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Skriven 2004-12-13 10:56:18 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service (Press Release)
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              The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                        Vatican Information Service.
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               VIS-Press releases

MAY OUR LADY OBTAIN PEACE AND SALVATION FOR ALL

VATICAN CITY, DEC 8, 2004 (VIS) - At 9:30 a.m. today, solemnity of the
Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary and the 150th anniversary of the
dogmatic definition, the Pope presided at a Eucharistic concelebration with
members of the College of Cardinals in the Vatican Basilica. The principal
celebrant was Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general of the Holy Father for the
diocese of Rome, who celebrated the 50th anniversary of his priestly ordination
today.

After recalling that Blessed Pius IX proclaimed "this admirable dogma of the
Catholic faith" on December 8, 1854 in St. Peter's Basilica, John Paul II
greeted representatives of the National Mariological Societies who have been
participating in an International Marian Mariological Congress organized by the
Pontifical Marian Academy. He congratulated Cardinal Ruini for his priestly
jubilee, and expressed his gratitude for "the service that he has rendered and
continues to render with generous dedication to the Church as my vicar general
for the Diocese of Rome and as president of the Italian Episcopal Conference."

"With what a special blessing God referred to Mary from the beginning of time!"
he exclaimed. "Truly blessed, Mary, among all women! The Father chose her in
Christ before the creation of the world, so that she would be holy and
immaculate before him in love, predestining her as the first fruit to filial
adoption through Jesus Christ."

The Holy Father affirmed that Our Lady's "yes to the Angel's annunciation is
situated in the concreteness of our earthly condition, in humble gift to the
divine will of saving humanity not from history, but in history. In fact,
immune from every stain of original sin, the 'new Eve' benefited in a singular
way from the work of Christ as most perfect Mediator and Redeemer."

Addressing Mary, the Pope today renewed in a special way "the entrustment of
the whole Church" to her and asked her to "guide your children on the
pilgrimage of faith, making them ever more obedient and faithful to the Word of
God. May you accompany every Christian on the path of conversion and holiness,
in the struggle against sin and in the search for true beauty, which is always
the sign and reflection of divine Beauty. May it be you, again, to obtain peace
and salvation for all peoples."

At noon, the Pope appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with
the thousands of people in St. Peter's Square. The Holy Father emphasized that
the Immaculate Conception "is like a beacon of light for humanity for all
times. At the beginning of the third millennium, she leads us to believe and
hope in God, in His salvation, and in eternal life. She illuminates
particularly the path of the Church committed to the New Evangelization."

After the Marian prayer, John Paul II referred to violence in Mosul, Iraq and
to the destruction of both an Armenian-Apostolic Church and the Chaldean
archbishopric. "I express my spiritual closeness to the faithful, shaken by the
attack, and implore the Lord, through the intercession of the Immaculate
Virgin, that the beloved Iraqi people may at last know a time of reconciliation
and peace."
HML/IMMACULATE CONCEPTION/... VIS 041209 (540)

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