Cardinal Parolin celebrates Mass with Latin-rite Romanian faithful of Rome

By Antonella Palermo

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, presided over Mass in the Roman basilica dedicated to Saints Vitale, Valeria, Gervasio and Protasio, commonly known as the basilica of San Vitale, located next to the Palazzo delle Esposizioni on Via Nazionale in Rome. The celebration came on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of pastoral care for the Romanian faithful in Rome. 

In his homily, Cardinal Parolin emphasised the importance of remembering a past in which faith was the glue of a fragmented community far from its home, family, and loved ones. He offered reassurance, saying "the turmoil in society and the upheavals in history must not be allowed to disturb the Kingdom of God that is in us."

Remembering Chrisitan unity

The Cardinal recalled the life of the Romanian community, which over the years has gathered in various churches in Rome to finally arrive in this Basilica of San Vitale. This migration shows a maturing of their community while in the meantime other new communities have sprung up around the capital. He described it as a pilgrimage that recalls the times when Christendom was still not divided - the times of the first ecumenical councils, the times when the reality of the martyrdom of the Church's beginnings was still very much present in the lives of Christians.

"I see in this celebration a happy coincidence that can inspire us too to live our faith more deeply," Cardinal Parolin noted, adding that in a country that is still unfamiliar, celebrating the sacraments, sharing challenges, anchoring oneself in a common faith can offer great support.

Deepening faith to rediscover identity

There is a continuity that is rediscovered every day when one remembers being given support, encouraged, and consoled, he noted. And it is something that is "indispensable for rediscovering one's identity." Today, however, one runs the "risk of turning faith into a dress to be worn only on Sundays," he lamented. In an era that many consider "fluid," so fast that it sometimes prevents us from stopping to remind ourselves who we are, it is even more urgent to look at the pillars that tell us where we come from and what the realities are that really count, Cardinal Parolin explained, "because they remain, they remain firm, in the face of passing trends and times."

Hope survives the tribulations of history

On the last Sunday before the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the liturgy offers a reflection precisely on the end of time. And it also does so with striking words which, however, should not frighten us, Cardinal Parolin said, as we look at the Lord who remains and everything converges in Him. "With a little play on words, we could say that the end of everything reveals the One who, in truth, is the end of everything." To find oneself recalling one's roots and cherishing them means precisely to keep the end in focus before oneself.

"The torments in society and the upheavals of history must not then disturb the Kingdom of God that is within us, which is God Himself, because our soul is already rooted and grounded in His love, anchored in Him who is the rock, with a hope, His, that is already a certainty: it is not the elements of the cosmos or chance that govern the world and man, but a personal God." As we look to the Jubilee of Hope, he noted it is important to remember that we are called to live through the tribulations without diminishing the greatness of our expectations.