"Beloved brothers and sisters, pastors and faithful of Cambodia, may the
Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Mekong, in her humility and fidelity to the will
of the Lord, enlighten you throughout this Year of Faith. Be sure that I keep
you in my prayers and
from the bottom of my heart I convey upon you all an affectionate Apostolic
Blessing!".
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THE THREE WISE MEN WERE SEEKERS AFTER GOD
Vatican City, 6 January 2013 (VIS) - Today, Sunday the Solemnity of the
Lord's Epiphany, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Holy Mass in the Vatican
Basilica and conferred episcopal ordination on Angelo Vincenzo Zani, elected
titular archbishop of Volturno
and named secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education; Fortunato
Nwachukwu, elected titular archbishop of Acquaviva and named apostolic nuncio
to Nicaragua; Georg Ganswein, private secretary to Benedict XVI, named titular
archbishop of
Urbisaglia and prefect of the pontifical household; and Nicolas Henry Marie
Denis Thevenin, elected titular archbishop of Eclano and named apostolic
nuncio to Guatemala. Concelebrating with the Holy Father were Cardinal
Tarcisio Bertone, SDB, Cardinal
Subject: VISnews130107
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
Zenon Grocholewski, and the four archbishops-elect. The rite of ordination
took place after the proclamation of the Gospel and the announcement of the
date of Easter, which will be celebrated on 31 March this year.
During the homily the Holy Father spoke of the Three Wise Men, referring to
them as "seekers after God", for whom "the truth meant more than the taunts of
the world". Speaking about what it means to be a bishop the Pope affirmed that
he "must be
courageous" and have "the courage to contradict the prevailing mindset".
Below you will find the complete text of Benedict XVI's words:
"For the Church which believes and prays, the Wise Men from the East who,
guided by the star, made their way to the manger of Bethlehem, are only the
beginning of a great procession which winds throughout history. Thus the
liturgy reads the Gospel
which relates the journey of the Wise Men, together with the magnificent
prophetic visions of the sixtieth chapter of the Book of Isaiah and Psalm 71,
which depict in bold imagery the pilgrimage of the peoples to Jerusalem. Like
the shepherds, who as
the first visitors to the newborn Child in the manger, embodied the poor of
Israel and more generally those humble souls who live in deep interior
closeness to Jesus, so the men from the East embody the world of the peoples,
the Church of the Gentiles
– the men and women who in every age set out on the way which leads to
the Child of Bethlehem, to offer him homage as the Son of God and to bow down
before him. The Church calls this feast “Epiphany” – the
appearance of the Godhead. If we consider the fact that from the very
beginning men and women of every place, of every continent, of all the
different cultures, mentalities and lifestyles, have been on the way to
Christ, then we can truly say that this
pilgrimage and this encounter with God in the form of a Child is an epiphany
of God’s goodness and loving kindness for humanity (cf. Tit 3:4).
Following a tradition begun by Pope John Paul II, we celebrate the feast of
the Epiphany of the Lord also as the day when episcopal ordination will be
conferred on four priests who will now cooperate in different ways in the
ministry of the Pope for
the unity of the one Church of Jesus Christ in the multiplicity of the
Particular Churches. The connection between this episcopal ordination and the
theme of the pilgrimage of the peoples to Jesus Christ is evident. It is the
task of the Bishop in this
pilgrimage not merely to walk beside the others, but to go before them,
showing the way. But in this liturgy I would like to reflect with you on a
more concrete question. Based on the account of Matthew, we can gain a certain
idea of what sort of men
these were, who followed the sign of the star and set off to find that King
who would establish not only for Israel but for all mankind a new kind of
kingship. What kind of men were they? And we can also ask whether, despite the
difference of times and tasks, we can glimpse in them something of what a
Bishop is and how he is to carry out his task.
These men who set out towards the unknown were, in any event, men with a
restless heart. Men driven by a restless quest for God and the salvation of
the world. They were filled with expectation, not satisfied with their secure
income and their
respectable place in society. They were looking for something greater. They
were no doubt learned men, quite knowledgeable about the heavens and probably
possessed of a fine philosophical formation. But they desired more than simply
knowledge about
things. They wanted above all else to know what is essential. They wanted to
know how we succeed in being human. And therefore they wanted to know if God
exists, and where and how he exists. Whether he is concerned about us and how
we can encounter him.
Nor did they want just to know. They wanted to understand the truth about
ourselves and about God and the world. Their outward pilgrimage was an
expression of their inward journey, the inner pilgrimage of their hearts. They
were men who
sought God and were ultimately on the way towards him. They were seekers after
God.
