Cardinal Oswald Gracias addresses Mumbai CRI

April 22, 2014: The Mumbai CRI had a special meeting on 13 April with Oswald Cardinal Gracias. Despite being Palm Sunday, nearly 250 sisters and a few priests and brothers gathered at St. Joseph’s Convent – Bandra to meet the archbishop of Bombay.
The Cardinal recalled the events at the Conclave which elected Pope Francis, which is a clear indicator that the Holy Spirit is at work in the Church. He shared his personal impressions of the Holy Father: a humble person, aware of his own limitations, who sought to continue the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI. He mentioned that the Pope is very interested in carrying on the renewal initiated by the 2nd Vatican Council in the Church and in religious life.
Regarding the “Council of Eight,” of which he is a member, Cardinal Ozzie said that the Pope created it in accordance with the suggestions voiced at the pre-electoral discussions. During their meetings, Pope Francis listens intently to what his consultors have to say, without intervening too much. He is a man of prayer and deep faith, who seeks to bring about evangelical transformation in the whole Church. His simple yet meaningful style of speaking and interacting with simple people has not been lost on the world at large... he has been voted Time Magazine’s Man of the Year 2013, and more recently #1 Influential World Leader.
After his talk, the Cardinal released a new Pauline publication: “The Good Pope – St. John XXIII” authored by Sr. Joeyanna D’Souza fsp. The religious were glad to have an opportunity to meet the archbishop, and hoped to have more interaction with him and his auxiliaries in the future.