499. January 24, Octave of Christian Unity - 7

Meditations no. 429 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

Union with the Roman Pontiff, a sure path for all Christians.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ, in order to establish his Holy Church throughout the world until the end of time… , chose Peter, and after his confession of faith decided to build His Church on him; He promised him the keys of heaven and, after having made him profess his love, gave him all his sheep so that he would confirm them in the faith and pasture them in perfect unity, while Jesus Christ remained forever the comer stone and Shepherd of our souls. And the Church teaches that the Successor of St Peter in the cathedra of Rome is, therefore, the Vicar of Christ on earth, the principle and the perpetual and visible foundation of unity, as much of the bishops as of the multitude of the faithful.

We should thank God for wanting to put at the front of his Church a Vicar to govern it in his name. Jesus Christ himself wanted to fortify our hearing beforehand against those who, as he himself prophesied, would arise over time, and say: “See, here is Christ, look, there he is” (Matt 24: 23). And he commanded us not to pay attention to them. And we would have no excuse if we believed them against the voice of the Shepherd, which is so clear, so open, so evident, that not even the most myopic, the most obtuse intelligence can say: I did not understand.

The institution of the primacy makes clear that the reign founded by Jesus Christ is not a Utopia or a dream, but a reality already present in this world, under the form of a visible society. In addition, Jesus Christ promised that his grace would not be lacking for the person who had to be his representative on earth throughout the centuries: Behold Satan has wanted to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you so that your faith does not fail; and you, after you have turned again, confirm your brothers. The Roman Pontiff is the solid rock on which the unity of Christians is based. And he has the mission to sanctify, to rule and to teach the people of God. Therefore, love for the Roman Pontiff must be in us a delightful passion, for in him we see Christ.

I venerate with all my strength the Rome of Peter and Paul, wrote our Father, bathed in the blood of martyrs, the centre from which so many have set out to propagate throughout the world the saving word of Christ. To be roman does not entail any manifestation of provincialism, but rather of authentic ecumenicism. It presupposes the desire to enlarge the heart, to open it to all men with the redemptive zeal of Christ, who seeks all men and takes in all men, for he has loved all men first.

To obey the Holy Father is to affirm the unity of the Church.

We teach and we declare, says the First Vatican Council, that the Roman Church, by disposition of the Lord, possesses the primacy of ordinary power over all the others, and that this power of jurisdiction of the Roman Pontiff, which is truly episcopal, is immediate.

The pastors and faithful of whatever rite and dignity, either separated or all together, are obliged by this power as a duty of hierarchical subordination and true obedience, not only in matters of faith and morals, but also in what refers to the regimen and discipline of the Church spread throughout the globe; in such wise that this unity of communion and profession of the same faith, guarded as it is by the Roman Pontiff, the Church of Christ is only one flock under one supreme shepherd.

This is the doctrine of Catholic truth, from which no one can deviate without threatening their faith and their salvation.

Along with Peter and in union with him, the Apostles and their successors received the power to bind and loose. The episcopal consecration, teaches the Second Vatican Council, along with the office of sanctifying also confers the office of teaching and tiding which, nevertheless, by their very nature, cannot be exercised except in hierarchical communion with the Head and the members of the College… Because the Roman Pontiff, by virtue of his position as Vicar of Christ and Pastor of the whole Church, has over the Church full, supreme and universal power, which can always be exercised freely. On the other hand, the Episcopal College, which succeeds the College of the Apostles in magisterium and in pastoral regimen… , cannot exercise this said power without the consent of the Roman Pontiff .

In these days of special prayer for the unity of Christians, we have to increase our petitions for the Roman Pontiff, for his person and intentions; to savour the refined fulfilment of everything that the Pope lays down, in the exercise of the power of the Primate, and to move other Catholics to act in the same way, as faithful sons of the Holy Father. This is the attitude that our founder always inculcated in us: Your greatest love, your highest esteem, your deepest veneration, your most devoted obedience and your greatest affection have to be given also to the Vice-Christ on earth, the Pope.

We Catholics have to think that, after God and our Mother the Most Holy Virgin, in the hierarchy of love and authority comes the Holy Father.

Unquestioning fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church.

Union with the Pope is shown in a special way, in the humble reception of his Magisterium. The deposit of the truths of the faith is unchangeable, and is above the passage of time; the Roman Pontiff has the authority, received from Christ to explain and interpret it authentically. Fidelity to the teachings of the Magisterium of the Church is the only way for apostolic action to be effective, so much so that the smallest deviation from any of its truths would constitute a serious violation of the unity wanted by Jesus Christ for his one Church.

To promote this unity is translated therefore, in increasing our fidelity to the perennial Magisterium of the Church, whose care Christ has entrusted in a singular way to the Roman Pontiff. Therefore, there can be no other attitude for a Catholic: to defend ‘always’ the authority of the Pope; and to be ‘always’ docilely prepared to rectify our opinions, in front of the Magisterium of the Church. And, as a consequence, this desire to be faithful has to be translated, amongst other things, into a clear and determined obligation: that of knowing the thought of the Pope, as it is gathered in his Encyclicals or in other documents, doing whatever we can so that all Catholics pay attention to the Magisterium of the Holy Father, and make their actions in life consistent with these teachings.

St Paul, whom our Lord himself called to the apostolate, goes to St Peter, the Head of the Church to check his doctrine: I went up to Jerusalem to see Cephas, he writes to the Galatians, and I stayed with him and I stayed at his side for fifteen days… Fourteen years afterwards, I went up again to Jerusalem, taking Barnabas and Titus with me. I went up, moved by a revelation, and I put to them, especially to those who enjoy authority, the Gospel that I preach to the gentiles, just in case I were running or had run in vain.

The Magisterium of the Roman Pontiff is also the criterion in order to judge whether something belongs to the deposit of the faith or whether it is theological opinion. Because of this, it is a sure guarantee of the faith of Jesus Christ, guardian of the values necessary for salvation, and constant defender of the liberty of the faithful in what is opinable. Following his teachings we know where Christ who saves and unites is to be found, and where we will find destruction and death.

Ubi Petrus, ibi Ecclesia, ibi Deus. We want to be with Peter, because with him is the Church; with him is God; and without him God is not present. That is why I have wanted to make the Work roman. Love the Holy Father very much. Pray a lot for the Pope. Love him very much. Love him very much! Because he needs all the affection of his children. And this I understand very well: I know it from experience, because I am not like a wall. I am a man of flesh. Therefore I like the Pope to know that we love him, that we will always love him, and for one reason only: he is the sweet Christ on earth.

We have unlimited confidence in Christ and in his Holy Mother, Help of Christians and, we faithfully give our allegiance to the Pope, who is the Vicar of Christ on earth - the sweet Christ on earth - and our ambition is to bring to all mankind the means of salvation which the Church possesses, wrote our Father. Thus that aspiration which I have been repeating since the feastday of the Holy Guardian Angels in 1928 became a reality: omnes cum Petro ad Iesum per Mariam!