Turin, Italy, Apr 22, 2010 / 13:53 pm
Cardinal Severino Poletto has invited the faithful to complete a novena as the Pope’s visit to the Cathedral of Turin approaches. Stressing the spiritual foundations of the May 2 visit, the cardinal encouraged prayer as a means of living the "true meaning" of the event.
The novena will run from Friday, April 23, until May 1, the day before the Holy Father’s arrival in the northern Italian city.
Expressing his joy at the “extraordinary gift” of the Pope's visit to the city “to venerate the Shroud, but also to meet with our Christian community,” the Cardinal Archbishop of Turin emphasized the spiritual nature of the event.
“My hope is that the many pilgrims to the Shroud ... realize internally a copious return of spiritual fruits for themselves, for their families and for all of society,” he wrote.