Madrid, Spain, Jun 23, 2009 / 20:23 pm
The Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, celebrated Mass this weekend at the Hill of Angels in Getafe, where he renewed the consecration of Spain to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was first done 90 years ago.
The newspaper ABC reported that during his homily before some 20,000 faithful, the cardinal warned that “the way of de-Christianization does not lead to any future of salvation and true happiness for man.” For this reason, he added, “We renew today that most solemn consecration made by our forefathers.” And “we do so praying for all of the families of our country and for all Spaniards, that through the Spirit we may be strengthened in the core of our being, that Christ will by faith live in our hearts, that love will be our source and our foundation.
Cardinal Rouco later recalled that 90 years ago, on the same Hill of the Angles, “Spain was consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus before a statue that had been raised through the Christian piety of the Spanish people.” The act was an expression of the “ardent and incessant prayer that the Sacred Heart of Jesus would reign in Spain through the grace of his infinitely merciful love” and was the result of a “profound and historic awakening of deep spiritual significance for the present and future of Spain.”
The cardinal also underscored that although the times have changed since that first consecration by King Alfonso XIII, today Spain is in need of “reconciliation, solidarity, justice, harmony and peace.”
In his homily, Cardinal Rouco touched on to the Year of Priests and underscored that priests “are essential instruments of grace and of the saving love of Christ.” For this reason, he said, “the renewed consecration of Spain to the Sacred Heart will not bring forth abundant fruit of life and of witness of Christian love without holy priests.”
“Spain, the Spain of today, needs many holy priests according to the heart of Christ!” he exclaimed.
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