Saturday, October 16, 2004

26 years Ago Today...

... the world was surprised by the papal election of a 'foreign' Cardinal with a strange sounding name. Addressing the crowds in St. Peter's Square, the new Pope John Paul II captured the affection of the masses with his words:
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Beloved brothers and sisters, we are still all very saddened by the death of the very dear Pope John Paul I. The Cardinals have chosen a Bishop of Rome from a distant land… distant, but near through the communion of faith and the Christian tradition. I was afraid in receiving this nomination, but I did it in the spirit of obedience to Our Lord and with total trust in his Mother, the Most Holy Madonna.
I don't know if I can explain myself well in your - in our - Italian language. if I err, correct me. And so I present myself to you all, to confess our common faith, our hope, our trust in the Mother of Christ and of the Church, and also to begin again on this path of history and of the Church with the help of God and of men.

Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum eius

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