Wednesday, December 07, 2016

VENEZUELA - First Mass of newly appointed Cardinal Porras in Mérida: a reference point for many

The newly appointed Venezuelan Cardinal, Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo, yesterday celebrated the first Mass as Cardinal in his Archdiocese in Mérida, attended by thousands of faithful from the state of Mérida and other cities in the country. 

According to information sent to Fides, the main concelebrants were the Apostolic Nuncio in Venezuela, Archbishop Aldo Giordano, and the Auxiliary Bishop of Caracas, His Exc. Mgr. Trino Fernández, representing the Archbishop of Caracas, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, who was absent for health reasons. 

Also Bishops, priests, seminarians and Venezuelan religious were present.

During the homily Mgr. Fernandez spoke about the strength and courage of Cardinal Porras in difficult times and stressed the pastoral work carried out throughout his priestly ministry and as a defender of the needy, becoming a reference point for many in the Catholic Church.


Addressing those present, Mgr. Trino Fernández affirmed the need to be united before the country's problems: "We have to do everything together, in order to continue to prepare ourselves to face the situations of life. Let us not be carried away by any message. Since we have faith, we must remember that we were built on rock and not on sand, in order to serve the poorest".


The Mass was celebrated on Sunday, December 4, in the Rincón Gutiérrez stadium of the Universidad de los Andes. 


In addition to closing the Jubilee of Mercy, the celebration also opened the dual Jubilee to celebrate 50 years of priestly ordination (30/07/1967) of the new Cardinal and his 25 years of service to the Church of Mérida.