© 2005-2026 BISERICI.org
© 2005-2026 BISERICI.org
Timp stanga: 0.03s...
Letter #48: Old Age[2013-03-16][Engleză]March 15, 2013, Friday -- Old Age"Like good wine that improves with age, let us give the youth the wisdom of our lives." --Pope Francis, on old age, speaking to the assembled cardinals of the Church on March 15, 2013, two days after his election to the throne of Peter Pope Francis gave a remarkable reflection today on old age. But before getting to that, first two remarkable videos, courtesy of Rome Reports: 1. Pope Francis receives the keys of the papal apartment On Thursday evening, March 14 -- 24 hours ago -- Pope Francis received the keys to the papal apartments. So the apartments are open again. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, 78, who served Pope Benedict XVI as Secretary of State, and was responsible as "Camerlengo" or Chamberlain, during the sede vacante, for sealing the apartments, cut out the red ribbon that sealed the doors, before giving the key to the new pontiff. Francis was given a silver-colored key to unlock the doors of the apartments where he will now live. The Prefect of the Papal Household, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, then gave the new Pope a walking tour of his new office and meeting rooms. I recommend taking a look at this video because it is a rare glimpse into the papal apartments. This is where Francis will be living. Perhaps more important, however, there is something very moving about this video. The most moving part, I think, is the moment, just a few seconds, when the new Pope stands by the door in the dark, his back facing the camera, looking into the blackness, as Archbishop Gaenswein, Emeritus Pope Benedict's personal secretary, walks forward into the darkness and finds the light switch. Gaenswein knows the way because he has lived in this home for nearly eight years. I note something also that many may know, but that has not been written in many places: this new Pope has no personal secretary. Yes, Francis is completely alone. Perhaps he will choose his own personal secretary soon. Or perhaps he will not even have a personal secretary. Or perhaps he will even rely, in some way, on Gaenswein himself, perhaps on a part-time basis, to carry out that task. We do not yet know. Here is a link to this video, which I heartily recommend that you see: Pope Francis receives keys to papal apartments 2. Second, Pope Francis visits Cardinal Mejia Also late yesterday afternoon, without fanfare, Pope Francis visited a Roman hospital where an elderly cardinal from Argentina, Cardinal Jorge Mejia, 90, is being cared for, after suffering a heart attack on March 13, the same day his fellow Argentine cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was elected Pope Francis. Mejia was born in Buenos Aires in 1923, and was ordained to the priesthood in Buenos Aires. He worked in the Curia for many years, and became Archivist and Librarian of Holy Roman Church. He led the delegation from the Holy See's Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews at a meeting in Rome in 2010 of the Commission for Dialogue between Jews and Catholics from January 17-20. (I know him, and he has always been couteous and generous with his time over the years.) Meeting with his cardinals at 11 a.m. today (see below), Pope Francis reported to them on Mejia's condition: His condition is stable and he sent his greetings to us all. The video linked below does not show Francis meeting with Mejia, but it does show the new Pope entering and walking through the hospital. The video has no sound, but it is striking for what it shows of the simplicity of this Pope: no large entourage, no large number of bodyguards, everything very low-key. Link: Visit to Cardinal Mejia. ======================================== Pope Francis on Old Age This morning, Pope Francis gave a very simple reflection on old age which may be worth printing out and posting on your wall. It may also give us an insight into how Pope Francis, age 76, plans to regard Emeritus Pope Benedict, age 85 -- nine years his senior. He also spoke about creating a "harmony" in the College of Cardinals, words which echoed the words of Pope Benedict on February 28, in his last meeting with the College before his renunciation of the Petrine office and his helicopter flight out of the Vatican to Castel Gandolfo. So, Francis today, in his first meeting with the cardinals, echoed the words of Benedict in his last meeting with the cardinals. There is no need for further explanation. Courage, dear brothers!" Pope Francis began. "Probably half of us are in our old age. Old age, they say, is the seat of wisdom. "The old ones have the wisdom that they have earned from walking through life. Like old Simeon and Anna at the temple whose wisdom allowed them to recognize Jesus. "Let us give with wisdom to the youth: like good wine that improves with age, let us give the youth the wisdom of our lives. Francis was addressing the entire College of Cardinals in the Clementine Hall, both electors and non-electors. He improvised several times during his talk -- including when he informed them that Cardinal Mejia had suffered a heart attack two days before and was now recovering at the Pius XI private clinic. Before beginning his address, the Pope listened to the greeting that Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, read to him on behalf of the entire College. We give thanks to the Lord our God," Sodano began. "This is the liturgical invitation that we, the Cardinal Fathers, address to one another, between the 'seniors' and the 'juniors,' to thank the Lord for the gift that He has made to His Holy Church, giving us a new Shepherd Know, Holy Father, that all of us, your cardinals, are at your full disposal, seeking to build with you the apostolic cenacle of the nascent Church, the Upper Room of Pentecost. We will try to keep 'an open mind and a believing heart,' as you wrote in your book of meditations. "Because we are brothers..." During his own address in reply, Francis said that today's meeting sought to be almost an extension of the intense ecclesial communion experienced in this period. Enlivened by a profound sense of responsibility and supported by a great love for Christ and the Church, we have prayed together, sharing our fraternal feelings, our experiences and reflections. A mutual understanding and openness has brown in this climate of great cordiality. This is good because we are brothers." He continued: "Someone said to me: 'The cardinals are the Holy Father's priests.' But we are that community, that friendship, that closeness, that will do us all well. And this knowledge, this mutual openness, have facilitated our docility to the Holy Spirit. He, the Paraclete, is the supreme protagonist of every initiative and expression of faith. He then added: It's curious: It makes me think that the Paraclete makes all the differences in the Churches and seems to be an apostle of Babel. But, on the other hand, [the Holy Spirit] is the one who makes unity of these differences, not in equality, but in harmony." "The Holy Spirit is harmony itself" "I remember the Church Father who defined the Holy Spirit thus: 'Ipse harmonia est' ["The Holy Spirit is harmony itself."] "This Paraclete who gives, to each of us, different gifts, unites us in this Church community that worships the Father, the Son, and Him, the Holy Spirit. These words were very reminiscent of the words of Benedict on February 28. On that occosion -- Benedict's last meeting with his cardinals -- Benedict urged them all to pray so that the College of Cardinals be like an orchestra where diversity, as an expression of the Universal Church, always contributes to a higher sense of harmony. The Church, Pope Benedict stressed then, is a living body, "as was so clearly seen through the crowds gathered in St Peters Square for the last Wednesday general audience." Through the Church, Benedict said on February 28, the mystery of the Incarnation "remains forever present" so that "Christ continues to walk through all times and in all places." For this reason, Francis' first discourse to the College of Cardinals today must be seen as a clear, direct echo of Benedict's last discourse to the College. It is like the handing on of a baton. And this became even clearer in the remarks Francis then spoke, with an actual citation of Pope Benedict, after having cited... Cardinals Sodano, Bertone, and Re. "The Conclave was full of meaning" Francis noted that the period of the Conclave was full of meaning, not only for the College of Cardinals, but also for all the faithful. In these days we felt, almost tangibly, the affection and solidarity of the universal Church, as well as the attention of many people who, although they do not share our faith, look to the Church and the Holy See with respect and admiration. At the same time, he expressed his gratitude to all the cardinals for their cooperation in the Church's functions during the Sede Vacante. Sursa: www.InsideTheVatican.com Contor Accesări: 1169, Ultimul acces: 2026-08-30 19:08:48
|
Timp total: 0.04s...
[]:1
