(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, on Saturday elevated the Church of Saint Anne in Los Angeles to the level of Co-cathedral of the Catholic Eparchy of Newton of the Greek Melkites.
Bishop Nicholas Samra, the Eparch of Newton, was present at the celebration, as well as the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Jose Gomez.
In his message during the Liturgy, Cardinal Sandri recalled the suffering and persecution of Christians in the Middle East, likening it to California’s Northridge Earthquake of 1994, which damaged the Church of St. Anne in Los Angeles.
He said “It seems that for too many years your motherland, the Middle East, has been shaken to its foundations by an earthquake which seems, not only never to end, but actually to increase its intensity from day to day. It carries with it sorrow and suffering, especially for the littlest and poorest, among whom are many of our brothers and sisters in the faith.”
Please find below Cardinal Sandri’s full message:
Message of Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, during the Divine Liturgy on the occasion of the erecting of the Co-cathedral of the Eparchy of Newton of the Greek Melkites, Church of Saint Anne, Los Angeles,
Saturday, 1 August, 2015
Your Excellency Msgr. Samra,
Your Excellencies,Msgr. Gomez, Msgr. Zaidan,
Your Grace the Syriac Orthodox Metropolite,
Reverend Father Fouad, Rector of the Church,
Reverend priests, sisters and brothers in the Lord!
We have heard the homily of Bishop Nicolas which helps us to live fully this Divine Liturgy, by which is rendered effective the decision of the Holy Father Francis to elevate this Church to co-cathedral of the Eparchy of Newton of the Greek Melkites.
1. Our thoughts and prayers go first of all to Pope Francis, who from the very beginning of his pontificate has wished to show his closeness to the Eastern Catholic Churches and to their pastors and faithful, as they face great sufferings in the motherland and throughout the Middle East. We recall also the Patriarch Gregory III, who has guided the Melkite Church for so many years.
2. To the eyes of a disinterested spectator this solemn act that we are performing and the decision itself of the Holy Father to comply with the request made by your Bishop, could seem to indicate that you are a dispersed Church: parishes spread throughout the country, two cathedrals three thousand miles apart from each other. This external fact must, rather, constitute a genuine vocation for each one of you, for your priests, and most of all for your dear Bishop Nicolas, who stands among you as the image of the Good Shepherd. This call is to witness to the entire world and especially to this society of the United States, which has welcomed you and of which you are now an integral part, that Christ, by giving his life for us, has torn down every wall of separation, has overcome every distance, as the Apostle Paul affirms. Christ does not allow his people to wander aimlessly through history, but he gathers them continually into the unity of the one Spirit, through the binding force of peace. And we wish to assume a specific responsibility today: let each one of us, in his own heart, before God, in his family, workplace and other areas of daily life, make some gesture of unity and reconciliation. Let each one of us strive to bring back what is dispersed, beginning with the poor and the suffering, the sick and the hopeless, or with the young, who too often feel “robbed of hope” in the difficult context of the contemporary world.
3. I am very pleased that today’s celebration occurs only a few days after the fiftieth anniversary of the consecration of this Church, on the 25th of July 1965. This happy coincidence invites us to recall, with thanksgiving and praise of the Lord, the history of this community and this eparchy. As the walls of the Church were anointed with oil fifty years ago, so each of us has received the anointing of holy Baptism. We have been marked with the seal of the Spirit, and we have become the holy temple of God. May the Lord grant us to live each day in the awareness of this gift which we have received.
4. The very walls of this temple also tell the story of the damage caused by the Northridge Earthquake of 1994, which necessitated a long and meticulous work of restoration. This work succeeded in making the beauty of this Church shine forth again, thanks to the efforts and generosity of many. If we carry this reflection to our own days, it seems that for too many years your motherland, the Middle East, has been shaken to its foundations by an earthquake which seems, not only never to end, but actually to increase its intensity from day to day. It carries with it sorrow and suffering, especially for the littlest and poorest, among whom are many of our brothers and sisters in the faith. Before history and before the judgment seat of God many will have to answer: all those who have not done enough to prevent these inhuman sufferings, regardless of their particular religious affiliation, be they combatants or political leaders. As believers, however, we are certain that history is in the hands of God, who does not forget any of his children. In consequence, the forces which cause the suffering in the Middle East are not eternal and must come be overcome. If we will have conserved the precious treasure of our Christian faith, if we will have refused to permit the crushing or erasing of our dignity as human creatures, then, we are certain that even from the greatest ruins we can rebuild a homeland and a garden of hope, justice and liberty.
5. Let the shield of your Eparchy be for us a guide: in its interior, in a symbolic manner, it contains the affirmation of the foundation on which we fix our life, which can neither waver or be destroyed: Christ, the Sun of justice, who rises from the East and fills us with his joyful light. About him, one sings in the beautiful prayer of the Byzantine Vespers fos ilaron, and about her who carried him in her womb and gave him to the world, the Mother of God, Mary Most Holy.
