ANGELUS TODAY
The Holy Father led the Sunday Angelus today from the altar stage in front of St. Peter's Basilica that had been set up for the Canonization Mass, which was held indoors because of stormy weather in Rome the night before and in the early morning.
However, the rest of the morning turned out to be sunny for the tens of thousands who came for the canonization rites.
Here is a translation of the Holy Father's words at the Angelus today, at which he gave his pluringual greetings before the prayers:
Dear brothers and sisters,
At the end of this solemn celebration, noontime calls us to pray the Angelus. Before doing so, I wish to address a heartfelt greeting to all of you who have come to render homage to the new saints by your presence here.
I have a special thought for the authorities in the official delegations that came from different countries - I thank you for your presence.
In French, he said:
I am pleased to greet the French-speaking pilgrims who are here for the canonizations. I encourage you, following the sxample of St. Jeanne Jugan, to be concerned for the poor and for the least, for those who have been hurt in life and those who have been abandoned by our societies, especially on the occasion of the World Day for Rejecting Poverty which will be marked in the next few days.
With reference to St. Father Damien, I also ask you to support with your prayers and your works thoses who are generously involved in the battle against leprosy and other forms of leprosy resulting from lack of love through ignorance and neglect.
And finally, may your prayers accompany the work of the second Synodal assembly for Africa. God bless you all!
In English, he said:
I extend cordial greetings to all the English-speaking pilgrims here this Sunday, especially those who have come to Rome in such great numbers for today’s canonization. May these new saints accompany you with their prayers and inspire you by the example of their holy lives.
I also greet the group of survivors of the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and I pray that the world may never again witness such mass destruction of innocent human life. May God bless all of you, as well as your families and loved ones at home.
In German:
I extend a heartfelt greeting to all the German-speaking pilgrims, particularly the new priests from the Germanicum College and their guests. May the Lord gift you with courage and perseverance in your spiritual service! Let us take the new saints as examples for our lives.
Among them is St. Damien de Veuster who is much venerated even in Germany, and who lived among the lepers on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, and ultimately suffered himself the deadly disease with them and for them.
We also wish to call on the intercession of the sainted bishop Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński and the members of religious orders Francisco Coll y Guitart, Rafael Arnáiz Barón and Marie De La Croix Jugan, so that God may grant us many spiritual vocations in our day.
May God and all his mercy be with you.
In Spanish:
I address a warm greeting to Spanish-speaking pilgrims, particularly those who took part in the joyous ceremony of the canonization - including the cardinals, archbishops and bishops who came with you from Spain, a land that is so fertile in the fruits of sanctity.
The Dominican St. Francisco Coll, with his priestly and missionary commitment, and the Trappist St. Rafael Arnáiz Barón, with his totally contemplative spirit, both ferevent devotees of the Virgin Mary, do honor to the best religious tradition and profound Christian roots of your people.
May the example and intercession of these new saints revive in all, particularly in the Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation, in the Order of Preachers, and in Trappist monks, the commitment to follow Christ generously and disinterestedly, according to each one's calling, bearing witness to the Gospel in today's society.
I likewise greet all those coming from Colombia and other Latin American countries.
In Flemish, he said (translated here from the Vatican's Italian text):
I greet the Flemish-spe3aking pilgrims who came to Rome to join the Church in thanksgiving for the canonization of Fr. Damien. Consecrated to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, this sainted priest was led by God to let his vocation flower in a total Yes.
May the intercession of Our Lady and the apostle of lepers free the world of all forms of leprosy, make us receptive to the love of God, and give us enthusiasm and joy in serving our brothers and sisters. With my apostolic blessing!
In Polish:
I warmly greet the faithful who have come from Poland, with the cardinals, archbishops and bishops who came with them. I greet all the Polish people, who are celebrating the traditonal Pope's Day today, and who can be thankful for the gift of a new saint: Zygmunt Szczesny Felinski. I entrust the Church in Poland and the whole nation to his protection. God bless you.
He concluded in Italian:
Dear brothers and sisters, the Virgin Mary is the star who orients every itinerary of sainthood. Her "Fiat' is a model of perfect adherence to divine will, and her 'Magnificat' expresses the Church's song of exaltation, for even on this earth, enjoying the great works of God, and to praise his glory in the heavens eternally.
Let us turn to the Mother of Christ with filial trust, invoking peace and salvation, through her interecession and that of the new saints.
[The Angelus prayers followed].
Polish pilgrims
Belgian pilgrims
Hawaiian pilgrims
Some of the Hawaiian pilgrims in wheelchairs were former leprosy patients, long since healed, now in their 80s and 90s, who wanted to be part of this historic occasion. The passionate enthusiasm of the Hawaiian pilgrims for 'their' Father Damien is truly very touching.
