Pope Francis on Monday
told 46 new archbishops they must practise what they preach as
he asked for a blessing for a South America trip where he has
reportedly asked to chew coca leaves.
The pope told the archbishops appointed over the past year,
in Rome for a special ceremony, that the Church wanted them to
be "men of witness" and stressed that "There is no witness
without a coherent lifestyle!"
Francis said "Today there is no great need for masters, but
for courageous witnesses, who are convinced and convincing;
witnesses who are not ashamed of the Name of Christ and of His
Cross; not before the roaring lions, nor before the powers of
this world.
"And this follows the example of Peter and Paul and so many
other witnesses along the course of the Church's history,
witnesses who, yet belonging to different Christian confessions,
have contributed to demonstrating and bringing growth to the one
Body of Christ.
"I am pleased to emphasize this, and am always pleased to
do so, in the presence of the Delegation of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate of Constantinople, sent by my beloved brother
Bartholomew I.
"This is not so straightforward: because the most
effective and authentic witness is one that does not contradict,
by behaviour and lifestyle, what is preached with the word and
taught to others!"
Two of the 46 new archbishops present for the Mass were
Americans: Chicago's new archbishop Blase Cupich and the new
leader of the church in Santa Fe, New Mexico, John Wester.
There were also two Irish bishops.
Among others were archbishops recently named from every
part of the world, including: Greece, Spain, the Philippines;
Japan, Niger, Haiti, Mexico, and Slovenia.
Francis offered his message to the prelates by speaking to
them directly at the end of his homily for the occasion, which
focused on how the Christian life is a call to prayer, faith,
and witness.
Francis said the new archbishops should not exaggerate the
importance of the Church hierarchy, saying that "a Church that
does not bear witness is sterile".
"The Church does not belong to popes, bishops, priests or
even the faithful, it only belongs to Christ," the pontiff said
during a Mass for the feast day of St. Peter and St. Paul
celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica.
The saints are the patrons of Rome.
During the ceremony, Francis gave each of the new
archbishops their pallium wool liturgical vestment symbolizing
their new appointments.
The wool signifies their role as shepherds and their ties
to one another other and to the pope.
"A Church that does not bear witness is sterile... it is a
dead man who thinks he is alive, a dead tree that bears no
fruit, a dry well that gives no water," the pope said during his
homily.
Francis urged prayers for the city of Rome as it marked
the feast day of its patron saints, Peter and Paul.
"Our prayers today...are primarily for the city of Rome,
for its spiritual and material well-being," said Francis.
"May divine grace support all the Roman people...living in
fullness of the Christian faith, witnessed with intrepid zeal by
Saints Peter and Paul," the pope added.
Both apostles were martyred, Peter crucified and Paul
beheaded.
Francis also asked for prayers of blessing for his
upcoming visit to Latin America that begins next week and
includes several countries including Ecuador, Bolivia and
Paraguay - a "continent that is dear to me".
The pontiff said "I ask you all to accompany me with
prayer, that the Lord will bless my journey".
Francis leaves on Sunday for a nine-day visit that begins
in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, and concludes July 13.
Francis has requested to chew coca leaves during his
forthcoming visit to Bolivia, according to Bolivian Culture
Minister Marko Machicao.
Coca, the raw ingredient for cocaine, is a 'sacred' plant
that has been used in the Andes for thousands of years to combat
altitude sickness and as a mild stimulant.
Machicao said the government offered the pope coca tea and
the pontiff had "specifically requested" to chew coca.
The Vatican has not yet commented.
Coca leaves were declared an illegal substance under the
1961 UN convention on narcotic drugs.
But the growing of coca leaves for religious and medicinal
purposes is legal and licensed in Bolivia.
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