Message of His Excellency, Most Rev. Mylo Hubert Vergara, D.D., Bishop of Pasig on the announced resignation of the Holy Father, Pope Benerdict XVI
February
12, 2013
Tuesday,
5th Week in Ordinary Time
Dear
People of God,
Early this morning, before I celebrated
the 5am mass at Pasig Cathedral, I was still nursing the “shock” I felt when
Pope Benedict XVI announced that he will resign and step down from his office
as Roman Pontiff of the Universal Church on February 28, a few days from
now. I told myself, “This is really the
‘Year of Faith.’” What a moment to exercise a pure act of faith! I was searching for an answer about this
seemingly incomprehensible decision and action of the Holy Father, considering
that the last resignation of a pope happened around 600 years ago. As I presided over the mass, and contemplated
on the readings of the Liturgy of the Word, I heard God’s answer.
The first reading from the Book of
Genesis once again recounts the creation story from an Old Testament author who
wanted to project or paint a picture of what happened when God created the
world (Gen 1:20-2:4a). And as the story
goes, after completing his great masterpiece, God rested on the seventh
day. This author of Genesis sort of
depicted a God who still had human qualities and needed to rest. Like God who laboriously created the world
and rested afterwards, perhaps, we can look at Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation,
as an honest and truthful recognition that, amidst all the hard work for the
Church and old age, he needs to rest. In
fact, he admitted: “After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God,
I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no
longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.”
But aside from this, and more
importantly, there is a striking and powerful message of the Pope’s resignation
that we should take to heart. It is
nothing else but HUMILITY. His
resignation is a humble gesture that recognizes his physical limitations and
his realization that another pope, with “strength of mind and body”, could do a
better work for the Church, given the demands of the rapidly changing times of
this new millennium.
The gospel for today shows Jesus
criticizing the proud and hypocritical Pharisees who clung to the external
performance of their religious traditions (Mark 7:1-13). They looked down on Jesus and his disciples
who did not observe the ritual washing.
They wanted to show off and be honored by people. What a stark contrast
to the humble action and message of our beloved Pope Benedict! In resigning as Supreme Pontiff, the Holy
Father is teaching us: It is okay to
admit that you are physically weak and you need to retire. It is okay to let go
of the position and power you have for the greater good of the Church. It is okay to pass on the baton of service to
another who can do greater things for God and his people.
The message of Pope Benedict XVI speaks
to all of us—to leaders of governments who cling to power because they think
they are indispensable, to our local officials who have political dynasties and
do not want to be unseated in the coming elections, to those who glory in their
titles and testaments that win them applause and adulation, and, even, to
bishops, priests, religious and lay servant leaders who use ecclesiastical
authority to manipulate people and hurt those they serve. Thank you, Pope Benedict, for teaching us to
be humble.
Tomorrow it will be Ash Wednesday and we
enter the Holy Season of Lent. Jesus
will challenge each of us to a new way of humble praying, humble fasting, and
humble almsgiving—not like what the Pharisees did. I hope this holy season forms us to
humility. Let us humble ourselves before
God and, with deep faith, rely on his love and mercy.
Pope Benedict, we love you and we pray
for you. We also humbly pray for your
successor to the Petrine ministry.
(sgd.) Most Rev. Mylo Hubert C. Vergara, DD,
Bishop
(sgd.) Most Rev. Mylo Hubert C. Vergara, DD,
Bishop
Log: Headline news, Bishop's message /Diocese of Pasig Media 201301013
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