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                               VIS-Press releases

FOURTH CENTENARY OF CANONISATION OF ST. CHARLES BORROMEO

VATICAN CITY, 4 NOV 2010 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from the Pope
addressed to Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, archbishop of Milan, Italy, marking
the fourth centenary of the canonisation of St. Charles Borromeo, on 1 November
1610.

"The time in which Charles Borromeo lived was a very delicate one for
Christianity", writes the Pope. "In a period obscured by many
trials facing the
Christian community, with divisions and doctrinal confusion, the clouding of
the purity of faith and custom, and the bad example of many sacred ministers,
Charles Borromeo did not limit himself to deploring and condemning, nor simply
to expressing hope that others would change; rather, he began to reform his own
life".

St. Charles "was aware that serious and credible reform had to begin with
pastors". To this end he focused on "the centrality of the
Eucharist, ... the
spirituality of the cross, ... assiduous participation in the Sacraments, ...
the Word of God, ... and love and devotion for the Supreme Pontiff, readily and
filially obedient to his directives as a guarantee of true and complete
ecclesial communion".

"May St. Charles encourage us always to begin with a serious commitment to
personal conversion", writes the Holy Father, going on to encourage priests and
deacons "to make of their lives a courageous path of sanctity"
and expressing
the hope that the Church in Milan may always find in her ministers "a clear
faith and a sober and pure life, renewing that apostolic ardour which
characterised St. Ambrose, St. Charles and so many of your holy pastors".

"St. Charles was recognised", Benedict XVI continues, "as a
true loving father
to the poor. ... He founded institutions for the assistance and recovery of
those in need. ... During the plague of 1576, the saintly archbishop chose to
remain among his people to encourage, serve and defend them with the weapons of
prayer, penance and love".

The Pope highlights how "St. Charles Borromeo's charity cannot be understood
without an understanding of his relationship of passionate love with the Lord
Jesus". In this context the Holy Father refers to "the contemplation of the
holy mystery of the altar and the Crucified Christ" which awakened the saint's
"feelings of compassion for man's misery and aroused in his heart the apostolic
longing to bring the evangelical message to everyone".

"Let us make the Eucharist the true centre of our communities, let us allow
ourselves to be educated and moulded by that well of charity. Each apostolic
and charitable action will draw strength and fruitfulness from that source".

The Holy Father concludes his Message with an appeal to young people: "Like St.
Charles, you too are can make your youth an offering to Christ and your
fellows. ... Dear young people, you are not only the hope of the Church, you
are part of her present moment. And if you have the courage to believe in
sanctity, you will become the greatest treasure of your Ambrosian Church, which
is built upon saints".
MESS/VIS 20101104 (510)

SUMMARY

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