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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Angelus Message
On the Birth of Mary
"We Celebrate Her Birth Today As Devoted Children"
H.H. Benedict XVI
September 7, 2008
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
At the end of this solemn Eucharistic celebration, I wish to renew
my greeting and gratitude to all. Above all I wish to greet and
thank the Honorable Silvio Berlusconi, president of the Council of
Minister; the Honorable Doctor Giovanni Letta, undersecretary, and
all the civil and military authorities here present for their
reception. Finally, we wish to turn our gaze again to the "sweet
Queen of Sardinians," venerated on this hill of Bonaria.
How many illustrious personages have come to render her homage in
the course of the centuries! How many of my predecessors wished to
honor her with particular affection! Blessed Pius IX decreed her
crowning; St. Pius X, some 100 years ago, proclaimed her patron of
the whole of Sardinia; Pius XI conferred on the new church the title
of minor basilica; Pius XII, 50 years ago, rendered himself
spiritually present here with a special message broadcast live by
Vatican Radio, and, in 1960, Blessed John XXIII sent a letter for
the reopening of the shrine for worship after its restoration.
The first Pope to return to the island after 1,650 years was the
Servant of God Paul VI, who visited the shrine on April 24, 1970.
And, on Oct. 20, 1985, our beloved John Paul II also paused for
prayer before the sacred effigy of Our Lady. In the footsteps of the
Popes who preceded me, I have also chosen the Shrine of Bonaria to
carry out a pastoral visit that ideally intends to embrace the whole
of Sardinia.
To Mary we have renewed the entrustment of the city of Cagliari, of
Sardinia and of every one of its inhabitants. May the Holy Virgin
continue to watch over one and all, so that the patrimony of the
evangelical values will be transmitted integrally to the new
generations, so that Christ will reign in families, in communities
and in the different realms of society. In particular, may Our Lady
protect all those who, at this time, are in most need of her
maternal intervention: the children and young people, the elderly
and families, the sick and all those who are suffering.
Conscious of the important role that Mary plays in the life of each
one of us, we celebrate her birth today as devoted children. This
event constitutes a fundamental stage for the Family of Nazareth,
cradle of our redemption, an event that touches all of us, because
every gift that God has given her, the Mother, he has given thinking
also of each one of us, her children. Hence, with immense gratitude,
we ask Mary, Mother of the incarnate Word and our Mother, to protect
every earthly mother: those that, together with their husbands,
educate their children in a harmonious family context, and those
that, for so many reasons, find themselves alone in facing such an
arduous task. May all be able to carry out with dedication and
fidelity their daily service in the family, the Church, and society.
May Our Lady be sustenance, comfort and hope for all!
Under Mary's gaze, I wish to remember the dear people of Haiti,
harshly tried in past days in the wake of no less than three
hurricanes. I pray for the victims, unfortunately numerous, and for
the homeless. I am close to the whole nation and I hope that it will
receive as soon as possible the necessary aid. I entrust all to the
maternal protection of Our Lady of Bonaria.
© Copyright 2008 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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