.- As
the Catholic Church in Latin America prepares to celebrate the 400th
anniversary of the death of its patron Saint, St. Toribio de Mogrovejo,
the Vatican has released Pope Benedict’s official message for the event
in which he recalls the Saint’s profound impact on the region and the
world.
St. Toribio was
the second archbishop of Lima, Peru and celebrations for his feast are
being held in Lima from April 24th through the 29th.
In his message
for the occasion, Pope Benedict XVI addressed Cardinal Juan Luis
Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima, as well as the bishops, priests,
religious and laity from around Latin America participating in the
event.
He invited them
to "consider this anniversary as a providential opportunity to
reactivate the journey of the Church in the various dioceses, drawing
inspiration from the life and work of St. Toribio."
That saint, the
Holy Father wrote, "distinguished himself for his selfless commitment
to the edification and consolidation of the ecclesial communities of
his day. He did so with a great spirit of communion and collaboration,
always seeking unity as is shown by his calling of the third provincial
council of Lima (1582-1583), ... one fruit of which was the so-called
Catechism of St. Toribio."
The pontiff also highlighted the conciliar seminary in Lima, founded by St. Toribio which still exists today.
He expressed his
particular hope that the seminary "may continue to give abundant fruit,
precisely at a time when it is urgently necessary to promote vocations
to the priesthood and consecrated life in order to face the immense
task of building Christian communities that gather joyfully on Sunday,
perform the Sacraments, foment spiritual life, transmit and cultivate
the faith, bear witness of resolute hope, and always practice charity."
"St. Toribio's
profound missionary spirit," the Holy Father continued, was apparent in
"his efforts to learn various languages in order to be able to preach
personally to all those entrusted to his pastoral care."
The Pope
concluded his message saying that this fact "was also a sign of his
respect for the dignity of all human beings, whatever their condition,
in whom he always sought to promote the joy of feeling themselves to be
true children of God."
Church in Latin America, worldwide should draw inspiration from life of St. Toribio, says Pope
Related news
- New 'sister city' bond between birthplaces of John Paul II and Padre Pio
- Relics of Spanish civil war martyrs sent to over thirty countries, including US
- A window into St. Bernadette, CNA speaks to film star, Sydney Penny
- Archdiocese of Lima to publish details on holiness of St. Toribio of Mongrovejo
Related articles
- Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI to the Young People of the World on the Occasion of the XXIII World Youth Day, 2008
- Official biography released by the Holy See
- Special message of Pope Benedict XVI in English to the peoples of Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories, at the end of the General Audience. May 6th, 2009
- Pope Benedict’s address to the International Congress on the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae
* The number of messages that can be online is limited. CNA reserves the right to edit messages for content and tone. Comments and opinions expressed by users do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of CNA. CNA will not publish comments with abusive language, insults or links to other pages
Featured Videos
May
24
Liturgical Calendar
May 24, 2012
Thursday of the Seventh Week of EasterAll readings:
Today »This year »
Catholic Daily
Gospel of the Day
Jn 17,20-26
Gospel
Date
05/24/12
05/23/12
05/22/12
Daily Readings
First Reading:: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11Psalm:: Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11Gospel:: Jn 17:20-26Homily of the Day
Jn 17,20-26
Homily
Date
05/24/12
05/23/12
05/22/12
Most Popular
