These images are from this past February.
The Jubilee of Deacons was celebrated in Rome.
Pope Francis was supposed to preside over it but was sick in the Gemelli Hospital.
So it was Monsignor Fisichella who conferred the order of deacon on 23 candidates from around the world. He also delivered the homily prepared by Pope Francis.
RINO FISICHELLA
Pro-Prefect, Dicastery for Evangelization
Soon, some of you, upon receiving the sacrament of Holy Orders, will ‘descend’ the ranks of ministry. I deliberately say and emphasize ‘descend,’ and not ‘rise,’ because with ordination one does not ascend, but descends—we become small, we lower ourselves, and we strip ourselves of our ego. In the words of Saint Paul, in service we strip off the ‘earthly man’ and clothe ourselves, in charity, with the ‘heavenly man.’”
Fittingly, on August 10, we celebrate the patron saint of deacons: Saint Lawrence. He exercised his ministry during the pontificate of Pope Sixtus II and during the persecution of Emperor Valerian, by whom he put to death by burning on an iron grill.
AM
Trans. CRT
