In His Own Words by Cardinal Biffi

Cardinal Giacomo Biffi Prayer to St.
Anthony In His Own Words by…

two so-called “colleges,” the Clerics Regular and Cardinal Giacomo Biffi is an Italian Cardinal of
the nuns, the group of married people called, La- the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop
ity of Saint Paul. And so all states of life and all of Bologna from 1984 to 2003.
charisms – ministerial priesthood, consecrated vir- Cardinal Giacomo Biffi
ginity and sacramental marriage – are enrolled in a on
single and varied army at the service of what Paul
called, “the good fight” (cf. 2 Tm 4:7). St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria
Tracks in Bologna
Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria died at thirty seven.
A short life, as one can see, but his action and ex-
istential teaching are exceptionally extensive and
relevant and cannot be adequately expounded in Prayer
the short time frame of a homily.
Saint Anthony Zaccaria,
However, I cannot end without mentioning
briefly, by way of example, the ties between the helper of the poor and the sick,
family born of his mind and heart and the people you who devoted your life to
and Church of Bologna. It was precisely in Bolo- our spiritual welfare, listen to
gna that Anthony’s family, the Congregation of the my humble and hopeful prayer.
Clerics Regular of Saint Paul, received the canoni- Continue your work as doctor
cal approbation from Pope Clement VII. A Bolog-
and priest by obtaining from
nese Pope, Benedict XIV, raised to the altars with
the beatification the most eminent of Anthony’s GOD healing from my physical
disciples, Saint Alexander Sauli. This very cathe- and moral sickness, so that free
dral owes much of its stability and beauty to the from all evil and sin, I may
masterly architecture of Barnabite Father Giovanni love the LORD with joy, fulfill
Ambrogio Magenta. with fidelity my duties, work
Above everything else, Bologna rejoices at
generously for the good of my
the long and blessed presence of the sons and dis-
ciples of Saint Anthony Mary in its ecclesial and brothers and sisters, and for my
sanctification. Confronted by a society so troubled and unsettled,
social fabric, their pastoral cooperation and their
so restless, so unsteady in its beliefs, Saint Anthony
worthy educational activity among the youth. Amen
On this occasion, I would like to express my heart- Mary clung, and persuaded all to cling, to Him who
felt gratitude and voice a cordial wish – and even alone is the reliable and permanent point of refer-
a trustful prayer, supported by the Founder’s inter- ence for history and human hearts: Jesus Christ,
cession – that this presence, this cooperation and who “is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
this educational and formative activity in Bologna It is only by coming “to him, a living stone, rejected
may continue, establish themselves ever more ef- by human beings but chosen and precious in the
fectively, and yield ever more abundant blessings. sight of God” that people can find consistency and
The Clerics Regular of Saint Paul • BARNABITES
salvation because, as it is written, “whoever believes
www.catholic-church.org/barnabites
Cardinal Biffi’s homily at the celebration of the Zaccar- www.stanthonyzaccaria.blogspot.com in it shall not be put to shame.”
ian jubilee in Bologna, Italy, Feb. 24, 2002. Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, 2002
In His Own Words by… Cardinal Giacomo Biffi on St. Anthony M. Zaccaria
Anthony Mary was born, that Christopher Colum- edge” (cf. Eph 3:19). And he offers no other rem-
T
bus crossed the ocean for the fourth and last time edy against the woes of his contemporaries “except
and reached regions yet unexplored. The same Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (cf. 1 Cor 2:2).
year, Vasco de Gama rounded the Cape of Good His inspirer and teacher, who had “become all
Hope for the second time, thus consolidating the things to all” (cf. 1 Cor 9:22), had indeed warned
access to the far-away coasts of India. people to “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep
HE MAN, THE SAINT, THE APOSTLE
Undeniably, today we also witness a reawak- with those who weep” (cf. Rom 12:15), but surely
“Modern men... seem so intent in separat- had not said that they should talk nonsense with
ening of the pagan vision of life. But even in the
ing man from God” (Letter 3). Whoever made this those who talk nonsense and go astray with those
first decades of the 16th century, many, likewise,
statement in our days so much to the point and who have gone astray. Saint Anthony is aware of
complained of a deterioration of mentality and
