Pope Benedict XVI: Dedication of religious strong sign of faith
By John Thavis, 2/2/2006, Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops VATICAN CITY (Catholic News Service) – Pope Benedict XVI thanked the members of the world's religious orders, saying their total dedication to Christ was a strong sign of faith in modern society. The pope, joined by several thousand men and women religious, celebrated a Mass to mark World Day for Consecrated Life, which was observed in Rome Feb. 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
As the liturgy opened, religious priests, sisters and brothers lit candles in the darkened basilica and the pope, holding his own candle, processed to the main altar. He concelebrated the Mass with priests of 17 religious orders.
In a sermon, the pope said he wanted to thank the nearly 1 million members of religious orders for the many different forms of service they carry out. Their complete dedication is an eloquent sign of the presence of the kingdom of God in the world, he said. "Their way of living and of working is capable of demonstrating in a continuous way their full belonging to the one Lord," the pope said. "Their giving of themselves into the hands of Christ and the church is a strong and clear announcement of the presence of God, in a language that is understood by our contemporaries."
Pope John Paul II inaugurated the annual day for religious in 1997. It is one of the many liturgical and commemorative customs Pope Benedict has chosen to maintain.
Women's Vocation Stories: Sisters and Lay Consecrated Women John Paul II. Vita Consecrata. On the consecrated life and its mission in the church and in the world (full text)From the Church Hierarchy
The Vatican: The Congregation For Institutes Of Consecrated Life and Societies Of Apostolic Life
Consecrated Life : Vocations for Women Women in Religious Orders
Women's Congregations on the Web
Vocations Online Internet Directory of Women's Religious Communities
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious
Selected Women's Religious Communities
[Directory by Monks of Adoration] Religious Women [Orders]Lay Vocations: The consecrated women of Regnum Christi Lay Consecreated Women
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