Showing posts with label Cardinal Reina. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Cardinal-Archbishop of Tehran, Iran in Rome appeals for peace throughout the Middle East & the Holy Land

File photo of Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, Archbishop of Teheran with Pope Leo XIV

Church

Archbishop of Tehran: End war in the Gulf, end logic of retaliation

At a prayer vigil for peace in Rome at the beginning of Holy Week, Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, Archbishop of Teheran, appeals for peace for all war-torn regions, with a special plea for the Middle East and the Holy Land.

By Valerio Palombaro

The urgent call for peace in a world torn by multiple conflicts resounded on the evening of Monday of Holy Week at the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome.

The prayer vigil, presided over by the Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome, Cardinal Baldassarre Reina, was marked by the presence of the Archbishop of the Latin Archdiocese of Tehran-Isfahan, Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu.

“Never again war, an adventure with no return; never again war, a spiral of mourning and violence,” said Cardinal Mathieu, echoing passages from a prayer uttered by Saint John Paul II on 2 February 1991. The Cardinal invoked God’s intercession for the end of the war ravaging the Gulf region, after having been compelled to leave the Iranian capital on 8 March.

“Stop the logic of retaliation and revenge,” he prayed, “and through your Spirit suggest new solutions, generous and honourable gestures, spaces for dialogue and patient waiting, more fruitful than the rushed deadlines of war.”

Forgotten conflicts and the wounded Holy Land

The evening prayer is part of a monthly initiative entitled “Mission of Peace – A Journey in the Spirit”. It is promoted by the Diocesan Missionary Centre and the Office for Social and Labour Pastoral Care of the Diocese of Rome, in collaboration with Pax Christi, Azione Cattolica, and the Community of Sant'Egidio. Attention was also shone on the so-called “forgotten conflicts” devastating parts of the world, including eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan.

Particular focus was placed on the Holy Land and the wider Middle East. A measure of relief was expressed regarding the decision of the Israeli authorities to allow Holy Week celebrations to take place in Jerusalem—albeit under security restrictions linked to the war.

An agreement was reached after access to the Holy Sepulchre had been denied on Sunday to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and to the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Ielpo.

'So many innocent people are being crucified'

“We are close to the Iranian people and to all those who are suffering at this moment,” Cardinal Reina told journalists on the sidelines of the event.

Referring to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, where the vigil was being held, he said, “This church preserves one of the most important relics of the Cross of Christ.”

"History repeats itself, and there are so many innocent people being crucified," he recalled. "The Pope calls all Christians to pray for peace. This is a dramatic moment for all humanity.”

Abandoning violence: the lesson of history

“Violence produces only more violence,” Cardinal Reina said in his meditation, asking: “How can humanity not have learned this basic lesson of history?”

The Cardinal Vicar observed that the world has “lost peace” and is moving “towards the absurd,” towards “rearmament that carries the taste of death.”

He expressed appreciation for the presence of Cardinal Mathieu, who joined the prayer together with that of his people and of all peoples marked by war.

“Jesus is among those who suffer,” he said, recalling Christ’s crucifixion between two criminals. “He who came to bring peace is found in the middle, as if to reveal a God who enters into our history, into our suffering, in the hope that someone will recognize Him and bring peace.”

“Help us to recover peace,” Cardinal Reina concluded, stressing that peace is ultimately not the result of “diplomatic choice or strategy,” but is Christ himself.

Friday, November 14, 2025

Pope Leo XIV visits the Pontifical Lateran University as a new academic year begins

Pope

Pope Leo urges Lateran University to 'pursue the truth'

Pope Leo visits the Pontifical Lateran University for the inauguration of the 2025–2026 academic year, saying that the institution “holds a special place" in his heart.

By Myriam Sandouno

Rome's Pontifical Lateran University, known since a historic 1980 address by Pope John Paul II as “the Pope’s university,” today opened its 253rd academic year.

On Friday morning, Grand Chancellor Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Rector Magnificus Archbishop Alfonso V. Amarante, members of the coordinating council, professors, students, civil and religious authorities, and staff welcomed Pope Leo XIV.

In the university’s Aula Magna, the Pope participated in the institution's Dies Academicus, a moment of reflection and encounter which marked the beginning of the academic year.

A mission rooted in the Papal Magisterium

Pope Leo told those gathered that “the Lateran University occupies a special place in the heart of the Pope, who encourages you to dream big, to imagine possible spaces for the Christianity of tomorrow, to work joyfully so that all may discover Christ and find in Him the fullness to which they aspire.”

The Pope underlined that, “unlike other renowned academic institutions—even here in Rome—this university does not have a founding charism to preserve or develop. Its distinctive orientation is the Pope’s magisterium.”

By nature and mission, he explained, the Lateran is “a privileged center where the teaching of the universal Church is developed, received, elaborated, and contextualized. In this sense, it is an institution to which even the Roman Curia may refer in its daily work.”

