Benedict XVI and entire world remember the late Cardinal Martini
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The passing of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini yesterday
afternoon at the Aloisianum, a Jesuits institute in Gallarate, Varese province, has echoed all
over the world: The cardinal who was ill for some time with Parkinson's, was 85 years old.
"He
generously served the Gospel and the Church", Benedict XVI writes of him
in a telegram to Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan.
"I
remember with gratitude - he adds - the intense and profuse Apostolic work of
this zealous, spiritual child of St. Ignatius, an expert teacher, an
authoritative biblical scholar, and a beloved Rector of the Pontifical
Gregorian University and of the Pontifical Biblical Institute, and a wise and
diligent Archbishop of the Ambrosian Archdiocese. The Pope also recalled the
"competent and earnest service" rendered by this "great
pastor" to the Word of God, " always opening to the ecclesial
community the treasures of the Sacred Scriptures, especially through the
promotion of Lectio Divina." In
his message, the Pope cites, finally, the long illness of Cardinal Martini, "
which he lived with a tranquil soul and with confident abandonment to the will
of the Lord."
Innumerous
messages recall the cardinal, starting with that of President Giorgio
Napolitano who described the death of Cardinal Martini as "a painful,
severe loss not only for the Church and for the Catholic world but for Italy."
"Personally
- writes Napolitano - I have unforgettable memories of numerous meetings and
conversations I had with him in the seat of the diocese of Milan, as President of the Chamber, and again,
as Minister of the Interior, particularly on immigration issues. I always drew
enlightened and concrete suggestions from these meetings.''
The
news of the death of Cardinal has been reported world over: the New York Times writes, among other
things, that "in the last years of John Paul II, Cardinal Martini was
frequently mentioned as a candidate to become the next pope, especially by
the progressive group within the Church. The Washington Post speaks of the Cardinal as a "rare"
expression of liberalism in the Church, while the French AFP writes that "he pressed for openness to modern
instances" and the BBC
emphasizes John Paul II and Benedict XVI's "great respect" for the Cardinal.
The
Jewish Telegraphic Agency recalls that the cardinal was "known for
building closer relations between Christians and Jews." The
Australian, finally, quotes the words of Benedict XVI on the death of
"a dear brother" who has generously served the Church.
Cardinal
Martini's funeral will be held Monday, September 3 at 16:00 in the Cathedral of
Milan.
12/10/2017 15:18
04/11/2021 10:59
02/09/2013
14/05/2019 15:16