February 21, 2023 / 12:55 a.m.
On February 21, 2001, 22 years ago, Saint John Paul II created the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a cardinal, who was part of the first group of 43 new cardinals of the third millennium.
Years later, on April 27, 2014, Pope Francis declared Saint John Paul II and Saint John XXIII saints, in a historic and unprecedented ceremony in which four Popes met, since Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI participated in it. .
Pope Saint John Paul II, who created 231 cardinals during his nearly 27-year pontificate, noted in 2001 that “after having drawn abundantly from the sources of divine mercy during the Holy Year,” the ship of the Church was getting ready. to “sail into the deep” again to bring the message of salvation to the world.
On that occasion, andhe pilgrim Pope told the new cardinals that “the world is becoming increasingly complex and changeable, and the keen awareness of existing discrepancies produces or increases contradictions and imbalances.”
“The enormous potential of scientific and technical progress, as well as the phenomenon of globalization, which continually extends to new fields, require us to be open to dialogue with every person and with every social instance, in order to give everyone a reason to the hope that we carry in our hearts,” he said.
“In order to adequately face the new tasks, it is necessary to cultivate an ever more intimate communion with the Lord. The very purple color of the garments you wear reminds you of this urgency,” he added.
“Isn’t that color a symbol of passionate love for Christ? Doesn’t that fiery red indicate the burning fire of love for the Church that should feed in you the availability, if necessary, even to give the supreme witness of the blood ?”, he questioned.
“When contemplating you, the people of God must be able to find a concrete and luminous point of reference that stimulates them to be truly light of the world and salt of the earth”, encouraged Saint John Paul II.