Cardinal Bertone Entrusts Church to Virgin of Jasna Gora

Cardinal Bertone made a visit to the sanctuary that houses the Black Madonna on Saturday, there praying for Benedict XVI and all bishops, priests, men and women religious and the laity.

VATICAN CITY (Zenit) - Benedict XVI's secretary of state has again entrusted the Church to the Virgin Mary at one of Pope John Paul II's favorite sanctuaries: Czestochowa.

L'Osservatore Romano reported today on Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone's three-day trip to Poland that ended Sunday. While there, the cardinal gave "all the problems and hopes of the Church" to the Virgin of Jasna Gora.

Cardinal Bertone made a visit to the sanctuary that houses the Black Madonna on Saturday, there praying for Benedict XVI and all bishops, priests, men and women religious and the laity so that they can "serve well every man and every people of the world."

The Vatican's semi-official daily noted that the secretary of state asked the Virgin to show the faithful "how to build peace and loving collaboration among men."

And he entrusted to her protection the "difficult situations of each society, each nation and each local Church of the world." He asked her for freedom and peace for every Christian community so that they can "fulfill their evangelizing missions."

Cardinal Bertone made a special prayer for Poland and its faithful and government leaders, so that they understand that "without God, the future of Poland cannot be improved."

On Sunday, the cardinal celebrated a solemn Mass in the sanctuary. He spoke of the importance of Czestochowa for the history of the Church and the history of Poland, noting how Cardinal Karol Wojtyla had presided over celebrations of the Virgin of Jasna Gora there.