VATICAN - Pope Benedict XVI in Assisi - “Francis is a man for others, because to the core he is a man of God. If in his message we separate the ‘horizontal’ and the ‘vertical’ dimension we render Francis unrecognisable”

Monday, 18 June 2007

Assisi (Agenzia Fides) - In the afternoon of Sunday June 17in the cathedral of Assisi, dedicated to Saint Rufino, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI had a meeting with the priests, men and women religious, and the superiors and students at the Pontifical Umbro Seminary. In his address the Pope mentioned the occasion which had brought him to Assisi, the 8th centenary of the Conversion of St Francis. He also recalled that in his youth he had studied Saint Bonaventura, and consequently also Saint Francis, and he added: “I made many spiritual pilgrimages to Assisi long before I actually came here physically”.
The Pope reflected first of all on the conversion of Francis: “his first ‘conversion’ happened with the gift of Baptism. The total response he will give as an adult will be simply the maturation of the seed of holiness received then. It is important in our life and in our pastoral proposal to be more aware of the baptismal dimension of holiness”. The millions of men and women who pass through the streets of Assisi “must be helped to grasp the essential nucleus of Christian life and to strive for its ‘lofty measure’ which is precisely holiness. It is not enough to simply admire Francis: through him they must be led to encounter Christ, believe in him and love him … Francis suffers a sort of mutilation when he is held up as a witness to values, certainly important, appreciated by the culture of today, while overlooking the profound decision, we could say, the heart of his life, the decision for Christ.”
Assisi draws people of all cultures and religions, in the name of dialogue. “For John Paul II- the Pope said - it was clear that the dialogic vocation of Assisi was linked with the message of Francis, and must remain firmly set on the founding pillars of his spirituality. In Francis everything starts from God and returns to God… Love of neighbour develops from the experience and love of God… His vision of nature is in reality contemplation of the Creator in the beauty of his creatures … Francis is a man for others, because to the core he is a man of God. If in his message we separate the ‘horizontal’ and the ‘vertical’ dimension we render Francis unrecognisable.”
The Pope entrusted the priests, religious and seminarians with the task of “developing an announcement of the Christian faith which meets the challenges of today”: “Your spiritual and pastoral tradition must remain firmly based on its unchanging values and at the same time it must be renewed in order to give authentic answers to the new questions”. Pope Benedict XVI then encouraged those present to follow the pastoral plan proposed by the Bishop, which indicates “the great and demanding perspectives of communion, charity, mission, underlining that all are rooted in authentic conversion to Christ”. In particular the Pope said “the name of Francis, accompanied by that of Clare, calls this city to distinguish itself for special mission impulse. To do so this Church must live an experience of intense communion”. In this regard to Pope cited the Motu Proprio “Totius Orbis” with which he established “the two great Papal Basilicas of San Francis and Santa Maria degli Angeli. Although they continue to enjoy special attention on the part of the Holy See through the Papal Legate, under the pastoral profile they are under the jurisdiction of the bishop of this local Church … the unitary arrangement guaranteed by the Motu Proprio was also advised by the need for more effective and coordinated pastoral activity”.
The Pope concluded with a special word for each category, he told priests to be confident that “the Lord gives us the strength necessary to do what he asks of us”; consecrated persons to continue to explain the reason with their lives the hope they have placed in Christ; and last of all he urged members of enclosed orders to “hold high the flame of contemplation”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 19/6/2007; righe 44, parole 642)


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