THE LETTERS OF SAINT PAUL REPRESENT THE TRUE LEGACY OF HUMANITY
POPE announces the YEAR OF SAINT PAUL
VATICAN CITY, Wednesday, March 5, 2008(Zenit.org)
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Saint Paul Outside the Walls |
In a matter of two months, the Jubilee year dedicated to Saint Paul will commence with the celebration of the 2000 years (“bimillenium”) of his birth, that the historians date back to between the years 7 and 10 AD.
With this motive, Benedict XVI declares that from the 28th of June 2008 to the 29th of June 2009 the whole Church will celebrate this year dedicated especially to the Apostle of the Gentiles.
“This Pauline year – the Pope emphasizes – can be celebrated in a special way in Rome, where dating back to 20 centuries ago, the sarcophagus of the Apostle was preserved beneath the papal altar, which according to scholars, conserves the remains of the Apostle Saint Paul.”
To facilitate the spread of information pertaining to this event, a website has been made, www.annopaolino.org, in which all announcements of upcoming activities will be posted: liturgical, cultural and ecumenical events, like various pastoral and social initiatives, all inspired in Pauline spirituality. Moreover, special focus will be put on pilgrimages.
“Likewise – continued Benedict XVI – scholarly congresses and special publications about Pauline writings will be promoted to encourage the understanding of these texts as they represent a living legacy of humanity redeemed by Christ. Moreover, in all parts of the world, analogous initiatives can be done in the different dioceses, in the parishes and in remote places, courtesy of religious institutions. These can be related with school or social work in which the tasks carry the name of Saint Paul and are inspired by his figure and his teachings.”
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Saint Paul Outside the Walls |
The Pope wished that, during this celebration, special attention be given to a particularly important theme: the Pauline teachings on ecumenism. Thus, numerous activities revolving around this theme will be promoted to seek full unity among peoples.
For more information about this event, the interview with the organizer of the Pauline year, Father Olivier Plichon, can be accessed.
During the official announcement of the Pauline year, Benedict XVI wanted to emphasize that “Saint Paul was conscious of what is ‘to be an apostle by vocation’ – i.e, not by self-choice and neither by human appointment, but rather exclusively by one’s calling and divine election.
In his epistles, the Apostle of the Gentiles repeated a lot of times that everything in his life is fruit of the free working and mercy of God (cf. 1 Co 15, 9-10; 2 Co 4,1; Ga 1,15). He was chosen “to spread the Gospel” (Rm 1, 1), to spread the message of the divine grace that reconciles man in Christ with God, with himself and with others.”
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