Pope Benedict XVI in English - Weekly General Audience
Dear Brothers and Sisters, In these days we celebrate the one hundred and fiftieth
anniversary of the death of a great model of priestly holiness and apostolic zeal,
Saint Joseph Cafasso, a priest of Turin, Italy, in the nineteenth century. Saint
Joseph devoted his entire ministry to the formation of priests, spiritual direction
and service to the poor, especially prisoners condemned to death. May his example
encourage all priests in faithful witness to the Gospel.
* * *
Yesterday,
on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, I conferred the Pallium upon thirty-eight
Archbishops from throughout the world. I would now like to greet the English-speaking
Archbishops present at today’s Audience, together with their family members and the
pilgrimage groups which accompanied them to the Tombs of the Apostles: Archbishop
Alex Thomas Kaliyanil of Bulawayo (Zimbabwe), Archbishop Gerard Tlali Lerotholi
of Maseru (Lesotho), Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan (Philippines), Archbishop
Bernard Longley of Birmingham (England), Archbishop Jerome Edward Listecki of Milwaukee
(USA), Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town (South Africa), Archbishop Dennis
Schnurr of Cincinnati (USA), Archbishop Francis Kallarakal of Verapoly (India), Archbishop
Hyginus Kim Hee-joong of Kwangju (Korea), Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami (USA), Archbishop
Peter Smith of Southwark (England), and Archbishop Matthias Kobena Nketsiah of
Cape Coast (Ghana). Dear Brothers, I ask the Lord to strengthen all of you in your
witness to the apostolic faith and in generous service to the flocks entrusted to
your care.
I also greet the many other English-speaking visitors and pilgrims
present at today’s Audience, especially the groups from England, Scotland, Ireland,
Ghana, Palestine, the Philippines, South Korea, Canada and the United States of America.
I thank the Schola Cantorum of Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast, for their praise
of God in song. Upon all of you I invoke an abundance of joy and peace in our Lord
Jesus Christ.