HONG KONG (SE): Pope Francis elevated 21 archbishops and bishops to the College of Cardinals on September 30, including the Bishop of Hong Kong, Stephen Cardinal Chow, SJ.
The pope reflected that when we read the account of Pentecost, [we] identify ourselves with the Apostles as they preached the gospel to Jews of different nationalities and languages in Jerusalem [Acts 2, 1-11], the pope noted the similarities with the bishops and cardinals of our time who hail “from all parts of the world, from the most diverse nations.”
Pope Francis said that the story of Pentecost should make us “think back with gratitude on the gift of having been evangelised and having been drawn from various peoples who, each in their own time received the Kerygma, the proclamation of the mystery of salvation, and in welcoming it, were baptised in the Holy Spirit and became part of the Church” who “speaks all languages, is One and is Catholic.”
“This word from the Acts of the Apostles makes us reflect that, before being “apostles”, before being priests, Bishops, Cardinals, we are ‘Parthians, Medes, Elamites’, etcetera, etcetera. And this should awaken awe and gratitude in us for having received the grace of the gospel among our respective peoples of origin. I think this is very important and not to be forgotten. Because there, in the history of our people, I would say in the ‘flesh’ of our people, the Holy Spirit has worked the wonder of communicating the mystery of Jesus Christ who died and rose again. And this came to us ‘in our language,’ from the lips and the gestures of our grandparents and our parents, of catechists, priests, and religious… Every one of us can remember concrete voices and faces. The faith is transmitted ‘in dialect”. Don’t forget this: the faith is transmitted in dialect, by mothers and grandmothers,: the pope said.
“I would simply like to draw a consequence for you, brother cardinals, and for your college,” Pope Francis said, “I would like to express this with an image, that of the orchestra: the College of Cardinals is called to resemble a symphony orchestra, representing the harmony and synodality of the Church. I also say ‘synodality’, not only because we are on the eve of the first Assembly of the Synod that has precisely this theme, but also because it seems to me that the metaphor of the orchestra can well illuminate the synodal character of the Church.”
The pope concluded saying, “in the consoling confidence that we have the Holy Spirit – he is the protagonist—as our master: the interior master of each one of us and the master of walking together. He creates variety and unity; He is harmony itself. St. Basil was looking for a synthesis when he said: Ipse harmonia est, he is harmony itself. We entrust ourselves to his gentle and strong guidance, and to the gracious care of the Virgin Mary.”