indisputable? this and knows that the first and basic charity to
morals. And even today’s fears find a significant
No! The statement was made by a priest who give fallen and lost humanity is the persuasive an-
parallel in the terror that seized people at the
lived five centuries ago. He was so much in love nouncement of the saving truth and communion
time of the dreadful sack of Rome in 1527 when
with the Creator of the universe and with human of knowledge and life with Him who alone is the
Anthony Mary Zaccaria was still a young doctor.
beings, His living images, that he wrote in his indispensable Redeemer of all our evils.
Add, greater yet, the anxiety caused by the Muslim
vivid style, ”Come, brothers! Let us run like madmen From this point of view, Anthony Mary has a
threat looming over Christianity, and, above all,
not only toward God but also toward our neighbors” lot to teach even in these days of ours, marked by
the recurring anguish caused by frequent plagues.
(Letter 2). careless ecclesiastical confusion.
Not to speak of the widespread disorientation in
“Modern men... seem so intent in separating man Therefore, to error and ignorance, be it guilty
Christian beliefs and the life of the Church deriv-
from God.” These words may sound to have been or guiltless, he opposes, as effective remedy,
ing from the Protestant movement, which – even
said today, but they were said instead long time the light of God’s word, proclaimed not only in
though it meant to recover the evangelical authen-
ago by Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria, the founder churches, but also at the crossroads; not only in
ticity – in reality altered the faith of the Fathers
of the Barnabites, whom we remember and honor liturgical homilies, but also in spiritual talks and
and attacked the original structure of the Church.
today on the fifth centenary of his birth (1502). missions to the people.
Actually, for this judgment and many other view- The Centrality of Christ He enriches and goes beyond secondary and
points he appears as a man, a saint, and an apostle Confronted by a society so troubled and unsettled, marginal devotions by the keen consciousness of
of unexpected modernity. so restless, so unsteady in its beliefs, Saint Antho- the absolute centrality of the Lord Jesus, by the re-
He lived undoubtedly in far-off times that ny Mary clung, and persuaded all to cling, to Him call, even outward, of the mystery of the cross, and
were a far cry from the times in which we have to who alone is the reliable and permanent point by worship of and intensified attention to the Lord
live. And yet there are surprising similarities and of reference for history and human hearts: Jesus present in the Eucharist.
points in common between the two ages - his and Christ, who “is the same yesterday, today, and forever” He shakes and fights widespread laxity and
ours. (cf. Heb 13:8). It is only by coming “to him, a living lukewarmness with his vibrant mind and word,
For example, today, we watch, astonished stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and pre- and with his impassioned exhortation to fervor
and, somehow, confused, the show of a world that cious in the sight of God” (cf. 1 Pt 2:4) that people and firm resolutions. He remarks: “Changeable
changes and seems to expand before our eyes as can find consistency and salvation because, as it hearts displease God very much because of their un-
technology broadens knowledge and communica- is written, “whoever believes in it shall not be put to faithfulness” (Constitutions 18).
tion ever more, as cultural exchanges and mobility shame” (cf. 1 Pt 2:6). Like Saint Paul, he is a free and creative spirit.
increase, and as globalization becomes unstop- Saint Anthony is sure of this and, therefore, His evangelical and pastoral originality leads him
pable. he does not set out to woo the fickle foolishness to the discovery of new and uncharted roads that
Similar things happened even then: daring of unsettled contemporary mentality, but, at the will not fail to stir up misunderstandings and op-
travels and courageous sailings were widening the school of the apostle Paul, his inspirer and teach- positions. His “Angelics” are the first nuns not
spaces, and little by little the whole earth perspec- er, pursues for himself and proposes to others the bound to cloistered life but devoted to a direct
tive was changing. It was precisely in 1502, when knowledge of “the love of Christ that surpasses knowl- apostolate. Ingeniously, he associates to the first

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Cardinal Giacomo Biffi Prayer to St.

Anthony In His Own Words by…

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