At Chrism Mass, Leo XIV called for spreading ‘the fragrance of Christ where the stench of death reigns’
With the bishops and priests of Rome, the pontiff presided for the first time at the Mass with the blessing of the sacred oils. He reflected upon the "Christian mission," the "very same as Jesus',” characterised by detachment, encounter, and trial. Leo urged priests to feel like "guests," like the "great missionaries” who use “unobtrusive approaches” to reach out to others. He also remembered Saint Oscar Arnulfo Romero, assassinated in 1980 while celebrating the Eucharist.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Leo XIV led his first Chrism Mass at 9.30 am in St Peter’s Basilica, on the day when the Passion is commemorated, the oils for the Sacraments are consecrated, and priestly pledges are renewed.
“[I]t has pleased God to send us to spread the fragrance of Christ where the stench of death reigns,” the pontiff said during the homily.
As Bishop of Rome, the pope shared with the patriarchs, cardinals, bishops, and priests, a profound and insightful reflection on the "Christian mission” at the start of the Easter Triduum which is "the very same as Jesus', not another," to serve a "missionary people," "never without others, never neglecting or breaking communion!”
“Let us renew our ‘yes’ to this mission that calls for unity and brings peace,” he told the clergy present, exploring the three secrets of the Christian mission – detachment, encounter and trial – in the “dramatic possibility of misunderstanding and rejection”.
The first “secret” emerges clearly at Easter: “God consecrates in order to send.” Indeed, Jesus says: “He has sent me” (Luke 4:18), highlighting a “movement which binds his Body to the poor, to prisoners, to those groping in the dark and to those who are oppressed.”
Thus, the Church, “with its “members”, is “driven beyond itself”. And “being sent entails, first and foremost, a detachment, that is, the risk of leaving behind what is familiar and certain, in order to venture into something new”. Indeed, Christ invites us to “leave,” which inevitably means “to take risks, so that no place becomes a prison, no identity a hiding place.”
The pope noted that, “Every mission begins with that kind of self-emptying in which everything is reborn.” Yet, “there is no mission without reconciliation with our past,” Leo explained, “no peace without setting out, no awareness without detachment, no joy without risk.”
The “willingness to lose oneself” is “a condition for encounter and intimacy.” Since true love is "unguarded”, the Christian mission, an exposed mission, cannot have "signs of power" nor “attachment," Leo said.
The second "secret" is encounter. Historically, the Christian mission has been "distorted by a desire for domination.” For the pope, nothing good can come “from abuse” in the pastoral sphere, or in the social and political spheres.
“The great missionaries," those capable of approaching “unobtrusive[ly]”, bear witness to this. “Their “method is the sharing of life, selfless service, the renunciation of any calculated strategy, dialogue and respect,” Leo explained.
The "surprise of Pentecost", hearing someone speaking in one's own language (cf. Acts 2:8), "is repeated when we do not presume to control God's timing, but place our trust in the Holy Spirit."
Thus, it is important to establish "harmony with the transcendent," honouring the “mystery that every person and every community carries within them."
Ultimately, “we are guests. This is also true if we are bishops, priests, or men and women religious. To be hosts, in fact, we must learn to be guests ourselves,” the pope said.
The third dimension of the Christian mission is also "the most radical". “The cross is part of the mission: the sending becomes more bitter and frightening, but also more freeing and transformative”.
Capable of interrupting the "imperialist occupation" of the world and unmasking the "violence" that becomes the “law”, the Messiah " brings a new creation to light."
“How many ‘resurrections’ are we called to experience when, free from a defensive attitude, we immerse ourselves in service like a seed in the earth!” the pope said.
There are also “many witnesses” who have been able to overcome “failures” and “situations where everything seems over.”
Finally, Leo XIV mentioned Saint Oscar Arnulfo Romero (1917-1980), Archbishop of San Salvador, a victim of violence against the Church, canonised in 2018 by Pope Francis.
A month before his martyrdom, the bishop wrote: “These unforeseen circumstances will be faced with God’s grace. Jesus Christ helped the martyrs and, if the need arises, I shall feel him very close when I entrust my last breath to him.”
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14/04/2022 16:37
