| 25 Nov - Address - Irish College, Rome |
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ADDRESS OF CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY AT RECEPTION IN IRISH COLLEGE, ROME 25 NOVEMBER 2007
I am deeply grateful to my many families: I have spent some twenty years of my life in this College and have wonderful memories of my time here. I owe so much to the ministry of men and women. I am very conscious today of St. Malachy, native of Armagh City, the City in which I live now, who came to this City of Rome twice, I think to ask for the Pallilum for Irish Archbishops as a sign of communion with the Bishop of Rome and a guarantee of Church unity. Although I have spent twenty years of my life in this College, I also spent four years in the National Seminary in Ireland – St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, and owe it, and its staff, a great debt. I am thankful to God for all I have received and what have I that I have not received? This morning I got a beretta and a parish Church from the Holy Father. It is the last in a long line of God-given gifts v Life from my parents, I am thankful for the presence of so many brother bishops from Ireland. I think it is clear testimony to the bonds of friendship and solidarity that exist between us and that have been forged in the face of challenging adversity over the last twelve years. It is almost forty-seven (47) years to the day since I first flew into Champino Airport one Friday night, courtesy of Aer Lingus, via Lourdes, to be greeted by a deep Breffini accent, with the words: “Would your name happen to be Brady?” I am thankful for the presence of Cardinal Cormac-Murphy O’Connor and Cardinal Keith O’Brien. The O’Briens of Thomond and the O’Connors of Connacht were Princes in the Irish scene. I am pleased, but humbled, to be the third member of the Sacred College from Ireland in addition to Cardinal Cahal Daly and Cardinal Desmond Connell. It now numbers Cardinals Foley, O’Malley, Egan, McCarrick, Stafford and Cassidy as well as some other American Cardinals who have Irish blood in their veins - Rigali, Levada, Keeler, Law as well as Cardinal Pell of Australia. It is forty-seven (47) years since I came to the Irish College, Rome and I welcome here Mgr John Fitzpatrick from Dublin, Father Fintan Lyons from Glenstal; the Rt Hon Noel A Kinsella, President of the Senate of Canada from that class. I also remember those who have died, that they may rest in peace. I think of Mgr Kevin Mullin and Mgr Cyril Mulligan, who both served in the Diplomatic Service to the Holy See. May they rest in peace. I am very pleased with the Church assigned to me today by the Holy Father, St. Cyricus and Julitta, who were martyrs. The story is that Julitta, a widow of Iconium, took her three year old son, Cyricus, to Tarsus, the native city of St. Paul, to escape persecution. Here, however, she was recognised and accused, suffered with her child a series of tortures, which, however, rebounded in some way against the persecutors whom Cyricus attacked. Eventually, Julitta and her son were executed and their relics were saved by other Christians. Cyricus was supposed to have come from Antioch, a child martyr of immense popularity. I am happy that the Church is at the heart of classical Rome – within sight of the Forum and the Arch of Titus and the Mamertine Prison – reminding me of carefree days and times as a teacher of Latin and Roman Art and architecture. The most gratifying feature of this Church is that it contains the tombs of students of the Irish College – possibly contemporaries of my grand-uncle. I am very happy to be an Irish man today but I am also thankful to be an Ulsterman, to be alive in this present time and to be an Ulsterman who has moved to the north at this most interesting of eras when, hopefully, after centuries of conflict, the inhabitants of that beautiful area are living together peacefully, prosperately and amicably. I have received messages of goodwill from all the main Churches, from the Loyal Orders and, in particular, from the Archbishop of Canterbury. This leads me to believe that there is now a wonderful opportunity for rapprochement – reconciliation – and end to alienation.
Two weeks ago, Father Peter McVerry addressed the priests of our diocese. He told us that the passion of God is compassion, especially compassion for the poor and homeless children of the world. He challenged all of us to do something to ease their plight. I came to Rome with those words ringing in my ears and my eyes fell upon these words of Pope Benedict XVI: “We follow Christ in the mission to be fishers of men. We must bring people out of the sea that is salted with so many forms of alienation, and onto the land of life, into the light of God”. “Lord, remember your promise. Grant that we may be one flock and one shepherd! Do not allow your net to be b=torn, help us to be servants of unity!” Pope Benedict spoke those words at the beginning of his ministry as Supreme Pastor on 24th April 2005. He invites all of us to bring people out of the sea that is salted with so many forms of alienation.
I have found the motto which I took when I became a bishop namely: To know Jesus Christ, to be challenging and inspiring. To know Jesus is to imitate Jesus. To imitate the Jesus who broke down barriers but also brought the healing love of Christ. Co-operation not competition and connectedness are the way forward. Connecting people to their families and to their communities and to their faith, to their homeland. It has to be a powerful way of healing and overcoming alienation. It will require forgiveness. It is the only healing way of dealing with the past that frees us up to live serenely in the present and to face the future confidently.
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