Cardinal Parolin celebrates Mass with Latin-rite Romanian faithful of Rome

Cardinal Parolin celebrates Mass with Latin-rite Romanian faithful of Rome


During the mass celebrated in the Roman basilica of San Vitale, on the occasion of 25 years of pastoral care for the Romanian faithful of the Latin rite in Rome, the Cardinal Secretary of State recalled the times when Christianity was not still divided. He reminds us of the importance of finding one’s identity.

By Antonella Palermo

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, presided over the mass in the Roman basilica dedicated to Saints Vitale, Valerie, Gervasio and Protasio, commonly known as the Basilica of Saint Vitale, located next to the Palace of the Esposizioni, on Via Nazionale in Rome. The celebration took place on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the pastoral care of the Romanian faithful in Rome.

In his homily, Cardinal Parolin stressed the importance of remembering a past in which faith was the glue of a fragmented community, far from home, family and loved ones. He reassured, affirming that “the upheavals of society and the upheavals of history must not disturb the Kingdom of God which is within us”.

In memory of Christian unity

The Cardinal recalled the life of the Romanian community, which, over the years, gathered in various churches in Rome to finally arrive in this Basilica of Saint Vital. This migration testifies to a maturation of their community while in the meantime other new communities have emerged around the capital. He described it as a pilgrimage which recalls the times when Christianity was not yet divided, the times of the first ecumenical councils, the times when the reality of martyrdom at the beginning of the Church was still very present in the lives of the Christians.

“I see in this celebration a happy coincidence which can encourage us too to live our faith more deeply,” noted Cardinal Parolin, adding that in a country still unknown, celebrating the sacraments, sharing the challenges, anchoring ourselves in a Common faith can offer great support.

Deepening faith to rediscover identity

There is a continuity that is found every day when we remember having been supported, encouraged and consoled, he noted. And it’s something that is “essential to regain one’s identity.” But today, we run the “risk of transforming faith into a garment to be worn only on Sundays”, he lamented. In a time that many consider “fluid”, so fast that it sometimes prevents us from stopping to remember who we are, it is even more urgent to look at the pillars that tell us where we come from and what the realities that really surround us. count, explained Cardinal Parolin, “because they remain, they remain firm, in the face of passing fashions and times.”

Hope survives the tribulations of history

On the last Sunday before the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the liturgy specifically offers a reflection on the end of times. And this too with striking words which, however, should not frighten us, declared Cardinal Parolin, as we look to the Lord who abides and everything converges in Him. “With a little play on words, one could say that the end of all reveals Him who, in truth, is the end of all.” Finding yourself remembering your roots and cherishing them precisely means keeping the end before you.

“The torments of society and the upheavals of history must therefore not disturb the Kingdom of God which is in us, which is God himself, because our soul is already rooted and anchored in his love, anchored in Him who is the rock, with a hope, His, is already a certainty: it is not the elements of the cosmos or chance that govern the world and man, but a personal God. As we look ahead to the Jubilee of Hope, he stressed that it is important to remember that we are called to experience tribulations without diminishing the greatness of our expectations.



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