Pro Eligendo Summo Pontifice Mass to elect a new Pope
March 12, 2013: One hundred and fifteen Cardinal electors from around the world
on Tuesday began the Conclave to elect the Catholic Church’s 266th Pope,
as well as the 265 successor of St. Peter the Apostle, the first Pope and Bishop of
Rome. The current conclave is the 75th in the life of the Church – historians
date the first as taking place in 1295, when Boniface VIII inserted Gregory X’s decree
into canon law. But this conclave of March 12 is a unique one, as it did not follow
the death of a Pope The whole world was set aback when 85-year-old Pope Benedict XVI
announced on Feb. 11th that he was stepping down from the pontificate
because his strengths, due to advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise
of the Petrine ministry, Popw Benedict XVI was elected pontiff on 19 April 2005,
at age 78, and he officially stepped down on Feb. 28 evening at age 85, after nearly
8 years of pontificate. The Emeritus Pope is now living a retired life at the papal
summer residence of Castelgandolfo, south-east of Rome, until his residence in a monastery
inside Vatican City is ready. With the news of the end of Pope Benedict’s pontificate
thr cardinals of the world began to converge on Rome. The “Pro Eligendo Summo
Pontifice” Mass to elect a new pope was celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica Tuesday
morning before the conclave proper began later in the afternoon. The Mass presided
over by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Dean of Cardinals was said in Latin. Some 36 photographers
and 30 TV networks covered the event.
Below in English is Cardinal Sodano’s
homily at the Mass. Dear Concelebrants, Distinct Authorities, Brothers
and Sisters in Christ,
“Forever I will sing the mercies of the Lord” is the
hymn that resounds once again near the tomb of the Apostle Peter in this important
hour of the history of the Holy Church of Christ. These are the words of Psalm 88
that have flowed from our lips to adore, give thanks and beg the Father who is in
heaven. “Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo”: is the beautiful Latin text that
has introduced us into contemplation of the One who always watches over his Church
with love, sustaining her on her journey down through the ages, and giving her life
through his Holy Spirit.
Such an interior attitude is ours today as we wish
to offer ourselves with Christ to the Father who is in heaven, to thank him for the
loving assistance that he always reserves for the Holy Church, and in particular for
the brilliant Pontificate that he granted to us through the life and work of the 265th
Successor of Peter, the beloved and venerable Pontiff Benedict XVI, to whom we renew
in this moment all of our gratitude.
At the same time today, we implore the
Lord, that through the pastoral sollicitude of the Cardinal Fathers, He may soon grant
another Good Shepherd to his Holy Church. In this hour, faith in the promise of Christ
sustains us in the indefectible character of the church. Indeed Jesus said to Peter:
“You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against her.” (Mt. 16:18).
My brothers, the readings of the World
of God that we have just heard can help us better understand the mission that Christ
has entrusted to Peter and to his successors.
The Message of Love
The
first reading has offered us once again a well-known messianic oracle from the second
part of the book of Isaiah that is known as “the book of consolation” (Isaiah 40-66).
It is a prophecy addressed to the people of Israel who are in exile in Babylon. Through
this prophecy, God announces that he will send a Messiah full of mercy, a Messiah
who would say: “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me… he has sent me to bring good
news to the poor, to bind up the wounds of broken hearts, to proclaim liberty to captives,
freedom to prisoners, and to announce a year of mercy of the Lord” (Isaiah 61:1-3).
The
fulfilment of such a prophecy is fully realized in Jesus, who came into the world
to make present the love of the Father for all people. It is a love which is especially
felt in contact with suffering, injustice, poverty and all human frailty, both physical
and moral. It is especially found in the well known encyclical of Pope John Paul
II, “Dives in Misericordia” where we read: “It is precisely the mode and sphere in
which love manifests itself that in biblical language is called "mercy” (n. 3).
This mission of mercy has been entrusted by Christ to the pastors of his Church.
It is a mission that must be embraced by every priest and bishop, but is especially
entrusted to the Bishop of Rome, Shepherd of the universal Church. It is infact to
Peter that Jesus said: “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?... Feed
my lambs (John 21:15). In his commentary on these words, St. Augustine wrote: “May
it be therefore the task of love to feed the flock of the Lord” (In Iohannis Evangelium,
123, 5; PL 35, 1967).