Here we come to the question: What sort of man must he be, upon whom hands
are laid in episcopal ordination in the Church of Jesus Christ? We can say
that he must above all be a man concerned for God, for only then will he also
be truly concerned
about men. Inversely, we could also say that a Bishop must be a man concerned
for others, one who is concerned about what happens to them. He must be a man
for others. But he can only truly be so if he is a man seized by God, if
concern for God has also
become for him concern for God’s creature who is man. Like the Wise Men
from the East, a Bishop must not be someone who merely does his job and is
content with that. No, he must be gripped by God’s concern for men and
women. He must in some
way think and feel with God. Human beings have an innate restlessness for God,
but this restlessness is a participation in God’s own restlessness for
us. Since God is concerned about us, he follows us even to the crib, even to
the Cross. “Thou with weary steps hast sought me, crucified hast dearly
bought me, may thy pains not be in vain”, the Church prays in the Dies
Irae. The restlessness of men for God and hence the restlessness of God for
men must unsettle the
Bishop. This is what we mean when we say that, above all else, the Bishop must
be a man of faith. For faith is nothing less than being interiorly seized by
God, something which guides us along the pathways of life. Faith draws us into
a state of being
seized by the restlessness of God and it makes us pilgrims who are on an inner
journey towards the true King of the world and his promise of justice, truth
and love. On this pilgrimage the Bishop must go ahead, he must be the guide
pointing out to men
and women the way to faith, hope and love.
Faith’s inner pilgrimage towards God occurs above all in prayer.
Saint Augustine once said that prayer is ultimately nothing more than the
realization and radicalization of our yearning for God. Instead of
“yearning”, we could also
translate the word as “restlessness” and say that prayer would
detach us from our false security, from our being enclosed within material and
visible realities, and would give us a restlessness for God and thus an
openness to and concern for
one another. The Bishop, as a pilgrim of God, must be above all a man of
prayer. He must live be in constant inner contact with God; his soul must be
open wide to God. He must bring before God his own needs and the needs of
others, as well as his joys
and the joys of others, and thus in his own way establish contact between God
and the world in communion with Christ, so that Christ’s light can shine
in the world.
Let us return to the Wise Men from the East. These were also, and above
all, men of courage, the courage and humility born of faith. Courage was
needed to grasp the meaning of the star as a sign to set out, to go forth
– towards the unknown,
the uncertain, on paths filled with hidden dangers. We can imagine that their
decision was met with derision: the scorn of those realists who could only
mock the reveries of such men. Anyone who took off on the basis of such
uncertain promises, risking
everything, could only appear ridiculous. But for these men, inwardly seized
by God, the way which he pointed out was more important than what other people
thought. For them, seeking the truth meant more than the taunts of the world,
so apparently
clever.
How can we not think, in this context, of the task of a Bishop in our own
time? The humility of faith, of sharing the faith of the Church of every age,
will constantly be in conflict with the prevailing wisdom of those who cling
to what seems
certain. Anyone who lives and proclaims the faith of the Church is on many
points out of step with the prevalent way of thinking, even in our own day.
Today’s regnant agnosticism has its own dogmas and is extremely
intolerant regarding anything
that would question it and the criteria it employs. Therefore the courage to
contradict the prevailing mindset is particularly urgent for a Bishop today.
He must be courageous. And this courage or forcefulness does not consist in
striking out or in
acting aggressively, but rather in allowing oneself to be struck and to be
steadfast before the principles of the prevalent way of thinking. The courage
to stand firm in the truth is unavoidably demanded of those whom the Lord
sends like sheep
among wolves. “Those who fear the Lord will not be timid”, says
the Book of Sirach (34:16). The fear of God frees us from the fear of men. It
liberates.
Here I am reminded of an episode at the very beginning of Christianity
which Saint Luke recounts in the Acts of the Apostles. After the speech of
Gamaliel, who advised against violence in dealing with the earliest community
of believers in Jesus, the
Sanhedrin summoned the Apostles and had them flogged. It then forbade them
from preaching in the name of Jesus and set them free. Saint Luke continues:
“As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered
worthy to suffer dishonour
for the name of Jesus. And every day… they did not cease to teach and
proclaim Jesus as the Messiah” (Acts 5:40ff.). The successors of the
Apostles must also expect to be repeatedly beaten, by contemporary methods, if
they continue to
proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that can be heard and understood.
Then they can rejoice that they have been considered worthy of suffering for
him. Like the Apostles, we naturally want to convince people and in this sense
to obtain their approval. Naturally, we are not provocative; on the contrary
we invite all to enter into the joy of that truth which shows us the way. The
approval of the prevailing wisdom, however, is not the criterion to which we
submit. Our criterion
is the Lord himself. If we defend his cause, we will constantly gain others to
the way of the Gospel. But, inevitably, we will also be beaten by those who
live lives opposed to the Gospel, and then we can be grateful for having been
judged worthy to
share in the passion of Christ.
