| Vatican City (Fides Service) - In his homily during the Ordination in Bangkok on Sunday 28 November of the new Bishop of Surat Thani, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, said “Today is a great day for the Catholic Community of the Diocese of Surat Thani. It is a significant day, a day to give thanks to Almighty God for all the blessings He has bestowed on them, especially for His gift in the person of Bishop Sridarunsil as their Shepherd, elevated to the rank of Bishop, Successor of the Apostles.” More than five thousand people listened to Cardinal Sepe on this lap of his pastoral visit in South East Asia. The co-consecrating Bishops were Card. Michael Michai Kitbunchu, Archbishop of Bangkok, and the papal nuncio Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio. Concelebrants included all the Bishops of Thailand and many priests.
The Cardinal said his presence at the event, highlighted the “bond of unity that exists between the Church in Thailand and the Universal Church, whose visible head is the Bishop of Rome, His Holiness Pope John Paul II.”. Referring to the crest chosen by the new Bishop with at its centre the Eucharist, Cardinal Sepe said “the Bishop is the first preacher of the Gospel by his words and, in particular, by the witness of his life”; “the Eucharist stands at the centre of the life and mission of the Bishop, as of every priest” and “The holy Mother of God will consequently be the Bishop’s teacher in listening to the Word of God and promptly putting it into practice”.
“Dear Brother -Card. Sepe said to the new Bishop -, United with the Successor of Peter and your Brothers in the Episcopate, you must continue to proclaim the unique and definite event of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the World. You must live your sacramental communion with all and make sure that this communion be always open to the catholicity of the Church. As Bishop, you must live your “catholic mission” of forming the sheep that has been entrusted to you, keeping the focus of your mind and heart on the entire Church, spread throughout every corner of the earth: “Go and preach the Gospel to all peoples”.”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 29/11/2004; righe 24; parole 329)
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