#BreakingNews Pope Francis Fell Yet Still Creates 21 New Cardinals with a Bruise saying "Jesus repeats: love one another" FULL TEXT Homily
Presiding at Holy Mass for the Ordinary Public Consistory for the Creation of New Cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pope reminded the prelates receiving the red hat, that just as Jesus’ ascent to Jerusalem was not an ascent to worldly glory but to the glory of God, they too must put the Lord at the centre and be builders of communion and unity. CNS Noted that Pope Francis fell yesterday and had a bruise on his face.
ORDINARY PUBLIC CONSISTORY FOR THE CREATION OF NEW CARDINALS
ORDINARY PUBLIC CONSISTORY FOR THE CREATION OF NEW CARDINALS
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Saturday, 7 December 2024
____________________________
Let's think about this story: Jesus is going up to Jerusalem. His is not an ascent to the glory of this world, but to the glory of God, which involves the descent into the abyss of death. In the Holy City, in fact, He will die on the cross, to give life back to us. And yet, James and John, who instead imagine a different destiny for their Master, advance their request and ask him for two places of honor: "Grant us to sit, in your glory, one at your right and one at your left" (Mk 10:37).
The Gospel highlights this dramatic contrast: while Jesus is walking a tiring and uphill road that will lead him to Calvary, the disciples think of the smooth and downhill road of the victorious Messiah. And we must not be scandalized by this, but humbly become aware that – to say it with Manzoni – «this is how this jumble of the human heart is made» (The Betrothed, chap. 10). This is how it is made.
This can also happen to us: that our heart loses its way, allowing itself to be dazzled by the allure of prestige, by the seduction of power, by an enthusiasm that is too human for our Lord. For this reason it is important to look inside ourselves, to place ourselves humbly before God and honestly before ourselves, and ask ourselves: where is my heart going? Where is my heart going today? In which direction is it moving? Perhaps I am going the wrong way? Thus St. Augustine admonishes us: «Why do you set out on deserted roads? Return from your wandering that has led you astray; return! Where? To the Lord. But it is still early: first return to your heart […]. Return, return to your heart, […] because there is the image of God; Christ dwells in the interior of man, in your interior you are renewed according to the image of God» (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 18, 10).
Returning to the heart to get back on the same path as Jesus, this is what we need. And today, in particular to you, dear Brothers who are receiving the cardinalate, I would like to say: be careful to follow the path of Jesus. And what does this mean?
Following the path of Jesus means first of all returning to Him and putting Him back at the center of everything. In spiritual life as in pastoral life, we sometimes risk focusing on the contours, forgetting the essential. Too often secondary things take the place of what is necessary, externals prevail over what really matters, we dive into activities that we consider urgent, without getting to the heart. And, instead, we always need to return to the center, to recover the foundation, to strip ourselves of what is superfluous to clothe ourselves in Christ (see Rom 13:14). Even the word “hinge” reminds us of this, indicating the pivot on which the door of a door is inserted: it is a firm point of support, of support. Here, dear brothers: Jesus is the fundamental point of support, the center of gravity of our service, the “cardinal point” that orients our whole life.
Following the path of Jesus also means cultivating the passion for encounter. Jesus never travels the path alone; his bond with the Father does not isolate him from the events and pain of the world. On the contrary, precisely to heal the wounds of man and lighten the burdens of his heart, to remove the millstones of sin and break the chains of slavery, precisely for this He came. And so, along the way, the Lord encounters the faces of people marked by suffering, draws near to those who have lost hope, lifts up those who have fallen, heals those who are sick. The streets of Jesus are filled with faces and stories and, as he passes by, he dries the tears of those who weep, “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Ps 147:3).
The adventure of the street, the joy of meeting others, care for the most fragile: this must inspire your service as cardinals. The adventure of the street, the joy of meeting others and care for the most fragile. A great member of the Italian clergy, Don Primo Mazzolari, said: “The Church began along the street; along the streets of the world the Church continues. To enter it, you don’t need to knock on the door or wait in the antechamber. Walk and you will find it; walk and it will be beside you; walk and you will be in the Church” (Tempo di credere, Bologna 2010, 80-81). Let us not forget that standing still ruins the heart and still water is the first to become corrupted.
Following Jesus' path means, finally, being builders of communion and unity. While in the group of disciples the worm of competition destroys unity, the path that Jesus follows leads him to Calvary. And on the cross he fulfills the mission that was entrusted to him: that no one be lost (see Jn 6:39), that the wall of enmity be finally torn down (see Eph 2:14) and that we can all discover that we are children of the same Father and brothers among ourselves. For this reason, setting his gaze on you, who come from different histories and cultures and represent the catholicity of the Church, the Lord calls you to be witnesses of brotherhood, artisans of communion and builders of unity. This is your mission!
Speaking to a group of new cardinals, the great Saint Paul VI said that we, like the disciples, sometimes give in to the temptation to divide ourselves; instead, "it is in the ardour placed in the search for unity that the true disciples of Christ are recognized". And the Holy Pope added: "We want everyone to feel at ease in the ecclesial family, without preclusions or isolations harmful to unity in charity, and that no one seeks the prevalence of some to the detriment of others. [...] We must work, pray, suffer, struggle to bear witness to the Risen Christ" (Address on the occasion of the Consistory, 27 June 1977).
