Work for Church unity with the new cardinals: Pope at Angelus

Vatican City, 23 February 2014: Pope Francis emphasised the value of the Catholicity of the College of Cardinals and urged them to work for Christian unity avoiding all divisions. Pope’s observation and appeal came in his Angelus prayer on Sunday, following the celebration of Mass in the morning with the 19 new Cardinals he created in Saturday’s consistory. Dioceses, parishes, associations and movements, he said, must not contradict the shared dignity that comes with baptism. Everyone, in Jesus Christ, is God's child." Cardinals must be "servants", not "masters", adding “a community does not belong to the preacher, but to Christ”.

Addressing the thousands of pilgrims gathered in the square for the Angelus, the Holy Father talked again about the meaning of the ongoing celebrations.

"Yesterday's consistory and today's Eucharistic celebration," he said, "gave us a valuable opportunity to experience Catholicity, the Church's universality, well represented by the varied backgrounds of the members of the College of Cardinals gathered in close communion around Peter's Successor. May the Lord give us the grace to work for the unity of the Church, build this unity, for unity is more important than conflicts. Unity is Christ's; conflicts are often not Christ's. May the liturgical moments and celebration, which we had the opportunity of experiencing in the past two days, strengthen in all of us the faith in and love for Christ and his Church."

In view of this, the pontiff called on the faithful to support the new cardinals and "help them through prayer, so that they may always lead with zeal the people who have been entrusted to them, showing everyone the Lord's tenderness and love."

Speaking off the cuff, the Holy Father insisted on "how many prayers" the pope, cardinals, and bishops need to live out their ministry as a "service" to the people of God, and not as "power" over the people.

"Together," he explained, as "bishops, priests, consecrated people and lay people, we must bear witness to a Church faithful to Christ, moved by the desire to serve our brothers and ready to meet with prophetic courage the expectations and spiritual needs of the men and women of our time. May the Virgin Mary accompany us and protect us in this journey."

"The Church today," Francis added, "entrusts the witness of this pastoral lifestyle to the new cardinals, with whom I celebrated Holy Mass this morning. The Pontiff concluded his address inviting the faithful to greet the new cardinals with a big round of applause.Source: VR Sedoc