my Petrine ministry, a ministry which I cannot carry out alone only in communion with all those who help me, also by praying, that the Lord may be with us all and with me.”
The Pope thanked those present for this “moment of collegiality and authentic fraternity”, “we have truly experienced how good it is to be together... I am grateful to this experience of fraternity which I sense also in day to day life. Although we do not see one another continually, I sense and aware of your helpful collaboration. The College of Cardinals provides great and effective support to the work of the Successor of Peter.”
Commenting the words of a Psalm from the Divine Office of the day, "In manibus tuis sortes meae" (Ps 31/30, 16), the Pope said: “Our time, our days, the events of our life, our destiny, our actions are all in the loving hands of the Lord. It is with this great confidence that we go forward, knowing that the Lord’s hands are sustained by the hands and hearts of all the Cardinals. This is the reason for the great joy I feel today.”
In his address the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, expressed birthday wishes on the part of the Cardinals present in Rome and gave the Pope a gift of money collected among them to go to one of his works of charity: “I am happy to offer you a cheque of 100.000 Europe which if possible we would like you to give for the serious needs of the Christians in the Holy Land. May this gift be a small sign of the fraternal agape, that charity to which you Holy Father, so often urge us.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 18/4/2007; righe 23, parole 348)
