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Skriven 2005-11-18 07:11:46 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service - Press Release
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Hello All!

                The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                          Vatican Information Service.
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               VIS-Press releases

PAPAL MASS FOR DECEASED CARDINALS AND BISHOPS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 2005 (VIS) - This morning, the Pope presided at a Mass at
the altar of the Cathedra in the Vatican Basilica in remembrance of the
cardinals, archbishops and bishops who died during the course of the last year.
Members of the College of Cardinals concelebrated with the Holy Father.

In his homily, Benedict XVI recalled that during the month of November "the
great family of the Church" prays and offers "its redeeming sacrifice for the
souls of the deceased faithful."

Speaking of the late John Paul II, Benedict XVI affirmed how "he left us, among
other shining examples, that most precious example of prayer. At this time too,
we take up his spiritual heritage, in the knowledge that his intervention
continues even more intensely from heaven."

The Holy Father named the five cardinals who died over the last twelve months:
Juan Carlos Aramburu, Jan Pieter Schotte, Corrado Bafile, Jaime Sin and
Giuseppe Caprio. "Today, together with their souls, we entrust to the Lord
those of the archbishops and bishops who, over the same period, concluded their
earthly journey."

Commenting on the reading from the Book of Sirach, which "contains first an
exhortation to constancy under trial then an invitation to trust in God," the
Pope said: "Whoever puts himself at the service of the Lord and passes his life
in ecclesial ministry is not exempt from trials, on the contrary he faces the
most insidious ordeals, as the experience of the saints amply shows. But living
in fear of God frees the heart from all fear and immerses it in the depths of
His love."

"Whoever trusts in Jesus places his faith in God Himself. ... We human beings
need a friend, a brother to take us by the hand and accompany us to 'the
Father's house,' we need someone who knows the way well."

Benedict XVI stressed that "Jesus is the way open to everyone, there is no
other. And those that appear as 'other' ways, in as much as they are authentic
lead back to Him, otherwise they do not bring life. It is, then, a priceless
gift that the Father gave humanity sending His only-begotten Son. This gift
brings a responsibility, which is greater the closer the relationship with
Jesus."

"As we give thanks to God," the Holy Father concluded, "for all the benefits He
granted our late confreres, for them we offer the merits of Jesus' passion and
death to compensate for shortcomings due to human frailty."
HML/DECEASED CARDINALS BISHOPS/... VIS 051111 (430)

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