Bishop Enrique Angel Angelelli Collection of Sermons Published by Vatican with Introduction by Pope Francis

Bishop of Argentina and died as a martyr in 1976 Mon. Enrique Angel Angelelli’s collection of sermons entitled Listening to God and to the People has been published by the Vatican Publishing House. It contains sermons delivered from 1968 to 1976.

Introduction by Pope Francis

In the introduction to the book, the Pope writes that every man, woman and believer is a precious treasure from the Lord. We who are clothed in flesh in a particular time, situation, and place are to be a gift to the whole church and to each other by our simple lives. The Pope writes that the more we become friends with the Lord and with others, the more our irregularities and inconsistencies will be straightened out. Likewise the barriers to unity will be removed and the gift that we will be will be colored. Although each is a gift, the Church canonizes some to give to others in a more universal way. Because the saints conform more closely to Jesus, the Pope wrote, they become a sure sign for all God’s children. It is to help us to be united with the Father and the brothers, like Jesus.

Blessed Enrique Ángel Angelelli, Bishop and Martyr of La Rioja, is a gift to the Church of Argentina not only during his life but also today. The Pope points out that he was a true Catholic bishop, a great man of freedom and love for all, friend, foe or brother. Because he tried to listen to the directives of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Synod and put them into practice in his diocese, united with the Universal Church and the Pope. Pope Francis exemplified the touching ways he described his meetings with Pope Paul VI during his visit to Ad Lemina. It was with the same enthusiasm that he communicated the messages and writings coming from Rome to his believers. He performed his duty as the shepherd of the church in the face of dangers, opposition, and threats from his opponents. The Pope noted that he was not an ordinary hero but a true martyr, who welcomed his people and celebrated the sacraments to spread God’s love in his family and organizations through his ordinary life without closing himself in the psalm room.

The Pope writes that the martyrs are proof that certain mental states rise up within when one puts one’s mind and heart on God: sincere love for everyone, detachment from everything that is exploitable and selfish, attitudes against shortcuts that endanger the rights and lives of the weak and marginalized, etc., the Pope writes. That is why Bishop Angelelli and his sermons included in this book are a source of inspiration and growth for evangelical discernment in the situations and challenges we are called to experience in the Church, at work, and in the family.

Bishop Enrique was also a simple shepherd: he valued the devotions that were part of the people’s life (related to the places, times and festivals of that country and people) in order to foster the people’s commitment in unity and solidarity with Christ and the Mother Church. As this volume attests, his lectures were truly popular, universally addressed, and accessible to all. Those sermons focused on concrete situations of social life to show that the gospel is not an idea and faith is not an opinion. Faith in Christ is, in fact, the recognition of a relationship that changes us in heart and mind. It is the way we look at ourselves and others. The Pope wrote that the Gospel urges us to see (pardon the expression and the linguistic stretch) and to be looked at by others and to be looked at with love.

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2024-02-12 19:35:56