Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lima (Fides Service) – Thousands of faithful prayed yesterday Sunday 5 October in Piazza Maggiore in Lima (Peru), on the occasion of the closing of the year of the Rosary called by John Paul II and the recurrence of the 25th anniversary of his pontificate, in front of a giant rosary 428 metres long, considered the longest in history, with beads 80 centimetres in diameter, a medal of the Madonna 2 meters in diameter and a Cross 4 meters high. Erected in the square pictures of the venerated Lord of Miracles, to whom Peruvian Catholics are deeply devoted, and Our Lady of Evangelisation. The prayer, offered especially for the Holy Father, John Paul II, was organised by the archdiocese of Lima and was supported by the participation of parish communities, schools, universities, church movements and fraternities of the Archdiocese. After the rosary Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani presided a solemn concelebration of the Eucharist in the cathedral with the auxiliary bishops and the priests of the archdioceses.
At 8 am work to build the giant rosary began with the help of 120 young people from the parish of Our Lord of Divine Mercy directed by Fr. Jose Haus. At the end of the prayer 60 balloons were launched to represent the rosary beads.
In his homily Cardinal Cipriani, mentioning the saints of these lands, called on the people of Lima to keep alive the faith and devotion to the Eucharist which characterised Peru’s saints. He also asked them to rediscover, as the Pope has asked, the importance of Sunday as the Day of the Lord: “The Holy Father invites us to rediscover Sunday to take part in the Holy Mass so that it may be the centre of Sunday and that Sunday will be the centre of the family and that therefore Sunday is the day of the family” . Card. Cipriani also recalled that the Pope has visited Peru twice, in 1985 and in 1988.
As the 25th anniversary of the Pope’s pontificate approaches, the archbishop of Lima announced that he will be with the Holy Father on the special day in St Peter’s Square: “I will take him the affection and love of the people of Peru”. “The Holy Father – said Cardinal Cipriani - is that steady hand of the solider of Christ, the loving face of the Father, sure word of a man who trusts in God, the welcoming gesture of the Father who receives the prodigal son, the fortress of the martyr, the perseverance of the Good Shepherd. I would even dare to say: he is Christ who from the cross gives to us his last breath of strength, love and donation”. He then asked those present to sustain the Pope with “love, affection, gratitude, with joy, for him as he leads the Church with so much love, self-giving, and will continue to lead her for all the years God will grant him, because the Holy Spirit knows what is best for the world and for the Church”.
Lastly the Cardinal mentioned the imminent Great Mission of Lima, which aims to deepen the faith and renew evangelisation in the Peruvian capital: “A new lap opens for the Church…that of the Great Mission of evangelisation and building in every heart a scale of Christian virtues.” (R.G) (Fides Service 6/10/2003; lines 38 - words 565)
