Cardinal DiNardo dedicates Feast of the Chair of Peter Mass to Pope Benedict XVI
March 12, 2013
HOUSTON — On Feb. 22, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo dedicated the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart to now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Concelebrated by several priests from the Archdiocese, the Cardinal requested all pastors in the Archdiocese commemorate the Feast Day by dedicating a parish Mass to the Pope, who retired Feb. 28.
More than 300 congregated for the noon Mass at the Co-Cathedral. During his homily, Cardinal DiNardo referred to the now retired pope as an exemplary teacher and “a man of great contemplation.”
“We pray for our Holy Father, Pope Benedict,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “We pray with gratitude for the ministry of Peter he has accomplished among us... to be a great sign and symbol of a holy man, a prayerful man — one who we can call ‘good shepherd.’”
| Texas is here! Since being elected to the College of Cardinals six years ago, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo shared an endearing anecdote regarding his encounters with the now retired pontiff. “Every time I saw Pope Benedict in the past six years... he would look at me, recognize me and would say something to the effect: ‘Ah, Texas is here!’ “Sisters and brothers, isn’t that wonderful?” |
Cardinal DiNardo is one of the 115 cardinal-electors from around the world convening for a Papal Conclave this month to elect the successor of St. Peter.
“I know people want to ask questions about the future, and that is natural, but today I simply want to bask in the Feast Day of the Chair of St. Peter, a sign of unity in our Church — a unity willed by Jesus himself,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “How richer we are that for eight years, [Pope Benedict XVI] was guiding the Church from the See of Peter in Rome. His devotion to the Catholic faith is a devotion I see manifest so frequently, so beautifully, so poignantly among the many cultures that make up the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.”
Cardinal DiNardo expressed gratitude to the outpouring of support he has received from the local multicultural Church and non-Catholics alike.
“Since the announcement of the Pope’s resignation, I have received beautiful cards and letters from many Catholics of all persuasion and all ethnic groups saying they are praying for me, which is a great support,” the Cardinal said. “And they are praying for the Church because they know how important the Bishop of Rome is.”