BENEDICT XVI: NEWS, PAPAL TEXTS, PHOTOS AND COMMENTARY

Another item I missed posting in a timely manner is a letter from the Holy Father to Cardinal Bertone who marked the Golden Jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood last month. The letter is dated June 1 but was published on Page 1 of L'Osservatore Romano on June 25, the day after Bertone celebrated the anniversary by saying Holy Mass in the Cathedral of Genoa with Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, who succeeded him as Archbishop of Genoa.



The papal letter was written in Latin, for which reason the pronouns are a bit strange - the Pope refers to himself in the first person plural, and addreses Bertone in the second person familiar (not obvious in English which does not have a second person formal but obvious in the Italian translation provided by the Vatican).

The letter is an open reaffirmation of the Pope's confidence in his right-hand man and of his affection. Many in the Italian media believe - and say so - that Bertone has not exactly been an outstanding SecState and has consistently shown an unjustifiably delayed reaction to open attacks against the Pope. But the Pope counts on his friendship, and for that we must be thankful to him.

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To our venerated brother
Tarcisio Cardinale Bertone S.D.B.
Secretary of State and
Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church

Because of the reciprocal and assiduous familiarity between us, which comes from the fact that we find ourselves together almost daily, it is right and fitting that we should personally express our best wishes to you as you mark the fiftieth year of your ordination to the priesthood.

Beyond this very pleasant task, we also wish to communicate to you through this letter in order that the consideration we hold for you may be made more clear.

While we are going through difficult times, we know that your mind goes back to the happier things of the past, when through the imposition of hands by our venerated brother Albino Mensa, you were promoted to holy orders, surrounded by your family and brother priests.

Nor do we ignore that afterwards, well educated in juridical matters, you dedicated yourself to educating and guiding young people through your taeching and writing, both within and outside your Salesian family.

It was not surprising, then, that you gained an important position as well as the esteem of our predecessor, the Venerable Servant of God John Paul II, who made you Archbishop of Vercelli where you were a faithful announcer of divine good.

At the wish of the same Pontiff, you then began to carry out the function of Secretary in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, establishing with us a happy familiarity in doing our common work.

Even in the Church of Genoa, to which you then dedicated your apostolic zeal and efforts, there was ample testimony of your pastoral ministry for the benefit of that ecclesial community, where you achieved a more illustrious title when you were made part of the College of Cardinals.

More recently, we wanted you to be a close collaborator, by choosing you as Secretary of State with whom to share decisions and tasks. Without a doubt, you are doing all you can with great commitment and expertise as a participant in our pastoral projects for the universal Church, and in our initiatives for the whole world to strengthen the family of God and that the world may become more harmonious.

Thus, even as we rejoice from the heart in remembering the joyful start of your priesthood and express these sentiments of esteem and our affectionate congratulations, we also invoke abundant recompense from the Divine Master, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians and of Don Giovanni Bosco.

Finally, to you, venerated Brother, we impart with fraternal affection the Apostolic Blessing, also intended for all those to whom you are linked by kinship and by work.


From the Vatican
June 1, 2010
The sixth year of our Pontificate

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