Saints' courage and love still
make mark on 21st century, say pilgrims
By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY, Oct. 12 (CNS) -- Fifty thousand pilgrims, young and old, healthy and infirm flocked to St. Peter's Basilica and Square to show that the courage, love and influence of the newly proclaimed saints from the 19th century were still alive today.
Most who came from the United States for the Oct. 11 canonization ceremony were there for two of the five new saints: Belgian St. Damien de Veuster, who dedicated his life to those afflicted with leprosy in Molokai, Hawaii, and French-born St. Jeanne Jugan, foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor.
"We do not canonize saints to put them in a kind of Catholic hall of fame, but we canonize them so we can imitate them, grow in our love for God and dedicate ourselves to those who are most in need," said Bishop Larry Silva of Honolulu, who led a group of more than 500 pilgrims from Hawaii.
Bishop Silva said St. Damien's heroic work with the outcast of Kalaupapa has inspired many people over the past 120 years and "I think, with the canonization, people will still be inspired by him in perpetuity."
The international reach of the new saints was evident by the colorful scarves and flags identifying pilgrims from Belgium, Poland, Spain, France and the United States. Some wore rainbow-colored leis.
U.S. President Barack Obama, who grew up in Hawaii, sent an official government delegation to attend the ceremony and help honor "Father Damien's extraordinary life and witness," as Obama put it in a statement Oct. 9. U.S. Rep. Donald M. Payne of New Jersey was part of the six-person presidential delegation.
Payne told Catholic News Service that Obama "felt the work that Father Damien did exemplifies that he wants the United States of America to be seen again as a leader of humanitarian concerns."
"The fact that Father Damien sacrificed his life for others I think is a new tone that President Obama is trying to send around the world," Payne said.
Another presidential delegate was Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who is president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association. She told CNS that St. Damien is a heroic figure for all those who work in the field of health care.
"He went to the people who were the most vulnerable, most despised, most everybody wanted to get away from ... and most likely to (cause infection) if you took care of them. So he's clearly one of the most heroic health figures the United States has ever had," she said.
About 4,000 pilgrims representing the Little Sisters of the Poor in the United States attended the canonization Mass. The sisters operate 31 residences in North America for people age 65 or older, emulating their founder's ministry and spirituality.
Eleanor Dunne, 86, who lives at the Jeanne Jugan Residence in Somerville, Mass., said it was "a real celebration and an honor to be here." At her residence, she said, the sisters "welcome the elderly; they're so caring and everyone feels it's a privilege to be with them."
Theresa Saxton of Newark, Del., who has volunteered for the Little Sisters for 37 years, said they held bake sales and rummage sales and found sponsors so they could offer some of the residents an all-expenses-paid trip to Rome.
Saxton, who drives a bus to take residents on outings five times a month, said she loves "uplifting their spirits" by taking the elderly on adventures on the road.
"They've all lived a life, raised a family and sacrificed. They should be able to do the things they couldn't do when they had no time or money, to enjoy the last days of their life," she said.
Mary O' Donnell from Pawtucket, R.I., said she has been affiliated with the Little Sisters for 52 years.
She started volunteering for them when she was 11 years old and said she was attracted to their kindness and devotion to the elderly. The sisters make St. Jeanne's presence felt, she said, and the saint's same "spirituality, kindness and charism is there in every home around the world."
Sister Diane Shelby, one of the Little Sisters at the congregation's home in Washington, said St. Jeanne showed that the lives of the elderly still have value and that God loves them.
The pilgrim contingent from Hawaii included Audrey Toguchi, the woman whose cancer cure was declared by the Vatican to be the second miracle needed to make Father Damien a saint.
She told CNS that she feels his canonization "is a stamp of approval" for the way he gave up his own life to help others.
"Anybody who is going to take somebody, lift them up and make them feel good about themselves, give them a reason for living, is really worthy to be canonized," she said Oct. 8.
Norbert Palea, a pilgrim from Hawaii with leprosy, or Hansen's disease, told reporters that while it's easy to take things for granted in life St. Damien "teaches all of us here that we are our brother's keeper."
Another Hawaiian pilgrim with Hansen's disease, Elroy Makia Malo, said St. Damien tried to make the world look differently at people with Hansen's disease. "Now we are proud of who we are," he said.
"In the movie world they would call this payback time, and so I am here just because I admire this man immensely, and I am here to support him," said Malo.
Among the multitude in St. Peter's Square was a group of 48 Polish-American pilgrims from Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Copiague, N.Y., who excitedly spoke Polish while carrying tiny U.S. flags.
They were there for the canonization of St. Zygmunt Felinski, who founded the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary, and to pray at the tomb of Pope John Paul II, said Miranda Zimnoch.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 13/10/2009 02:10]