On Papal Suffering and God's Power

Interview With Archbishop of Granada

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 9, 2005 (Zenit) - John Paul II by his suffering is demonstrating that a hospital bed can be a place of sacrifice, not unlike an altar, says a Spanish prelate.

Archbishop Francisco Javier MartĂ­nez Fernandez, the president of the ecclesiastical region of Granada, has been in Rome participating in a pilgrimage. He spoke with us about the Pope's health and other topics.

Q: What thoughts do you have on the Pope in his present situation of sickness?

Archbishop MartĂ­nez: For me, it is impossible not to link what the Pope is going through with the Year of the Eucharist. I see the testimony of an offering that prolongs the life of Jesus Christ and invites us all to give witness.

The Pope is the living witness that a hospital bed can perfectly be an altar on which one continues to offer oneself.

The Pope is not doing anything he hasn't always done: to give his life so that men will know Jesus Christ. He will do so while he is here and he will express it while he is able.

This moment of the Church is no less fruitful than others. It is a moment of frailty in which the power of God shines all the more.

Q: Does the world understand this situation of frailty in which the power of God shines all the more?

Archbishop MartĂ­nez: The world understands what it understands -- above all, events that involve its interests and calculations. But men of simple hearts understand this message perfectly.

In the Pope's case, his ministry so coincides with his humanity that even the most fallen away from the Church can recognize in that humanity the grace of God.

You can find Catholics who live only for the politics of calculations, and, instead, pagans who understand it. Something similar happened to the Lord: At times he was understood more by those who were far off than by those who were near.

Q: What aspect of Don Luigi Giussani -- founder of Communion and Liberation, whom you met -- has affected you most profoundly?

Archbishop MartĂ­nez: I cannot separate Pope John Paul II from Don Giussani. They are very parallel figures in my life. They have taught me that the key and consistency of all that is human is Jesus Christ.

I met Don Giussani in Avila in a course organized by a group of priests. The course was called "Truth of God; Truth of Man." When he saw the sign he said: "This is the motto of my whole life."

There is nothing human that is not done for Christ, and to be configured with Christ. He came to make relationship possible, to truly live this life. For the life beyond to have meaning it is necessary to live this life 101%; it is what makes conceivable to hope for eternal life.

Q: Islam has formed part of Granada in the past, and now. How are relations articulated between Christians and Muslims?

Archbishop MartĂ­nez: Granada is a frontier not only between Islam and the Western world, but also between tradition and postmodernity. A frontier can be a place that divides or that unifies; it allows for listening to one another, for appreciation of what is different.

As a Christian, I would like all men to be able to live as brothers. In that sense, I wish the good of Muslims in Granada. I don't want them to be worse or less Muslim, but that they come close to God. In the measure that we men draw near to God we also draw near to one another.

I pray to God that neither Christians or Muslims ever put God at the service of our political or class interests. God is to be adored, to be thanked, and to be loved.

The object of hope is God. God works on men's hearts; he asks us to give witness of his love, and the Church has done so in different circumstances.

Contact

Catholic Online
https://www.catholic.org CA, US
Catholic Online - Publisher, 661 869-1000

Email

info@yourcatholicvoice.org

Keywords

Pope, Hospital, Granada, Fernandez, Health, Vatican

More Catholic PRWire

Showing 1 - 50 of 4,716

• « Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• Next »

A Recession Antidote
Randy Hain

Monaco & The Vatican: Monaco's Grace Kelly Exhibit to Rome--A Review of Monegasque-Holy See Diplomatic History
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

The Why of Jesus' Death: A Pauline Perspective
Jerom Paul

A Royal Betrayal: Catholic Monaco Liberalizes Abortion
Dna. Maria St.Catherine De Grace Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

Embrace every moment as sacred time
Mary Regina Morrell

My Dad
JoMarie Grinkiewicz

Letting go is simple wisdom with divine potential
Mary Regina Morrell

Father Lombardi's Address on Catholic Media
Catholic Online

Pope's Words to Pontifical Latin American College
Catholic Online

Prelate: Genetics Needs a Conscience
Catholic Online

State Aid for Catholic Schools: Help or Hindrance?
Catholic Online

Scorsese Planning Movie on Japanese Martyrs
Catholic Online

2 Nuns Kidnapped in Kenya Set Free
Catholic Online

Holy See-Israel Negotiation Moves Forward
Catholic Online

Franchising to Evangelize
Catholic Online

Catholics Decry Anti-Christianity in Israel
Catholic Online

Pope and Gordon Brown Meet About Development Aid
Catholic Online

Pontiff Backs Latin America's Continental Mission
Catholic Online

Cardinal Warns Against Anti-Catholic Education
Catholic Online

Full Circle
Robert Gieb

Three words to a deeper faith
Paul Sposite

Relections for Lent 2009
chris anthony

Wisdom lies beyond the surface of life
Mary Regina Morrell

World Food Program Director on Lent
Catholic Online

Moral Clarity
DAN SHEA

Pope's Lenten Message for 2009
Catholic Online

A Prayer for Monaco: Remembering the Faith Legacy of Prince Rainier III & Princess Grace and Contemplating the Moral Challenges of Prince Albert II
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe

Keeping a Lid on Permissiveness
Sally Connolly

Glimpse of Me
Sarah Reinhard

The 3 stages of life
Michele Szekely

Sex and the Married Woman
Cheryl Dickow

A Catholic Woman Returns to the Church
Cheryl Dickow

Modernity & Morality
Dan Shea

Just a Minute
Sarah Reinhard

Catholic identity ... triumphant reemergence!
Hugh McNichol

Edging God Out
Paul Sposite

Burying a St. Joseph Statue
Cheryl Dickow

George Bush Speaks on Papal Visit
Catholic Online

Sometimes moving forward means moving the canoe
Mary Regina Morrell

Action Changes Things: Teaching our Kids about Community Service
Lisa Hendey

Easter... A Way of Life
Paul Spoisite

Papal initiative...peace and harmony!
Hugh McNichol

Proclaim the mysteries of the Resurrection!
Hugh McNichol

Jerusalem Patriarch's Easter Message
Catholic Online

Good Friday Sermon of Father Cantalamessa
Catholic Online

Papal Address at the End of the Way of the Cross
Catholic Online

Cardinal Zen's Meditations for Via Crucis
Catholic Online

Interview With Vatican Aide on Jewish-Catholic Relations
Catholic Online

Pope Benedict XVI On the Easter Triduum
Catholic Online

Holy Saturday...anticipation!
Hugh McNichol

• « Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• Next »