Says World Needs "Clear Souls, Pure Minds"
SÃO PAULO, Brazil, MAY 11, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI presented Brazilian Saint Antônio de Santa'Ana Galvão as an example for all to follow in a "hedonistic age."
The Holy Father arrived via "popemobile" at today's canonization Mass at the airfield of Campo de Marte Airport in São Paulo. Before arriving at the altar, he greeted some of the more than 1.2 million people who were awaiting him on a clear, sunny day.
Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, presented the petition of canonization of Blessed Galvão, accompanied by the postulator of the cause, Sister Célia Cadorim.
The cardinal briefly summarized the life of the Franciscan friar: "Until the end of his days he was for all a man of peace and charity."
After the canonization, Benedict XVI received some relics of the newly proclaimed saint, one of which was presented by a religious of the Monastery of Light, constructed and founded by the Franciscan.
An evangelizer
In his homily -- which was interrupted five times with applause -- Benedict XVI highlighted the virtues of Father Galvão: "Let us give thanks to God for the lasting benefits obtained through the powerful evangelizing influence that the Holy Spirit impressed upon so many souls through Frei Galvão.
"The Franciscan charism, lived out in the spirit of the Gospel, has borne significant fruits through his witness as an ardent adorer of the Eucharist, as a prudent and wise guide of the souls who sought his counsel, and as a man with a great devotion to the Immaculate Conception of Mary."
The Pontiff said that Father Galvão's "example lies in his willingness to be of service to the people whenever he was asked."
The Holy Father added that "the conversion of sinners was ... the great passion of our saint," and that the "renown of his immense charity knew no bounds."
An example
The Pontiff then presented Father Galvão as an example to be followed: "There is a phrase included in the formula of his consecration which sounds remarkably contemporary to us, who live in an age so full of hedonism: 'Take away my life before I offend your blessed Son, my Lord!'
"They are strong words, the words of an impassioned soul, words that should be part of the normal life of every Christian, whether consecrated or not, and they enkindle a desire for fidelity to God in married couples as well as in the unmarried."
Benedict XVI added: "The world needs transparent lives, clear souls, pure minds that refuse to be perceived as mere objects of pleasure.
"It is necessary to oppose those elements of the media that ridicule the sanctity of marriage and virginity before marriage."
Benedict XVI also spoke of the 5th General Conference of the Episcopates of Latin America and the Caribbean. He reminded the crowd of the theme: "Disciples and Missionaries of Jesus Christ, so That Our Peoples May Have Life in Him."
"How can we fail to see," the Pope asked, "the need to listen with renewed fervor to God's call, so as to be able to respond generously to the challenges facing the Church in Brazil and in Latin America?"
Father Galvão
Antônio Galvão de Franca was born in 1739 in Guaratingueta, in the state of São Paulo.
He studied with the Jesuits in Bahia, but entered the Order of Friars Minor in 1760.
He was ordained a priest in 1762. He lived in the Convent of St. Francis in Sao Paulo for 60 years. He died in 1822.
Father Galvão founded the Monastery of Light in Sao Paulo, which the United Nations declared as a cultural patrimony of humanity.
Code: ZE07051108
Date: 2007-05-11