This mission, Pope Leo emphasized, is carried out across 28 affiliated institutes across Europe, Asia, and the Americas—“a vast and diverse reality, expressing the richness of cultures and experiences and, at the same time, the search for unity and fidelity to Petrine teaching”.

Faith, the search for truth, and dialogue

Pope Leo then stressed the urgent need to reflect on faith today, “in order to articulate it within today’s cultural scenario and today’s challenges, and counter the risk of a growing cultural void.”

He urged the Faculty of Theology in particular to highlight the beauty and credibility of faith in contemporary contexts, and present it as “deeply human”, capable of transforming individuals and societies.

Philosophy, law, peace sciences and ecology

“The study of philosophy must be directed toward the search for truth through the resources of human reason—open to dialogue with cultures and especially with Christian Revelation,” the Pope said.

He then called on the faculties of canon and civil law, which have played a prominent role in the university for centuries, to investigate the relationship between civil legal systems and that of the Catholic Church.

Pope Leo also gave special mention to the degree programs in peace studies, ecology, and the environment, which he said will take on a more structured institutional form in the coming years.

“Peace is certainly a gift from God, but it also demands women and men capable of building it daily, and of supporting national and international processes leading to an integral ecology,” the Pope said.

He brought his address to a close by encouraging the university “to continue probing the mystery of the Christian faith with passion and always to practice dialogue with the world, society, and today’s questions and challenges.”

‘Uncharted territory”

Comprising 130 teachers, 34 officials and administrative staff, and over a thousand students, the Lateran University, as Cardinal Reina emphasised in his introductory greeting, is deeply committed to interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity.

Although it has been affected by demographic decline and the vocations crisis, Reina said, as well as the resulting economic crisis, it is seeking to explore new avenues in research and teaching.

“We are trying,” Cardinal Reina said, “to explore uncharted territory both in research and teaching and in the design of new courses of study that respond to the Petrine magisterium.”

Monday, April 28, 2025

The 3rd day of Novemdiales; Mass for Pope Francis presided by Cardinal Reina

Pope

Cardinal Reina at Novemdiales Mass: 'We feel like sheep without a shepherd'

At Mass on the third day of the Novemdiales in suffrage for Pope Francis, the Cardinal Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome reminds the faithful, as they mourn the late Pope, that death is not the end because ‘The grain must die to bear fruit.’

By Vatican News

The third Mass of the Novemdiales, the nine days of mourning for the late Pope Francis, was celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday afternoon and presided over by Cardinal Baldassare Reina.

Sheep without a shepherd in a broken world

The Cardinal Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome began his homily by acknowledging the shared grief of the people of Rome who, along with all the faithful across the world, not only mourn the passing of their Bishop, but feel like “sheep without a shepherd.”

This metaphor, he said, summaries the feelings of these days, but also reflects the present state of humanity, which, in a world ablaze with crises, seems abandoned and leaderless, much like the crowds that moved Jesus to compassion.

Life and goodness prevail over death and evil

Cardinal Reina recalled how the Apostles, despite their tireless work and exhaustion, strove to bring signs of hope and tangible love to a broken world — simple gestures like touch, mercy, and non-judgmental words — signs that life and goodness prevail over death and evil. This apostolic spirit, he remarked, echoed in Pope Francis’ Ministry: a dedication that exhausted itself in service, culminating in a final outpouring of blessing on his Easter Sunday.

Sowing in times of famine demands extraordinary faith

Yet, Cardinal Reina warned that the present is not a time for nostalgia or fear-driven retreat. Rather, the Church is called to radical fidelity — to embrace a new heaven and a new earth, without succumbing to the temptation to cling to past certainties or worldly alliances.

True fidelity, he said, also means discerning the spirit of the reforms started by Pope Francis and pursuing them with courage, seeking leadership that resists fear and worldly compromise, and remains rooted in Gospel compassion and unity.

Drawing on the Gospel of John, Cardinal Reina reflected on the parable of the grain of wheat that must die to bear fruit — an image of Christ’s death and His salvific Resurrection. In following Christ, Christians, too, he said, must become "seeds," willing to be buried, hidden, and spent for the sake of new life. Sowing in times of famine, as the psalmist describes, demands extraordinary faith — offering up even the last reserves in a seemingly desperate act of trust.

Continuing on the path set by Pope Francis

The Cardinal paralleled Pope Francis’ final public acts with this radical act of sowing unto death. His final “sowing” was a living testament to the mission of Jesus, the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.

Cardinal Reina concluded by invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary, the protector of the Roman people, to accompany and guard the Church as she continues on the path set by its late pastor, reminding the faithful that death is not the end, but the seedbed of resurrection.

