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Vatican City, 18th April 2005 (CNA)
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of
Quebec, Canada, said this Sunday in Rome the
Conclave is not a political act, but an act of
faith.
Presiding at Mass on Good Shepherd Sunday
at the Church of Santa Maria in Traspontina, near
the Vatican, Cardinal Ouellet recalled that “the
Conclave gives this feast a particular character
given the absence of the Pope. For this
reason, I wish to invite all to pray for the
election to be made by the cardinals.”
The Conclave, he explained, “is not a
political act, based on human calculations, but
rather an act of faith, which seeks to elect the
good Shepherd, successor of Peter;” therefore “it
involves the entire community and not only the
cardinals.”
Cardinal Ouellet described the period of
John Paul II as “the Pontificate that has marked
contemporary history like no other of the 20th
century.” He also recalled that the late
Pope “chose my city of Quebec, six months ago, to
be the site of the next International Eucharistic
Congress in 2008, coinciding with the 400th
anniversary of the city’s foundation.”
“The unforgettable days we are living now
make us appreciate the greatness of being members
of the Catholic Church,” said Cardinal
Ouellet. He concluded asking God that “we
might be well-prepared to receive the new Pope and
to be attentive to his pastoral ministry and his
magisterium.” |
