Hello All!   
                   This Area is READ ONLY.  Do not post to this area.   
                   The following press release is Copyrighted by the   
                             Vatican Information Service.   
                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
                                  VIS-Press releases   
      
   FOURTH CENTENARY OF CANONISATION OF ST. CHARLES BORROMEO   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 4 NOV 2010 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from the Pope   
   addressed to Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, archbishop of Milan, Italy, marking   
   the fourth centenary of the canonisation of St. Charles Borromeo, on 1 November   
   1610.   
      
   "The time in which Charles Borromeo lived was a very delicate one for   
   Christianity", writes the Pope. "In a period obscured by many trials facing the   
   Christian community, with divisions and doctrinal confusion, the clouding of   
   the purity of faith and custom, and the bad example of many sacred ministers,   
   Charles Borromeo did not limit himself to deploring and condemning, nor simply   
   to expressing hope that others would change; rather, he began to reform his own   
   life".   
      
   St. Charles "was aware that serious and credible reform had to begin with   
   pastors". To this end he focused on "the centrality of the Eucharist, ... the   
   spirituality of the cross, ... assiduous participation in the Sacraments, ...   
   the Word of God, ... and love and devotion for the Supreme Pontiff, readily and   
   filially obedient to his directives as a guarantee of true and complete   
   ecclesial communion".   
      
   "May St. Charles encourage us always to begin with a serious commitment to   
   personal conversion", writes the Holy Father, going on to encourage priests and   
   deacons "to make of their lives a courageous path of sanctity" and expressing   
   the hope that the Church in Milan may always find in her ministers "a clear   
   faith and a sober and pure life, renewing that apostolic ardour which   
   characterised St. Ambrose, St. Charles and so many of your holy pastors".   
      
   "St. Charles was recognised", Benedict XVI continues, "as a true loving father   
   to the poor. ... He founded institutions for the assistance and recovery of   
   those in need. ... During the plague of 1576, the saintly archbishop chose to   
   remain among his people to encourage, serve and defend them with the weapons of   
   prayer, penance and love".   
      
   The Pope highlights how "St. Charles Borromeo's charity cannot be understood   
   without an understanding of his relationship of passionate love with the Lord   
   Jesus". In this context the Holy Father refers to "the contemplation of the   
   holy mystery of the altar and the Crucified Christ" which awakened the saint's   
   "feelings of compassion for man's misery and aroused in his heart the apostolic   
   longing to bring the evangelical message to everyone".   
      
   "Let us make the Eucharist the true centre of our communities, let us allow   
   ourselves to be educated and moulded by that well of charity. Each apostolic   
   and charitable action will draw strength and fruitfulness from that source".   
      
   The Holy Father concludes his Message with an appeal to young people: "Like St.   
   Charles, you too are can make your youth an offering to Christ and your   
   fellows. ... Dear young people, you are not only the hope of the Church, you   
   are part of her present moment. And if you have the courage to believe in   
   sanctity, you will become the greatest treasure of your Ambrosian Church, which   
   is built upon saints".   
   MESS/VIS 20101104 (510)   
      
   SUMMARY   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS =Meridian, MS= bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)