Church must follow the way of the cross, not men’s ways of thinking, says Pope
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The “task” of the Pope and cardinals “lies entirely in faith”, “in a faith that does not take Jesus down from the cross, but rather entrusts itself to Him on the cross”. For this reason, “it does not align itself to men’s ways of thinking” and can never be “easy nor taken for granted”. This is what Benedict XVI said to the 24 new cardinals and the faithful as he explained the sense of the “ministry” of the successor of Peter and of his collaborators, reminding them that the “image of the crucifixion” is on the cardinal’s ring.
This image, in a certain sense, also applies to Iraqi Christians who were in Benedict XVI’s thoughts after the Angelus, when he asked everyone present to join him in “the prayer promoted by Italian bishops for the Christians of Iraq who are subject to persecution and discrimination”. Hence, “I am close to Iraqi communities for how high they bear witness to God,” he said. At the same time, he called for “religious freedom everywhere in the world.”
Earlier, during the solemn Mass in Saint Peter, when the Pontiff gave the new cardinals their ring, “token of dignity, pastoral promptness and the strongest communion with the See of Peter”, he used the occasion to illustrate the real meaning of their “service”.
“The first service for the Successor of Peter is faith. In the New Testament, Peter, “as spokesman of the Creed,” becomes the “Church’s first rock. The Church’s ‘Us’ begins with his faith, with the name of the one who first professed his faith in Christ. At first unripe, this faith was still ‘too human’, but later, after Easter, it matured so that he could follow Christ until he could give himself. He matured in believing that Jesus was truly King, that he was indeed on the Cross and thus gave his life for the sake of all sinners.”
Thus, “the first and most fundamental message emerges. God’s Word tells us, me, Successor of Peter, and you, cardinals, calling upon on us to be with Jesus, as Mary was. Rather than asking him to come down from the cross, he asked us to stay there with him. In light of our ministry, we must do this not only for ourselves, but also for the whole Church and all the people of God. From the Gospels, we know that, for Simon Peter and the other Apostles, the cross was the crucial point of faith. It was clear, and it could not be otherwise, that they were men and thought ‘like men’. They could not tolerate the idea of a crucified Messiah. Peter’s ‘conversion’ was fully realised when he gave up on ‘saving’ Jesus and accepted instead to be saved by Him. He gave up saving Jesus on the cross and accepted to be saved by his cross”.
“Even my ministry, dear Brothers, and thus yours, is all [based] in faith. Jesus can build upon us his Church as long as he finds in us that true, Pascal faith that does not want to take Jesus down from the Cross, but entrusts itself to him on the Cross. In this sense, the true place for the Vicar of Christ is the Cross,” where “obedience to the Cross persists”.
Such a ministry is hard for it does not align itself with men’s way of thinking, with that natural logic that always remains active in us. But this is and remains our first service, service to the faith, which entirely transforms life” based on “the belief that Jesus is God, that he is King because he went as far as that point, because he loved us to the extreme. We must bear witness and announce this paradoxical kingship as He, the King, did, by following his path and forcing ourselves to adopt his logic, which is one of humility and service, that of the seed of grain that dies to bear fruit. Above all else, the Pope and the Cardinals are called upon to be strongly united in this. Together under the guidance of the Successor of Peter, they must remain subject to Christ’s lordship, thinking and working according to the logic of the Cross. This is not easy, nor can it be taken for granted. In this, we must be as one, not because we are united by an idea or a strategy, but because we are united by the love of Christ and his Holy Spirit. The effectiveness of our service to the Church, the Bride of Christ, depends essentially on this, on our faithfulness to the divine kingship of the crucified Love. For this reason, the ring that I give you today, seal of your nuptial pact with the Church, bears the image of the Crucifixion. For the same reason, the colour of your habit hints at that blood, symbol of life and love.”
“The primacy of Peter and his Successors lies totally in the service to the primacy of Jesus Christ, the one and only Lord, in the service of his Kingdom, which is his Lordship of love, so that it may come and spread, renew men and things, transform the earth and let peace and justice rise out of it.”
Later, after the Angelus, speaking to the 20,000 people present in Saint Peter’s Square, Benedict XVI said, “in today’s commemoration of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church, with special affection, expresses its closeness to the nuns and monks of the cloister. On ‘Pro Orantibus’ Day, the Church “urges everyone once more to support concretely these communities. Upon them, I bestow my blessing.”
Finally, “Today is the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims,” the Holy Father said. “As I pledge you that remembrance of them shall be in my prayers, I encourage everyone to be committed to prevention, which is already achieving some good results, always cognizant that prudence and respect for the rules are the first means to protect oneself and others.”
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30/08/2022 17:09
