Pope Francis encourages the Theatine Regulars to embrace with joy the paths of renewal, communion, and service as they celebrate the anniversary of the solemn profession of their founder, St Cajetan, and his first companions.
By Christopher Wells
When Gaetano da Thiene, known as St Cajetan, and the first Theatines made their first solemn vows in St Peter’s Basilica 500 years ago today, the edifice was more like a “building site” than the completed church we see today, Pope Francis said on Saturday.
Addressing members of the Theatine order on the anniversary of the event, the Holy Father noted that at the time, work had already begun to demolish the original Basilica, which had stood for more than a thousand years.
Courageous paths of renewal
“Brothers”, the Pope said, “this is an image that helps us to reflect on the need, in order to remain faithful to our mission, to take courageous paths of renewal”.
He insisted that “fidelity must be renewed”, adding, “there can be no fidelity that is not renewed; remaining founded on the old, yes, but at the same time ready to demolish what is no longer needed in order to build something new, docile to the Spirit and trusting in Providence.”
“There can be no fidelity that is not renewed”
“This is renewal”, he said.
A welcoming home is not built alone
Pope Francis went on to highlight the importance of renewal, again drawing from the history of the Basilica by recalling the “famous artists, skilled craftsman, and multitude of labourers” who worked to bring the church to completion.
“This, too, is an important sign”, he said. “A welcoming home is not built alone, but together, in community, valuing the contribution of all”.
Finally, the Pope highlighted the importance of service. “The most beautiful projects would have come to nothing if people, rolling up their sleeves, had not set to work”.
St Cajetan demonstrated this, he said, “with the many works of charity he promoted”. But we were taught this first by Jesus, the Pope added, “Who came not to be served but to serve and to give His life” on the Cross.
Embrace rewewal, communion, service with joy
While marvelling at the beauty of St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis emphasized that the building is only a symbol of the reality of the Church.
“Five hundred years ago,” he said, “your founders did not consecrate their lives to a building site of bricks and marbles, but of living stones; they consecrated their lives to the Church, with a capital ‘C’; the Church, the bride of Christ, the People of God, and the Mystical Body of the Lord”.
Pope Francis concluded his address with an invitation to the whole Theatine family to “embrace with joy, in today’s Jubilee, intentions of renewal, of communion, and of service”.
Celebrating 500 years
On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the foundation of the Theatines, on 28 August a large statue of St Cajetan was brought from the parish church of Ħamrun, Malta, to the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle in Rome.
On Thursday, 12 September, the sculpture arrived in a solemn procession in St Peter’s Basilica and was placed to the left of the Altar of Confession.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin incenses the sculpture the Blessed Virgin Mary handing the Child Jesus to St Cajetan
A work in papier-mâché by the Maltese sculptor Carlo Darmanin, who completed it in 1885, the statue depicts a mystical vision, which took place in 1517, in which the Virgin Mary delivers the Child Jesus into the hands of St Cajetan.
For the first time in its almost 140-year history, the statue has left Malta, where the saint is greatly venerated.
On Saturday, it will return to the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle and on 30 September, it will be brought back to Ħamrun.
