In this solemn celebration the Holy Father gave the Palliums to 42 Metropolitan Archbishops appointed by His Holiness in the last 12 months from different parts of the world such as Brazil, Portugal, Germany and Chile, countries where the Shalom Community has a missionary presence.
The Pallium, which the Pope traditionally blesses on January 21, the feast of St. Agnes, is the symbol of the “Good Shepherd” and of the Archbishops’ fidelity and obedience to the Roman Church.
Among the brazilian prelates present at the Eucharist and who received the Pallium were from Brazil: Archbishop Gregório Paixão, from Fortaleza, the archdiocese where the Community was born in 1982; Archbishop Carlos Alberto Breis Pereira from Maceió; Archbishop João Santos Cardoso, from Natal and Archbishop Josafá Menezes da Silva, from Aracajú.
Present also were the Patriarch of Lisbon, Bishop Rui Manuel Sousa Valério; Archbishop Fernando Chomali, from Santiago de Chile and from Paderborn, Archbishop Udo Bentz.
“Rome, city of open doors”
Referring to the liturgy and looking ahead to the Jubilee of 2025, the Holy Father referred to St. Peter and St. Paul as examples of lives “liberated” and transformed by Christ who opened the doors so that Peter could leave prison and also transformed Saul’s heart to be a great evangelizer.
“As we prepare to open the Holy Door, this message is also for us. We too need the Lord to open the doors of our hearts, sometimes locked by fear, closed by selfishness, sealed in indifference or resignation”, said Francis, who also sent a message to the entire city of Rome:
“Contemplating the Patron Saints of this city, we are also called to dream of Rome as a ‘city of open doors’. We must cultivate the desire for a city that does not need defensive closures, but doors that open to hope, to the future, to concord, to an integral development that includes everyone. Let us dream and build Rome as a place with open doors that are habitable and accessible to all; a welcoming place, where everyone can feel at home and no one is excluded or marginalized”.
Referring to the Metropolitan Archbishops, he reminded them of their call to be diligent shepherds who open the doors of the Gospel and through their ministry help build a Church and a society of open doors.
The Supreme Pontiff also gave a special greeting to the Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople present at the celebration, dedicating at the end of the celebration a moment of joint prayer in front of the remains of St. Peter as a symbol of unity and communion among all Christians.
“The Pope is for us a source of love and grace”
For our Founder, Moysés Azevedo, this celebration was a moment of communion and unity:
“For us as a charism it is a great grace to be with our Archbishops, from Brazil and other parts of the world, who have the Community in their dioceses and are receiving the Pallium. Even more for us because we were born at the feet of Peter”.
“The Pope for us is a source of affection, of grace, of love. To be here, in this celebration, is to place once again the gift, the charism, at the feet of the successor of Peter, knowing that everything we do is in view of the evangelization of peoples, it is mission, it is communion with the Church, to live and serve with the Church in the light of this charism”.
Photos: Vatican Media