Pope greets new Metropolitans,
their families and delegations
June 30, 2012
Benedict XVI on Saturday met with the metropolitan Archbishops who received the pallium during Friday’s celebration of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
The Archbishops were joined in the Paul VI audience hall by their friends, families, and pilgrims from their Metropolitan Sees.
Pope Benedict XVI said the presence of Archbishops from the different parts of the world manifested in a visible way the universality of the Church, which is called to make Christ known and to proclaim the Gospel on all continents and in all languages.
He then spoke to the Archbishops in seven different languages: Italian, French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish.
“I extend warm greetings to the … Metropolitan Archbishops upon whom I conferred the Pallium yesterday,” the Pope said. “I also welcome their family members, their relatives, friends and the faithful of their respective Archdioceses who have come to Rome to pray with them and to share their joy.”
The Holy Father concluded by imploring the Archbishops to bring back to their communities the experiences of intense spirituality and authentic unity in the Gospel which they went through during their days in Rome.
Here is a full translation of the Holy Father's words:
Dear brothers and sisters,
He began in Italian:
I am happy to address my heartfelt welcome to all of you who have accompanied to Rome, to the tombs of the Apostles, the Metropolitan Archbishops on whom I had the joy of imposing the pallium yesterday at the Vatican Basilica during the solemn celebration commemorating the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.
In this encounter, we wish to prolong the climate of profound ecclesial communion that we experienced yesterday. In fact, the presence of the Metropolitan Archbishops who come from various parts of the world, visibly manifests the universality of the Church, which is called to make Christ known and to announce the Gospel in all the continents and in various languages.
I affectionately greet each of you, venerated and esteemed Brother Metropolitans, and with you, I greet your families, friends and the faithful entrusted to your pastoral care who are with you during these very significant days. I extend my greeting as well to your respective dioceses.
I address myself in the first place to you, dear Pastors of the Church in Italy. I greet you, Mons. Francesco Moraglia, Patriarch of Venice; Mons. Filippo Santoro, Archbishop of Taranto - you have a great family of friends, one can see - and Mons. Arrigo Miglio, Archbishop of Cagliari.
I assure you of my constant prayers so that you may carry out with joy and faithfulness your episcopal ministry, in order to edify your diocesan communities in charity, sustaining them in their testimony to the faith and helping them to manifest even more their renewed enthusiasm in the encounter with the person of Christ.
He said this in French:
I am pleased to welcome the French-speaking pilgrims who have come here to accompany their new Metropolitan Archbishops on whom I had the joy of imposing the pallium.
I heartfully greet Mons. Luc Cyr, Archbishop of Sherbrooke (Canada), Mons. Paul-André Durocher, Archbishop of Gatineau; Mons. Pascal Wintzer, Archbishop of Poitiers, and Mons. André Lépine, Archbishop of Montreal.
The pallium is the symbol of unity which binds the pastors of the local Churches to the Successor of Peter, Bishop of Rome. It also reminds the pastors of their responsibility to be exemplary and zealous, rich in love for everyone, in guiding the people of God entrusted to their pastoral care.
To all the priests and the faithful of your archdioceses, I gladly give the Apostolic Blessing as a token of peace and joy in the Lord.
In English:
I extend warm greetings to the English-speaking Metropolitan Archbishops upon whom I conferred the Pallium yesterday. From the United States of America: Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, Archbishop William Skurla of Pittsburgh, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver. From Papua New Guinea: Archbishop Francesco Panfilo of Rabaul. From the Philippines: Archbishop Luis Tagle of Manila, Archbishop Jose Advincula of Capiz, Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, Archbishop John Du of Palo. From Bangladesh: Archbishop Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka. From the Antilles: Archbishop Joseph Harris of Port of Spain. From Zambia: Archbishop Ignatius Chama of Kasama. From India: Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati, Archbishop Thomas D’Souza of Calcutta. From Pakistan: Archbishop Joseph Coutts of Karachi. From Australia: Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth, Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane. From Korea: Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo Jung of Seoul. From Nigeria: Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos.
