Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday sent a Message to the President General of the Italian
Federation for the Transport of Sick Persons to Lourdes – OFTAL. The Message was read
by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone, at a Mass for the OFTAL offered
Saturday morning in St Peter’s Square.
Below is the full text of Vatican Radio’s
unofficial translation of the Message.
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To
the Rev. Monsignor Giampaolo Angelino, President General of OFTAL
I join spiritually
with you and the entire Opera Federal Transportation of the Sick to Lourdes in occasion
of the 80th anniversary of the founding and the centennial of the first
pilgrimage to the Holy Grotto of the late Msgr. Alessandro Rastelli, of blessed memory,
worthy founder of your Association.
With you, I thank the Lord for all that
your ecclesial reality has represented in these years of fruitful apostolate: the
various initiatives aimed at promoting devotion to the Immaculate Virgin among the
people; the commendable support and assistance to the sick; the opportune moments
of spiritual training offered to personnel, in support of support the OFTAL’s noble
mission of charity.
I hope that the significant anniversaries you are gratefully
celebrating might encourage everyone to make a more incisive Christian witness, continuing
to produce spiritual fruit in fidelity to the charism and the ends of your association,
and always in communion with the bishops and the Church.
In this regard, I
assure you of my prayers that you might serve the Lord and our brothers in joy, successfully
completing your every good work.
With these sentiments and wishes, I invoke
abundant outpouring of graces and heavenly comforts on you, on chaplains, doctors
and nurses, ambulance attendants and ladies, and especially over the sick, whom I
greet with great affection. Upon the whole OFTAL and on every one of you, in token
of my fatherly affection, I impart my special Apostolic Blessing.