Pope's Homily on Christ the King
the theme of the homily is "The Authentic Place of the Vicar of Christ Is on the Cross"
zenith has translated the homily of Benedict XVI delivered on Sunday, Solemnity of Christ the King, during Mass at St. Peter's Basilica. During the Mass, the Pope gave to 24 new cardinals the cardinal's ring.
here is the address.
Esteemed Cardinals,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
In the solemnity of the Christ king of the universe, we have the joy of gathering around the altar of the Lord with the 24 new cardinals, whom I added yesterday to the College of Cardinals. To them, first of all, I address my cordial greeting, which I extend to the other cardinals and to all the prelates present, as also to the different authorities, to the ambassadors, to the priests, religious and all the faithful, who have come from different parts of the world for this happy circumstance, which has a marked universal character.
Many of you will also have noticed that the previous Public Consistory for the creation of cardinals, in November 2007, was held on the eve of the solemnity of Christ the King. Three years have passed and, hence, in keeping with the Sunday liturgical cycle, the Word of God comes to meet us through the same biblical readings, proper to this important festivity. It is situated in the last Sunday of the liturgical year and presents to us, at the end of the itinerary of faith, the royal face of Christ, as the Pantocrator in the apse of an ancient basilica. This coincidence invites us to meditate profoundly on the ministry of the Bishop of Rome and on that of the cardinals, linked to it, in the light of the singular Royalty of Jesus, Our Lord.
The first service of the Successor of Peter is that of faith. In the New Testament, Peter becomes the "rock" of the Church in as much as bearer of the Creed: the "we" of the Church begins with the name of the one who first professed faith in Christ, it begins with his faith; a faith at first immature and even "too human," but then, after Easter, mature and capable of following Christ to the giving of himself; mature in believing that Jesus is truly the King; that he is so precisely because he stayed on the Cross, and in that way gave his life for sinners. Seen in the Gospel is that all ask Jesus to come down from the cross. They mock him, but it is also a way to excuse themselves, as if to say: It isn't our fault that you are on the cross; it's only your fault, because if you truly were the Son of God, the King of the Jews, you wouldn't be there, but you would save yourself by coming down from the infamous scaffold. Hence, if you stay there, it means that you are mistaken and that we are right.
the theme of the homily is "The Authentic Place of the Vicar of Christ Is on the Cross"
zenith has translated the homily of Benedict XVI delivered on Sunday, Solemnity of Christ the King, during Mass at St. Peter's Basilica. During the Mass, the Pope gave to 24 new cardinals the cardinal's ring.
here is the address.
Esteemed Cardinals,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
In the solemnity of the Christ king of the universe, we have the joy of gathering around the altar of the Lord with the 24 new cardinals, whom I added yesterday to the College of Cardinals. To them, first of all, I address my cordial greeting, which I extend to the other cardinals and to all the prelates present, as also to the different authorities, to the ambassadors, to the priests, religious and all the faithful, who have come from different parts of the world for this happy circumstance, which has a marked universal character.
Many of you will also have noticed that the previous Public Consistory for the creation of cardinals, in November 2007, was held on the eve of the solemnity of Christ the King. Three years have passed and, hence, in keeping with the Sunday liturgical cycle, the Word of God comes to meet us through the same biblical readings, proper to this important festivity. It is situated in the last Sunday of the liturgical year and presents to us, at the end of the itinerary of faith, the royal face of Christ, as the Pantocrator in the apse of an ancient basilica. This coincidence invites us to meditate profoundly on the ministry of the Bishop of Rome and on that of the cardinals, linked to it, in the light of the singular Royalty of Jesus, Our Lord.
The first service of the Successor of Peter is that of faith. In the New Testament, Peter becomes the "rock" of the Church in as much as bearer of the Creed: the "we" of the Church begins with the name of the one who first professed faith in Christ, it begins with his faith; a faith at first immature and even "too human," but then, after Easter, mature and capable of following Christ to the giving of himself; mature in believing that Jesus is truly the King; that he is so precisely because he stayed on the Cross, and in that way gave his life for sinners. Seen in the Gospel is that all ask Jesus to come down from the cross. They mock him, but it is also a way to excuse themselves, as if to say: It isn't our fault that you are on the cross; it's only your fault, because if you truly were the Son of God, the King of the Jews, you wouldn't be there, but you would save yourself by coming down from the infamous scaffold. Hence, if you stay there, it means that you are mistaken and that we are right.