The Wise Men followed the star, and thus came to Jesus, to the great Light
which enlightens everyone coming into this world (cf. Jn 1:9). As pilgrims of
faith, the Wise Men themselves became stars shining in the firmament of
history and they show us
the way. The saints are God’s true constellations, which light up the
nights of this world, serving as our guides. Saint Paul, in his Letter to the
Philippians, told his faithful that they must shine like stars in the world
(cf. 2:15).
Dear friends, this holds true for us too. It holds true above all for you
who are now to be ordained Bishops of the Church of Jesus Christ. If you live
with Christ, bound to him anew in this sacrament, then you too will become
wise men. Then you will
become stars which go before men and women, pointing out to them the right
path in life. All of us here are now praying for you, that the Lord may fill
you with the light of faith and love. That that restlessness of God for man
may seize you, so that
all may experience his closeness and receive the gift of his joy. We are
praying for you, that the Lord may always grant you the courage and humility
of faith. We ask Mary, who showed to the Wise Men the new King of the world
(cf. Mt 2:11), as a loving
mother, to show Jesus Christ also to you and to help you to be guides along
the way which leads to him. Amen.
___________________________________________________________
ANGELUS: MAY CHRIST'S LIGHT SHINE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Vatican City, 6 January 2013 (VIS) - At midday today, Solemnity of the
Lord's Epiphany, the Holy Father appeared at the window of his study to pray
the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. The event had
been slightly delayed
because of the length of the morning's Mass during which the Pope had
consecrated four new archbishops, including Msgr. Georg Ganswein, his private
secretary.
The Pope began by apologizing to the faithful for the delay: "I ordained
four new bishops in St. Peter's Basilica today and the ceremony lasted a
little longer than normal. Above all, however, today we celebrate the Lord's
Epiphany, his manifestation
to the peoples, when many Oriental Churches celebrate His Nativity according
to the Julian calendar. This small difference, which superimposes these two
events, highlights the fact that the Child, born in a humble grotto in
Bethlehem, is the light of
the world that guides the paths of all peoples. It is a combination that also
makes us think from the perspective of faith: on the one hand, on Christmas,
in the presence of Jesus, we see the faith of Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds;
on the other, at
Epiphany, we see the faith of the Three Wise Men who have come from the East
to adore the King of the Jews".
"The Virgin Mary, along with her husband, represent the 'lineage' of
Israel, the 'remnant' foretold by the prophets, from which the Messiah will
spring forth. The Three Wise Men, on the other hand, represent the peoples?and
we can also say the
civilizations, cultures, and religions?that are, so to speak, on the path to
God, in search of His reign of peace, justice, truth, and freedom. There is
first a nucleus embodied, above all, by Mary, the 'daughter of Zion': a
nucleus of Israel, the
people that knew and had faith in that God who had revealed himself to the
patriarchs and in the course of history. This faith reaches its fulfilment in
Mary, in the fullness of time. In her, who was 'blessed because she believed',
the Word was made
flesh, God 'appeared' in the world. Mary's faith becomes the first fruits and
the model of faith of the Church, the People of the New Covenant. Bur, from
the beginning, this people
is universal and we see this today in the figures of the Three Wise Men who
come to Bethlehem following the light of a star and the indications given in
the Sacred Scriptures".
In conclusion, the Pope referred to the episcopal ordinations conferred
that morning: "two of the new bishops will remain here in their service of the
Holy See and the other two will depart to become papal representatives to two
nations. Let us pray
for each of them, for their ministry, and that the light of Christ may shine
forth throughout the world".
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 7 January 2013 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father addressed
members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See to express his
traditional greetings on the new year.
This evening he is scheduled to meet with archbishops Angelo Vincenzo Zani,
titular archbishop of Volturno and secretary of the Congregation for Catholic
Education (of Seminaries and Institutes of Studies) and Georg Ganswein,
titular archbishop of
Urbisaglia and prefect of the pontifical household, along with members of
their families.
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 7 January 2013 (VIS) - On Saturday, 5 January, the Holy
Father appointed:
- Bishop Jean-Paul Gobel, apostolic nuncio to Iran, as apostolic nuncio to
the Arab Republic of Egypt and apostolic delegate to the League of Arab
States.
- Archbishop-elect Nicolas Henry Marie Denis Thevenin as apostolic nuncio
to Guatemala.
- Antonio Chiminello, vice-director of the State Accounting Administration,
as director of the same department for a five-year period.
___________________________________________________________
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