Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
the
indissolubile bond that exists between the spirit and the
institution
Regina Coeli
Message
H.H. Benedict XVI
May 15, 2005
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and
Sisters,
I ask you above all to excuse me for my great lateness! I had the
honour of being able to ordain today, the day of the Holy Spirit, 21
new priests for the Diocese of Rome. And such a harvest of God
naturally takes a bit of time! Thank you for your understanding!
A little while ago this Eucharistic Celebration concluded, during
which I had the joy of ordaining 21 new priests. It is an event that
signifies a moment of important growth for our Community. In fact,
from ordained ministers one receives life, above all through the
service of the Word of God and of the Sacraments.
This, therefore, is a day of celebration for the Church of Rome. And
for the new priests, this is in a special way their Pentecost: I
renew my greeting to them and pray that the Holy Spirit accompanies
them always in their ministry. Let us thank God for the gift of new
priests, and let us pray that in Rome as well as in the entire world
numerous and holy priestly vocations blossom and come to maturity.
The happy coincidence between Pentecost and the Priestly Ordinations
invites me to underline the indissoluble bond that exists in the
Church between the Spirit and the institution. I already mentioned
this last Saturday, in taking possession of the Chair of the Bishop
of Rome in St John Lateran. The Chair and the Spirit are an
intimately connected reality, as also are the charism and the
ordained ministry. Without the Holy Spirit, the Church would be
reduced to merely a human organization, weighed down by its own
structures. But, for its part, in the plans of God, the Spirit
habitually makes use of human mediations to act in history.
Precisely for this, Christ, who established the Church on the
foundation of the Apostles closely around Peter, has also given it
the gift of his Spirit, so that throughout the centuries he would be
the comfort (cf. Jn 14: 16) and the guide to the entire truth (cf.
Jn 16: 13). May the Ecclesial Community remain always open and
docile to the action of the Holy Spirit, to be among men and women a
credible sign and efficacious instrument of God's action!
We entrust this hope to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, who
today we contemplate in the glorious mystery of Pentecost. The Holy
Spirit, who at Nazareth descended upon her to make her the Mother of
the Word Incarnate (cf. Lk 1: 35), descended today on the nascent
Church joined together around her in the Upper Room (cf. Acts
1: 14). We invoke with trust Mary Most Holy, in order to obtain a
renewed outpouring of the Spirit on the Church in our days.
I wish a happy Feast of Pentecost to all! Happy Sunday! Thank you!
Look at the One they
Pierced!
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