Sunday, December 29, 2024

Holy Door opened at St. John Lateran by Rome's Cardinal Vicar

CHURCH

Cardinal Vicar of Rome opens Holy Door of Saint John Lateran Basilica

On the Feast of the Holy Family the Cardinal Vicar for the Diocese of Rome invites us to pray especially for those families facing difficulties and suffering. God is the source of love and unshakable hope for us, he emphasizes, no matter how far we may have strayed.

By Antonella Palermo

Presiding at the Sunday Mass on the Feast of the Holy Family, Cardinal Baldo Reina recalled how pilgrims come here to free themselves of their burdens and those the world places upon them. The Cardinal is Pope Francis' Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome who opened the Holy Door of his Cathedral, the Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran, a celebration marking the beginning of the jubilee year in all dioceses.

The mayor of Rome also attended the celebration, having inaugurated the square in front of the Basilica and the area facing the Holy Staircase, which now shines again thanks to the repaving work with large patches of grass and round fountains with water jets and mist. Groups of religious, mothers and their children, young families, the faithful, students, and tourists from various parts of the world were in attendance, reflecting the vibrancy, joys, and concerns for our world and hopes for it.

“It’s a great honor to be here,” a woman accompanying her mother stated. A young girl expressed the spirit of all those who wished to be here but could not. “It’s crucial to be here, to change our life, because we are called to holiness,” says a religious from Mexico. “It’s important for us because without God, we can’t do anything,” said a New York couple with four children. “May the Lord give us hope and help us bring His word to the people,” said a woman from northern Italy.

In communion with the Pope at his cathedral

Around three thousand faithful attended the celebration in the Basilica, while many others remained outside to follow it live. The prayer pronounced by Cardinal Reina in opening the Holy Door asked that all who pass through it be accompanied with God's grace: "as a flock that gathers in the one sheepfold, may they live fruitfully this jubilee year." In silence, the bronze door of the Holy Door was opened with a pause for prayer, and then the bells rang out in the "mother of all churches" to the notes of the Jubilee hymn. In communion with Pope Francis, in his Cathedral, the faithful were invited to join in prayer together with the assurance of his spiritual support and joy.

Closeness to those suffering

In his homily, Cardinal Reina remembered especially "those who feel distant and unworthy" and to those who carry "the weight of deep bitterness" in their hearts. He recalled the sick, prisoners, those weighed down with pain, loneliness, poverty, and difficulties. He offered words of encouragement, saying let no one feel abandoned "due to discouragement or lack of meaning," who have lost hope or have stopped seeking the Father’s embrace. And "in this world torn by wars, discord, and inequalities, let us open our embrace to everyone."

Prayer for families in difficulty

By "providential coincidence" he noted today marks the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth, "model of every domestic community and a mirror of the Trinitarian communion," inviting everyone to recognize themselves as part of God’s family, called to grow in unity and mutual charity. He remembered in his prayers especially those families in difficulty and suffering. In one of the prayer intentions during the Mass, a specific request remembered families in poverty: "may they be at the center of the attention of civil leaders and receive the necessary support for a more dignified future."

Welcoming God in our hearts and homes

Cardinal Reina noted that "the Holy Door we crossed evokes the daily gesture we make when crossing the threshold of our homes. This door, now wide open, has introduced us not only to the house of the Lord but to the very depths of His heart." And in the prayer for families before the Eucharistic liturgy, there was an invocation to the Spirit to guide the actions of spouses, so that the human and Christian growth of children may find support in the family, and that love, consecrated by the bond of marriage, may prove stronger than any weakness and crisis. In his homily he concluded that as we cross over the threshold of the doors of our own homes, we try “to bring God into our families, into our daily relationships, into our relationship with children, into marital bonds, in the attention and care of the elderly.”

The gift of being children of God

Cardinal Reina in his homily also drew extensively from the Parable of the Prodigal Son and how it calls us to rediscover what it means to live as children of God and highlights how distorted our human perception of God’s fatherhood can often be. The relationship the Lord wants to establish is one in which "being a child is not a condition that is earned or deserved, but a gift."

The open arms of the Father are the Holy Door

Cardina Reina underscored that the Father's open arms, without reservations, full of tenderness, compassion, and "unshakable hope" are able to restore our dignity. Again, in light of the story of the two sons the Parable of the Prodigal Son, he observedwith great consolation: "Those open arms are the Holy Door. It doesn’t matter how far we have gone astray, it doesn’t matter what we have done, wasted, or ruined. The moment we decide to return to God, we will never find a closed door, but an embrace that welcomes and blesses us."

He continued: "From those open arms, we learn to be Church, to become its sacrament, the family of the God who liberates our freedom towards good." Therefore, he encouraged everyone to pass through the Holy Door with trust, to savour and contemplate the goodness of the Lord, to experience His joy, and to become "tireless sowers of hope and builders of fraternity" in our world.

abitadeacon