Vatican City, 8 May 2014 (VIS) –
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin celebrated Holy Mass this
morning at the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Holy Rosary
at Pompeii, Italy, a place of Marian devotion, where on 8 May every
year thousands of faithful participate in reciting the Supplication
to the Virgin, a prayer composed in 1883 by Blessed Bartolo Longo,
founder of the Shrine who visited St. John Paul II in 1979 and in
2003 and by Benedict XVI in 2008.
“We are in a place where charity has
pitched her tent”, said the cardinal in his homily, “and has
taken root as a constitutive element in a history of faith that
continues to look ahead, driven by the powerful force of its humble
origin: here the prayer, the chaplet of the Rosary of which the
founder Bartolo Longo was an apostle, encountered a situation of an
entirely different type; of poverty and neglect, injustice and
oppression. Man's dignity was trampled and the poor, the last in
line, were barely considered”.
Charity “has opened the doors, has
thrown them wide open to hope, giving rise to a new era. No problem,
no fear, no matter how strong or reasonable it may be, can drive away
a hope that here is made manifest as concrete, made up of works that
speak the language of a charity that transforms, constructs and
renews. This remains true even though what we experience today does
not protect us from trouble and distress, such as the danger of a
forever-lurking violence, or the scarce and uncertain job prospects
for our young people, for whom not only the current economic crisis,
but also delays deep-seated and structural delays make it difficult
to look to the future with serenity and confidence”.
The cardinal emphasised three important
concepts which may help us to understand what the Lord wishes to say
to us every day. The first is that of proclaiming our faith. The
prelate mentioned Peter, who was “pulled along by Jesus into an
adventure that was greater than him”, with his fears and frail
humanity, but with the help of the Lord who sent the Holy Spirit to
the Apostles gathered in the Cenacle, he found the strength to
proclaim the Kingdom of God. He also mentioned Mary, “humble
servant of the Lord and mother of our faith”. “We are all
baptised and have received, in Confirmation, the gift of the Holy
Spirit”, he continued. “Let us make this gift bear fruit. Let us
proclaim our faith like St. Peter. Even if this costs us dearly, as
it did him”.
The second concept is to put our faith
into practice – that is, to love our neighbour. “It is precisely
this that is at the heart of our faith. This is the revolution Jesus
brought. Mutual love is the commandment he gave to his followers
before dying, defining it as 'his' and 'new'. It is, therefore, the
very essence of his teaching”. The cardinal explained that the name
“New” Pompeii indicated not only the temporal distance between
the ancient and splendid excavated city, but also the territory of
the desolate Valley that Bartolo Longo encountered, and made the
starting point for a “new beginning”. The founder was aware of
the need to put faith into practice, and made the prayer of the
Rosary the central pillar of the Shrine, a “house of the faith and
hope of a new people”.
Being a light for the world – mission
– was the final concept set forth by the secretary of State, who
emphasised that, as exhorted by Pope Francis, “we must bring this
light, this truth to the world, to bear witness to it and to proclaim
it to all, and do so with joy”. To put these concepts into effect,
Cardinal Parolin encouraged those present to look to Mary “who
welcomed the gift that God gave her and brought it into the world. In
the Magnificat, she professed her faith, living at the same time the
concrete love for her brethren. She followed Jesus to the end, below
the Cross, as his Stabat, living witness of the light of faith, and
even today she continues to give to her children”.
The Cardinal concluded, “let us
entrust to Mary … all our worries, our anxieties, our needs. Let us
pray for the Church, for Pope Francis … for the whole world, and
for peace. May the Child we see on Mary's lap and the mystical crown
we see in her hand inspire in us the confidence that we will be
heard”.
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