(Vatican Radio) Among the 20 new cardinals created by Pope Francis Saturday are men drawn from churches on the peripheries of the ecclesial and geographical world. The director of Vatican Radio English section, Sean Patrick Lovett, takes a closer look at some of the newest members of the College of Cardinals: Listen
Just how far do the peripheries of the Church extend? For an answer, you could go to Google maps or get out your world atlas. Or you could simply look at the countries from which the 20 new cardinals come, and see for yourself: from Mozambique to Mexico, from Thailand to Tonga. And, if you like alliteration, then why not continue: from Portugal to Panama, from Vietnam to Cape Verde. Not that I mean to leave out Burma, Uruguay and the furthest of them all – New Zealand. And did I mention Ethiopia, Spain and, of course, Italy? At my count that’s 14 countries in all, covering every continent on the globe – 20 men who, in Pope Francis’ words, “manifest the indissoluble link between the Church of Rome and the particular Churches present in the world”. And some of these Churches are “particular” indeed: the Church in Myanmar (which used to be Burma when I was at school) celebrated its 500 th anniversary last year – yet Yangon Archbishop, Charles Maung Bo, is the nation’s first-ever Cardinal. Cape Verde too, a string of volcanic islands off the coast of northwest Africa, received its first Cardinal in Bishop Arlindo Gomes Furtado. As did the Kingdom of Tonga, another archipelago of 176 islands in the South Pacific where 90% of the population are Christian. The Queen herself came to Rome to witness the installation of Bishop Soane Patita Paini Mafi who, at 53 years of age, becomes the youngest member of the College of Cardinals. He is a man of many records: the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific, of which he is President, covers the largest territory of any Bishops’ Conference in the world. One of the three new Italian Cardinals is Francesco Montenegro, Archbishop of Agrigento in Sicily. His archdiocese includes the tiny island of Lampedusa, infamously in the news because of the thousands of refugees who have drowned off its coast trying to make the perilous crossing from North Africa. In July 2013 he welcomed the newly-elected Pope Francis when he visited Lampedusa on his first pastoral visit outside Rome – and where, for the first time, he denounced the “globalization of indifference”. And what to say of the man who is Archbishop of the most remote capital city in the most remote country in the world (at least as seen from Rome): John Dew of Wellington, New Zealand? The only native English speaker of the new group of Cardinals, at 66 years of age, Cardinal Dew applies his Episcopal motto of “Peace through Integrity” to everything from the pastoral care of the Family to keeping the issue of climate change high on the world’s, and the Church’s, agenda. They may come from the furthermost corners of the planet, but Pope Francis’ message to all the new Cardinals was the same: “Just as the Church of Rome presides in love”, he said, “so too each particular Church is called to preside in love”. Quoting from St Paul’s “hymn to love” in his Letter to the Corinthians, Pope Francis reminded the Cardinals that “love is above all patient and kind…never jealous, boastful, or proud…never arrogant or rude…love bears all things…hopes all things, endures all things”. This, concluded the Pope, is our “spiritual and pastoral programme of life”. (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Among the 20 new cardinals created by Pope Francis Saturday are men drawn from churches on the peripheries of the ecclesial and geographical world. The director of Vatican Radio English section, Sean Patrick Lovett, takes a closer look at some of the newest members of the College of Cardinals: Listen Just how far…
Read more
(Vatican Radio) Among the 20 new cardinals created by Pope Francis Saturday are men drawn from churches on the peripheries of the ecclesial and geographical world. The director of Vatican Radio English section, Sean Patrick Lovett, takes a closer look at some of the newest members of the College of Cardinals: Listen Just how far…
Read more
(Vatican Radio) The Ordinary Public Consistory for the Creation of New Cardinals, which took place on Saturday, February 14 th , 2015, in St Peter’s Basilica, saw also the approval of the canonisations of three Blessed of the Church: Jeanne Emilie de Villeneuve; Mary of Jesus Crucified Baouardy; Marie Alphonsine Danil Ghattas. The Holy Father also announced that the date of the canonisations is May 17, 2015. Below, please find some brief biographical information on the soon-to-be canonised saints.
********************************
Blessed Jeanne Emilie de Villeneuve was born in France, in Toulouse in 1811. She founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception for the education of poor girls and children, for the sick and for missions in faraway lands. She died of cholera on October 2 nd 1854. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
Blessed Mary Alphonsine Danil Ghattas was born in Jerusalem in 1843. When she was 15 she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition. She worked tirelessly to help young people and Christian mothers. She had a special mystic affinity with the Mother of God. She founded the Congregation of Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of Jerusalem, to which she belonged. She died in 1927 and was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified Baouardy was born Maria Baouardy in Abellin, a village in Upper Galilee, near Nazareth, in 1846 of Arab parents. She was baptized in the Melchite Greek Catholic Church. From early youth she experienced many sufferings together with extraordinary mystic phenomena. In France, she entered the Carmel of Pau. She was sent to India to found new Carmels, and then to Bethlehem, where she died in 1878. She was beatified by St John Paul II in 1983.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Ordinary Public Consistory for the Creation of New Cardinals, which took place on Saturday, February 14th, 2015, in St Peter’s Basilica, saw also the approval of the canonisations of three Blessed of the Church: Jeanne Emilie de Villeneuve; Mary of Jesus Crucified Baouardy; Marie Alphonsine Danil Ghattas. The Holy Father also announced…
Read more