I also welcome their family members, their relatives, friends and the faithful of their respective Archdioceses who have come to Rome to pray with them and to share their joy.
In German:
I greet with joy the delegations and guests from Berlin as well as all the pilgrims from Germany who have accompanied Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki to Rome on his receiving the pallium.
The Pallium makes visible in a special way the close unity of the Archbishop and his Church district to the Pope and the Chair of Peter. It also recalls his task, like that of Christ, the Good Shepherd, to go after the lost sheep, to take him up on his shoulders, to bring him back to the flock, and to care for him. Thus the Pallium stands for the care and responsibility of the shepherd for his flock.
And precisely on the basis of this common responsibility, we must tend and protect our unity. In your prayers and commitment, remember to promote and celebrate the unity of the Church. I bless you all from the heart.
In Spanish:
On the occasion of the imposition of the Pallium, I heartfully greet the Archbishop of Guadalajara, Cardenal Francisco Robles Ortega; of Tucuman, Mons. Alfredo Horacio Zecca; of Los Altos-Quetzaltenango-Totonicapán, Mons. Mario Alberto Molina Palma; of Ayacucho o Huamanga, Mons. Salvador Piñeiro García-Calderón; of Ciudad Bolívar, Mons. Ulises Antonio Gutiérrez Reyes, and of San Luis Potosí, Mons. Jesús Carlos Cabrero Romero, as well as those who are with them in prayer and affection during this significant occasion.
I place you all under the faithful custody of Saints Peter and Paul, so that the spiritual nearness and bonds of communion of your local Churches with the Apostolic See may grow even more, and that you may intensify your announcement of the Gospel. May God bless you!
In Portuguese:
I greet with joy the Brazilian Archbishops - Dom Wilson Jönck, of Florianópolis; Dom José Francisco Dias, of Niterói; Dom Esmeraldo de Farias, of Porto Velho; Dom Jaime Rocha, of Natal; Dom Airton dos Santos, of Campinas; Dom Jacinto de Brito Sobrinho, of Teresina; and Dom Paulo Peixoto, of Uberaba; as well as the Archbishop of Malanje in Angola, Dom Benedito Roberto - who have received the Pallium as a sign of your special communion with the Successor of Peter.Dear Archbishops, be for your people a sign of Christ, the Good Shepherd, who leads his sheep.
I also welcome the priests, religious and faithful who have accompanied you here, asking them to pray for their Archbishops so that they may not lack the strength to comply with their mission.
As a token of joy and peace in the Lord, I grant to those of you who are here and to your archdiocesan communities my Apostolic Blessing.
In Polish (translated from the Italian version provided by the Vatican):
I cordially greet the Metropolitan Archbishops of Poland who received the Pallium yesterday: Stanisław Budzik of Lublin, Wiktor Skworc of Katowice, and Wacław Depo of Częstochowa.
With them, I greet the faithful who share their joy, especially the representatives of their Archdioceses, all those dear to them, and whose who support them with their prayer.
The pallium is the sign of special union with Christ and communion with the Successor of Peter. May this communion also pervade the hearts of the faithful. I entrust this hope to God in my prayers, and I bless you all from the heart. Praised be Jesus Christ!
He ended in Italian:
Dear brothers and sisters, bring back to your communities the experience of intense spirituality and authentic evangelical unity during these days, so that it may touch the heart of believers and reverberate in all of society, leaving proofs of goodness.
May the intercession of the heavenly Mother of God and of the Apostles Peter and Paul obtain for the Christian people the ability to be able to make the word of truth that the Lord Jesus left us as a gift shine in the world through the tenacious and limpid witness of individuals.
With these sentiments,I impart the Apostolic Blessing from my heart.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 01/07/2012 17:08]