As citizens of the United States, who have not forgotten your own origin and provenance, nor also your belonging to the Melkite Church, you can, I am sure, offer a great contribution. Here, as in your homeland, whatever is ruined can be rebuilt, thus beginning to heal and console the deep wounds of the heart in so many of our brothers and sisters, victims of the bloody conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Amen.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican announced on Monday that the remains of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, better known as Padre Pio, will be exposed for veneration in St. Peter’s Basilica during the Jubilee of Mercy from 8-14 February 2016. Listen to our report:
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, wrote in a letter to the Archdiocese of Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo it was Pope Francis who desired that Padre Pio’s reliquary be present in the Vatican for Ash Wednesday of the Jubilee of Mercy. “The Holy Father has expressed his strong desire that the remains of St. Pio of Pietrelcina be exposed in St. Peter’s Basilica for Ash Wednesday of the upcoming Extraordinary Holy Year, the day in which he will send ‘Missionaries of Mercy’ throughout the world, giving them a special mandate to preach and confess so that they may be a living sign of how the Father welcomes all who seek his pardon,” Archbishop Fisichella wrote. Continuing, he writes, “The presence of St. Pio’s remains will be a precious sign for all missionaries and priests, who will find strength and support for their own mission in his admirable example of a untiring confessor, welcoming and patient, an authentic witness of the Mercy of the Father.” (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis’ helping hands reach out to the poor throughout the year – especially in summer time when many volunteers may be away on holiday. Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni :
Pope Francis’ love for the poor sees no lull in the hot summer months, in fact – says Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, the Pope’s Almoner – it actually gathers pace as more and more homeless people find themselves in need of cool showers, haircuts and a healthy meal. And it is the Archbishop himself together with a bunch of volunteers, Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity and occasionally the Swiss Guards who make sure that every day the showers under St. Peter’s Colonnade stay open from 7 in the morning ‘til 6 in the evening, and that a personal hygiene kit is available to all. Of course, in line with Papal Audiences and the Angelus Prayer, opening hours can undergo some variations. Krajewski also reveals that together with his group of helpers, he goes out every evening with food packs and water bottles as many soup kitchens close down for the summer as well. We are the Pope’s men on the front line – Krajewski says – we go where we are needed. Meanwhile, the new dormitory for the homeless across the road from Via della Conciliazione is nearly ready and promises to offer charity in true “Pope Francis” style: warm, compassionate and full of love. (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a letter of greeting and encouragement to participants of an Interuniversity Congress on Saint Theresa of Avila.
The letter, signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on behalf of the Holy Father, expresses gratitude to the Academic world for highlighting the relevance of Saint Theresa’s teachings.
Organized by the Catholic University of “Santa Teresa de Jesus de Avila” in collaboration with other Catholic Universities, the 3-day Congress entitled “St. Teresa of Avila, Maestra de Vida” is taking place in Avila, the city where Theresa was born 500 years ago.
The main purpose of the congress is to bring the figure of St. Teresa of Avila closer to those in academia and university circles by examining the figure of the great mystic from different perspectives, including, the impact St. Teresa and her writings have had and will continue to have on the New Evangelization, on our interior and daily lives and on modern society today.
Organizers say that while examining the validity and scope of her teachings during this congress, “we hope to foster a deeper understanding of her spirituality and to discover her as an example for future generations”.
In his letter, Pope Francis also urges participants at the Congress to find in the contemplation and meditation pursued by Theresa – whom he describes as a “master of prayer” – the source of true science and authentic values that are at the basis of life.
Over 3.000 representatives of Universities all over the world have been invited to this congress where experts in the figure of St. Teresa as well as intellectuals from the five continents, philosophers and theologians will be lecturers.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has urged the faithful to look beyond material needs and turn to Jesus who is “the bread of life”.
The Pope’s words came as he addressed the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni :
Taking his cue from the Gospel reading of the day which tells of the crowd that went looking for Jesus, not because they saw the signs but because they had eaten the loaves of bread and were filled, Pope Francis pointed out that those people gave more value to the bread than to He who gave them the bread.
He explained that before this spiritual blindness, Jesus highlights the need to look beyond the gift and discover the giver. God himself – the Pope said – is the gift and is also the giver.
Jesus invites us – the Pope continued – to be open to a perspective which is not only that of daily preoccupation and material needs; Jesus speaks to us of a different kind of food, food which is not corruptible and that we must search for and welcome into our lives.
He exhorts us not to work for food that perishes but “for the food that endures for eternal life which the Son of Man will give us” he said.
With these words – Pope Francis continued – He wants us to understand that beyond a physical hunger, man has a different kind of hunger – “we all have this hunger” – a more important kind of hunger that cannot be satisfied with ordinary food.
“It is the hunger for life – the hunger for eternity – that only He can satisfy because He is the bread of life” he said.
And pointing out that the true meaning of our earthly existence is to be found at the end, in eternity, Pope Francis said that to be open to meeting Jesus every day of our lives will illuminate our lives and give meaning to small gifts, sufferings and preoccupations.
And quoting from the Gospel of John, the Pope said “Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst”.
“This – he said – refers to the Eucharist, the greatest gift that fulfills body and soul”.
To meet and to welcome Jesus, “the bread of life” – Pope Francis concluded – gives meaning and hope to our lives that are sometimes tortuous; but this “bread of life” – he said – also gives us the duty to satisfy the spiritual and material needs of our brothers.
To do this – he said- we must announce the Gospel everywhere, and with the witness of a fraternal attitude of solidarity towards our neighbor, we can make Christ and his love present amongst men.
(from Vatican Radio)…