Animated by this spirit, dear Brothers, you will make the difference; according to the words of Jesus who, speaking of the corrosive competition of this world, says to the disciples: "But it shall not be so among you" (Mk 10:43). And it is as if he were saying: come after me, on my path, and you will be different; come after me and you will be a shining sign in a society obsessed with appearances and the pursuit of first places. "It shall not be so among you", Jesus repeats: love one another with brotherly love and be servants of one another, servants of the Gospel.
Dear brothers, on the path of Jesus, let us walk together; and let us walk with humility, let us walk with wonder, let us walk with joy.
Saint Peter's Square
Saturday, 7 December 2024
____________________________
Let's think about this story: Jesus is going up to Jerusalem. His is not an ascent to the glory of this world, but to the glory of God, which involves the descent into the abyss of death. In the Holy City, in fact, He will die on the cross, to give life back to us. And yet, James and John, who instead imagine a different destiny for their Master, advance their request and ask him for two places of honor: "Grant us to sit, in your glory, one at your right and one at your left" (Mk 10:37).
The Gospel highlights this dramatic contrast: while Jesus is walking a tiring and uphill road that will lead him to Calvary, the disciples think of the smooth and downhill road of the victorious Messiah. And we must not be scandalized by this, but humbly become aware that – to say it with Manzoni – «this is how this jumble of the human heart is made» (The Betrothed, chap. 10). This is how it is made.
This can also happen to us: that our heart loses its way, allowing itself to be dazzled by the allure of prestige, by the seduction of power, by an enthusiasm that is too human for our Lord. For this reason it is important to look inside ourselves, to place ourselves humbly before God and honestly before ourselves, and ask ourselves: where is my heart going? Where is my heart going today? In which direction is it moving? Perhaps I am going the wrong way? Thus St. Augustine admonishes us: «Why do you set out on deserted roads? Return from your wandering that has led you astray; return! Where? To the Lord. But it is still early: first return to your heart […]. Return, return to your heart, […] because there is the image of God; Christ dwells in the interior of man, in your interior you are renewed according to the image of God» (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 18, 10).
Returning to the heart to get back on the same path as Jesus, this is what we need. And today, in particular to you, dear Brothers who are receiving the cardinalate, I would like to say: be careful to follow the path of Jesus. And what does this mean?
Following the path of Jesus means first of all returning to Him and putting Him back at the center of everything. In spiritual life as in pastoral life, we sometimes risk focusing on the contours, forgetting the essential. Too often secondary things take the place of what is necessary, externals prevail over what really matters, we dive into activities that we consider urgent, without getting to the heart. And, instead, we always need to return to the center, to recover the foundation, to strip ourselves of what is superfluous to clothe ourselves in Christ (see Rom 13:14). Even the word “hinge” reminds us of this, indicating the pivot on which the door of a door is inserted: it is a firm point of support, of support. Here, dear brothers: Jesus is the fundamental point of support, the center of gravity of our service, the “cardinal point” that orients our whole life.
Following the path of Jesus also means cultivating the passion for encounter. Jesus never travels the path alone; his bond with the Father does not isolate him from the events and pain of the world. On the contrary, precisely to heal the wounds of man and lighten the burdens of his heart, to remove the millstones of sin and break the chains of slavery, precisely for this He came. And so, along the way, the Lord encounters the faces of people marked by suffering, draws near to those who have lost hope, lifts up those who have fallen, heals those who are sick. The streets of Jesus are filled with faces and stories and, as he passes by, he dries the tears of those who weep, “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Ps 147:3).
The adventure of the street, the joy of meeting others, care for the most fragile: this must inspire your service as cardinals. The adventure of the street, the joy of meeting others and care for the most fragile. A great member of the Italian clergy, Don Primo Mazzolari, said: “The Church began along the street; along the streets of the world the Church continues. To enter it, you don’t need to knock on the door or wait in the antechamber. Walk and you will find it; walk and it will be beside you; walk and you will be in the Church” (Tempo di credere, Bologna 2010, 80-81). Let us not forget that standing still ruins the heart and still water is the first to become corrupted.
Following Jesus' path means, finally, being builders of communion and unity. While in the group of disciples the worm of competition destroys unity, the path that Jesus follows leads him to Calvary. And on the cross he fulfills the mission that was entrusted to him: that no one be lost (see Jn 6:39), that the wall of enmity be finally torn down (see Eph 2:14) and that we can all discover that we are children of the same Father and brothers among ourselves. For this reason, setting his gaze on you, who come from different histories and cultures and represent the catholicity of the Church, the Lord calls you to be witnesses of brotherhood, artisans of communion and builders of unity. This is your mission!
Speaking to a group of new cardinals, the great Saint Paul VI said that we, like the disciples, sometimes give in to the temptation to divide ourselves; instead, "it is in the ardour placed in the search for unity that the true disciples of Christ are recognized". And the Holy Pope added: "We want everyone to feel at ease in the ecclesial family, without preclusions or isolations harmful to unity in charity, and that no one seeks the prevalence of some to the detriment of others. [...] We must work, pray, suffer, struggle to bear witness to the Risen Christ" (Address on the occasion of the Consistory, 27 June 1977).
Animated by this spirit, dear Brothers, you will make the difference; according to the words of Jesus who, speaking of the corrosive competition of this world, says to the disciples: "But it shall not be so among you" (Mk 10:43). And it is as if he were saying: come after me, on my path, and you will be different; come after me and you will be a shining sign in a society obsessed with appearances and the pursuit of first places. "It shall not be so among you", Jesus repeats: love one another with brotherly love and be servants of one another, servants of the Gospel.
Dear brothers, on the path of Jesus, let us walk together; and let us walk with humility, let us walk with wonder, let us walk with joy.
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