Sunday, February 24, 2008

Cardinal Urges Cuban Youth to Pray Rosary

Says Nation and Church Have a "Promising Future"

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba, FEB. 24, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Pray the rosary with confidence and bring the love of Christ to people of Cuba, the Pope's secretary of state urged the youth of the island nation.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said this Saturday during the recitation of the rosary with youth gathered at the shrine of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre in Santiago de Cuba.

The Vatican representative is in Cuba until Tuesday to mark the 10th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's visit to the island nation in 1988.

Speaking with the youth at the Marian shrine, the cardinal reflected on the rosary: "With the recitation of the rosary we learn from Mary how to contemplate the beauty of her Son's face and we experience the depth of his love. It is a recalling, a remembering, a salutary contemplation, a meditation and a supplication. It is a retracing of Jesus' life..."

"The rosary, the best tradition of the art of prayer, is deeply rooted in life itself, in which it illuminates the mystery of the heart of man," said Cardinal Bertone. "In the recitation of the rosary there is a profound contemplative attitude of the mysteries of the life of the Lord, a slow meditation, while one says the prayers to Mary according to the best tradition of the art of prayer.

"It is particularly beneficial in a world sometimes dominated by hustle and bustle and by the proliferation of voices that distract us."The cardinal then thanked the youth for their presence, "which speaks to us of a young country with a promising future. Show contemporary society that, as Pope John Paul II said, 'you can be modern and deeply faithful to Christ...'"

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wonderful..