Liverpool: Cardinal Kasper brings message of hope to young people
Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity celebrated Mass yesterday, the Feast of Pentecost, at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool. During the Mass he also conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation reminding those to be confirmed of the Christian message of hope against hopelessness, saying:
'Dear young friends, here you have the central message of Christianity. It is a message not of death but a message of life. It is the message, that it is not lies and false accusations, not violence and killing, not death that will have the last word. Yes, when we look at the world, it sadly often seems to us and it often becomes convincing for us that lies and violence and ultimately death reign the world. But the Christian message is different, it is the message of life.
It tells us that it is not injustice and violence but love, not lies but truth, not death but life that will have the last word to say. It is the message of hope against all hopelessness, the message of trust against all fears. It is the message of resurrection and eternal life.'
He continued reminding the congregation of the Christian foundation of the continent of Europe:
'So after Easter and Pentecost the disciples of Jesus went out into all the world, proclaimed the good news of the Gospel, built up Christian communities everywhere in the then known world and in so doing became the foundation of the Church. The disciples of the apostles came also to Great Britain, and their disciples in turn brought the Good News to the continent; the first apostles of my home country, Germany, were the Irish and Scottish monks. So we Germans are indebted to you; you brought us the light of the faith. Our whole culture in Great Britain and in the entire European continent was built upon these Christian foundations.'
At the end of Mass the Cardinal went to the steps of the Cathedral where he dedicated the two glass steles (columns) newly positioned at the bottom of the steps to the Cathedral, which are the work of German artist, Raphael Seitz, a friend of the Cardinal who was also present at the Mass.
For a recording of the homily, the full text, or more information and pictures, see: www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/index.php?p=203
Source: Archdiocese of Liverpool