It is indeed this love that urges the Pastors of the
Church to undertake their mission of service of the people of every age, from immediate
charitable work even to the highest form of service, that of offering to every person
the light of the Gospel and the strength of grace.
This is what Benedict XVI
wrote in his Lenten Message for this year (#3). “Sometimes we tend, in fact, to reduce
the term “charity” to solidarity or simply humanitarian aid. It is important, however,
to remember that the greatest work of charity is evangelization, which is the “ministry
of the word”. There is no action more beneficial – and therefore more charitable –
towards one’s neighbour than to break the bread of the word of God, to share with
him the Good News of the Gospel, to introduce him to a relationship with God: evangelization
is the highest and the most integral promotion of the human person. As the Servant
of God Pope Paul VI wrote in the Encyclical Populorum Progressio, the proclamation
of Christ is the first and principal contributor to development (cf. n. 16).”
The
message of unity
The second reading is taken from the letter to the
Ephesians., written by the Apostle Paul in this very city of Rome during his first
imprisonment (62-63 A.D.) It is a sublime letter in which Paul presents the mystery
of Christ and his Church. While the first part is doctrinal (ch.1-3), the second
part, from which today’s reading is taken, has a much more pastoral tone (ch. 4-6).
In this part Paul teaches the practical consequences of the doctrine that was previously
presented and begins with a strong appeal for church unity: “As a prisoner for the
Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be
completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make
every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Eph 4,1-3).
St. Paul then explains that in the unity of the Church, there is a diversity
of gifts, according to the manifold grace of Christ, but this diversity is in function
of the building up of the one body of Christ. “So Christ himself gave the apostles,
the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works
of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Eph 4:11-12).
In our
text, St. Paul teaches that each of us must work to build up the unity of the Church,
so that “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament,
grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (Eph 4:16). Each of
us is therefore called to cooperate with the Successor of Peter, the visible foundation
of such an ecclesial unity.
The Mission of the Pope
Brothers
and sisters in Christ today’s Gospel takes us back to the Last Supper, when the Lord
said to his Apostles: “This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have
loved you” (John 15:12). The text is linked to the first reading from the Messiah’s
actions in the first reading from the prophet Isaiah, reminding us that the fundamental
attitude of the Pastors of the Church is love. It is this love that urges us to offer
our own lives for our brothers and sisters. Jesus himself tells us: “There is no
greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:12).
The
basic attitude of every Shepherd is therefore to lay down one’s life for his sheep
(John 10:15). This also applies to the Successor of Peter, Pastor of the Universal
Church. As high and universal the pastoral office, so much greater must be the charity
of the Shepherd. In the heart of every Successor of Peter, the words spoken one day
by the Divine Master to the humble fisherman of Galilee have resounded: “Diligis me
plus his? Pasce agnos meos… pasce oves meas”; “Do you love me more than these?
Feed my lambs… feed my sheep!” (John 21:15-17)
In the wake of this service
of love toward the Church and towards all of humanity, the last popes have been builders
of so many good initiatives for people and for the international community, tirelessly
promoting justice and peace. Let us pray that the future Pope may continue this unceasing
work on the world level.
Moreover, this service of charity is part of the
intimate nature of the Church. Pope Benedict XVI reminded us of this fact when he
said: “The service of charity is also a constitutive element of the Church’s mission
and an indispensable expression of her very being; (Apostolic Letter in the form of
a Motu Proprio Intima Ecclesiae natura, November 11, 2012, introduction; cf. Deus
caritas est, n. 25).
It is a mission of charity that is proper to the Church,
and in a particular way is proper to the Church of Rome, that in the beautiful expression
of St. Ignatius of Antioch, is the Church that “presides in charity” “praesidet caritati”
(cf. Ad Romanos (preface).; Lumen Gentium, n. 13).
My brothers, let us pray
that the Lord will grant us a Pontiff who will embrace this noble mission with a generous
heart. We ask this of the Lord, through the intercession of Mary most holy, Queen
of the Apostles and of all the Martyrs and Saints, who through the course of history,
made this Church of Rome glorious through the ages. Amen.