People have been asking me what I think of the new pope... Well, last week was the first time I ever heard the name Robert Prevost and everything I know about him I learned in the last 8 hours! My only "experience" of him was his being introduced to Rome and to the world from the balcony in Saint Peter's Square. I've been praying over the first words of our new shepherd's greeting - and I encourage you to do the same as this morning's Pause for Prayer. In the text of his greeting below, I've highlighted some of the phrases that I believe are signal signs (clues, if you will) of the nature, style and direction his ministry will take and in which he invites all of us to share...
Peace be with all of you!
Dearest
brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ,
the good shepherd who gave his life for God's flock. I, too,
would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your
families, and all people, wherever they are, all of the people, all
over the earth. Peace be with you! This is the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed peace and a
disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who
loves us all unconditionally.
We still have in our ears that weak, but
always courageous voice of Pope Francis as he blessed Rome! The
Pope who blessed Rome, gave his blessing to the world, to the entire
world, that Easter morning. Allow me to follow up on that same blessing:
God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail! We are all in the hands of God. Therefore, without fear, united hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we move forward.
We are disciples of Christ. Christ
precedes us. The world needs his light. Humanity needs him as the
bridge that allows us to reach God and his love. Help
us, too, and help each other to build bridges, with dialogue and
encounter, uniting us all to be one people, always in peace. Thank you,
Pope Francis!
I also want to thank all my brother cardinals who have
chosen me to be Peter's Successor, and to walk together with you, as a
united Church always seeking peace and justice, always seeking to work as men and women who are faithful to Jesus Christ, without fear, to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries. I am a son of Saint Augustine, an Augustinian, who said: "with you
I am a Christian and for you I am a bishop". In this sense, we can all
walk together towards that homeland that God has prepared for us.
To
the Church of Rome, a special greeting! We must seek together how to be
a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, always
open to receive, like St. Peter's Square, with open arms, all, all who need
our charity, our presence, dialogue and love.
And if you allow
me a word, a greeting to all and especially to my beloved diocese of
Chiclayo, in Peru, where a faithful people accompanied their bishop,
shared their faith and gave so, so much to continue being a Church that
is faithful to Jesus Christ.
To all of you, brothers and
sisters of Rome, of Italy, of the whole world, we want to be a Church of
the Synod, a Church that walks, a Church that always seeks peace, that
always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close, especially to those
who suffer.
Today is the day of the Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii. Our Mother Mary always wants to walk with us, to be close,
to help us with her intercession and her love. So, I would like to pray
together with you. Let us pray together for this new mission, for the
whole Church, for peace in the world and let us also ask Mary, our
Mother, for this special grace. Hail Mary...
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