Lors de l'Angélus de midi, le Pape a déclaré :
"Lorsque John Henry Newman est venu vivre à Birmingham, il a donné le nom de
«Maryvale»
à sa première maison ici. L’Oratoire qu’il a fondé est dédié à l’Immaculée
Conception de la Vierge Marie. Et l’Université Catholique d’Irlande est placée sous le patronage de
Marie, Sedes Sapientiae (Trône de la Sagesse). De bien des façons, il vécut son ministère de prêtre dans un esprit de dévotion
filiale envers la Mère de Dieu. Méditant sur son rôle dans le déroulement du plan de Dieu pour
notre salut, il s’exclamait: «Qui peut estimer la sainteté et la perfection de
celle qui fut choisie pour être la Mère du Christ? Quels ont dû être ses dons,
elle qui fut choisie pour être la seule proche parente terrestre du Fils de
Dieu, la seule qu’il fût naturellement tenu de respecter et sur laquelle il dût
veiller ; celle qui fut désignée pour le former et l’éduquer, pour l’instruire
jour après jour, tandis qu’il croissait en sagesse et en taille?» (Sermons
paroissiaux, L’année chrétienne, Sermon 12 sur l’Annonciation, Ed. Le
Cerf 1993, t. 2, p. 121). C’est à cause de ces dons abondants de grâce que
nous l’honorons ici, et c’est à cause de cette intimité avec son divin Fils que
nous cherchons naturellement son intercession pour nos propres besoins et les
besoins du monde entier."
yf
par contraste avec la désinformation qui règne en France où on ne parle, s’agissant du voyage du Pape, que des manifestations grotesques contre lui, je signale cet éditorial du Daily Telegraph :
Papal visit: The Pope shows great courage
Pope Benedict’s visit offers a lesson for all Christians in Britain.
By Telegraph View
Published: 7:30PM BST 18 Sep 2010
Pope Benedict XVI wipes his brow during a mass in Westminster Cathedral in central London
Pope Benedict XVI wipes his brow during a mass in Westminster Cathedral in central London Photo: REUTERS
The Pope’s visit to Britain has demonstrated the abiding strength of Christianity within this nation. Throughout his visit, thousands of people from across the country have come to watch the spiritual leader of the world’s Catholics as he makes the first state visit by a Pontiff to these shores. In his speeches, His Holiness has shown a clarity of thought to shame the woolly utterances of Britain’s politicians, throwing down the gauntlet to our overly secularised society and insisting – as this newspaper has on many occasions – that religion still has a vital role to play within our culture.
Before the Pope’s arrival, there was one particular issue that concerned many: the vile abuse of children perpetrated in several different countries by members of the Church’s hierarchy over several decades, and the efforts that had been made to conceal those crimes. Here, the Pope has shown great moral courage. As well as meeting some of the victims, he has addressed the topic on repeated occasions, expressing his “deep sorrow” about these “unspeakable crimes”, which have caused “immense suffering”, and brought “shame and humiliation” to the institution that he leads.
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Ultimately, the immediate reaction to the Pope’s visit is not of primary importance: what matters is its impact in the long term. If it is remembered as a sideshow, an entertaining distraction for the dwindling number of believers, it will have failed in its purpose. Our hope is that it will act as a reminder that there is a space and a voice for religion in public life – and prompts those of all faiths to find the courage to push back the secularists, and proclaim their beliefs with pride.