By AC Wimmer
CNA Newsroom, Feb 23, 2025 / 08:40 am
Prayers filled St. Peter’s Basilica Sunday as Archbishop Rino Fisichella delivered Pope Francis’ prepared homily to over 4,000 permanent deacons gathered for a special jubilee Mass, while the pontiff remains hospitalized with pneumonia.
The message, centered on selfless service and forgiveness, emphasized three fundamental aspects of diaconal ministry that the pope described as “forgiveness, selfless service, and communion.”
Indeed, forgiveness is an indispensable element of every ecclesial vocation and a requirement of every human relationship, the pope’s homily stated, read by Fisichella, who serves as pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization.
During the Feb. 23 historic ceremony, 23 men from eight countries were ordained as permanent deacons. The international gathering drew significant delegations from around the world, with Italy sending the largest group, followed by 1,300 deacons from the United States, 656 from France, and substantial numbers from other nations.
The pope’s message called deacons to see their ministry as transformative both for themselves and society. Through your ministry, you devote yourselves to being ‘sculptors’ and ‘painters’ of the merciful face of the Father, and witnesses to the mystery of the Triune God, the homily declared.
