Crescenzio Sepe

thumb|Crescenzio Sepe Crescenzio Sepe (2 June 1943) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Naples. Quotes There is no doubt missionary work is not easy and it faces no few problems and challenges, old and new. But one this is certain: if the Lord calls us to such a demanding task it is because He will not fail to supply us with the means to achieve it. Interview with His Eminence Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe: “My heart will always beat for mission” (2 June 2006) Santità, a Maronna t'accumpagni. Your Holiness, may Mary accompany you. On the occasion of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Naples on 21 October 2007; quoted in TG5, 21 October 2007 (8.00 P.M.). Il Sangue e la Speranza Crescenzio Sepe, Il Sangue e la Speranza: messaggio alla diocesi, Naples, Solemnity of Saint Januarius, 2006, reported in parrocchiarotonda.it. Time passes and the world changes, but true love never changes. So wrote Salvatore Di Giacomo in one of his famous songs, which my mother used to hum when I was a child. It was May, the month when the sun warms the air and the scent of spring is at its most intense, when I, a boy from the provinces, came to Naples, attracted, like all young people, by the grandeur of the metropolis and, above all, by a city that is unique, I would say exaggerated in its beauty and its manifestations, for better or for worse. A land of passion, which you carry with you even if you are far away for years, Naples has continued to live within me with its songs, its poems, its people, its colours, which, imprinted in my memory, remain there to evoke memories. The Pompeian red of the buildings, of the moon on enchanted nights, the red of the sun, of hot chillies, of pizza and tomatoes, of a tasty Annurca apple, the red of Pulcinella's stockings and sleeves, of the Sant'Antuono memorial stone, all refer to the red of passion, of love for one's homeland, the red of martyrdom, of the mantle and blood of San Gennaro, who protects our city. The blue of its sky and sea, which, just as the storm approaches, turns green, the colour of hope that has never abandoned the hearts of Neapolitans, of those who truly love this city. Una città d’amore, una città da amare, pp. 5-6. True love never fails... True love, Christian love, love for one's brothers and sisters, for one's roots, never changes, never strays from its path. And it is with this love that I have returned, as a father and pastor, to this land of blood and hope, to commit myself to restoring dignity to our big-hearted people who, repeatedly deprived of freedom throughout their tormented history, have always been able to combine pain with hope. Lassamme fa a Dio: this is the most sincere invocation of the Neapolitan people who, in their proverbial ‘getting by’, do not express resignation, but the courage of faith of those who know that each day has enough of its own troubles, of those who are not ashamed to speak face to face with the Madonna and St. Januarius. Una città d’amore, una città da amare, p. 6. I know that the religious sentiment of our people is often, and wrongly, labelled as colourful folklore, in which legend and magic, the sacred and the profane, merge in our millennial history which, in the eyes of cold secularism, appears incapable of distinguishing superstition from faith. It is true that much superstition still creeps into the authentic Christian message, but I believe that superstition should not be confused with popular piety. This people, who, since the first liquefaction of the blood, have taken St. Januarius as the protector of their city, know how to grasp, in the manifestation of the miracle, the profound meaning of faith: the hope of resurrection. It is an inexpressible mystery which, in order to be conceived, requires symbols capable of representing the link between pain and redemption. The blood that has miraculously come back to life is a sign that refers to the immortality of the soul, to life beyond death, to the resurrection of the flesh. 'Un sentire altro, p. 7. [...] it is characteristic of Neapolitans to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (cf. Romans 12:15), establishing those deep and sincere relationships of friendship and respect that are capable of transforming the world. If it is true, as Augustine of Hippo said, that "nothing is dear to man without a friend", then the fact that friendship is sacred in Naples is already a sign of hope, a glimpse of the real possibility of making all things new. Testimoniare la speranza, pp. 12-13. Yet a martyr is not only someone who performs extraordinary deeds, but in a certain sense, it is also someone who, for the love of his faith, knows how to make the ordinary extraordinary. Naples is not only urbs sanguinum, the city of blood, due to the incredible number of ampoules and vials containing the blood of saints and blessed persons, but it is also the city of witness-martyrs, of ordinary people who, in their daily lives, live for truth and love. These are “witnesses” who make the City of God and the city of men "sanguine". Il sangue dei martiri, p. 14. Determined to confront the structures of injustice in order to assert their children's rights, Neapolitan mothers not only know how to protect their children, like all mothers, but they also know how to defend the freedom of this land, passing on from generation to generation those universal and immutable ethical values that make every man a true man. Always present, they know how to dry their children's tears, but they also know how to be objective and strict when a child betrays the family spirit. When we say “mum”, we mean a safe haven, but also the law. When the rulers of our city changed, when the state was absent, those who truly reigned and jealously guarded the traditions, customs and practices that have come down to us were, then as now, mothers. Il sangue dei martiri, pp. 14-15. The seed of hope may be the smallest, but it can give life to a lush tree and bear much fruit if we have the courage to face the fears that threaten our city, if we have the strength to break the code of silence and, in solidarity with one another, are able to organise new structures and new forms of charity to lift up those who are alone, those in material and spiritual need. Without indulging in lamentation or victimhood, without waiting for others to take the fate of the south to heart, without clinging to pure welfare, the time has come for the Neapolitans to reclaim their land, relaunching politics as a service to the city, as a school of legality, as a centre for observing the most thorny social issues. We have the energy to do it! I luoghi della speranza, pp. 19-20. External links Category:1943 births Category:Living people Category:People from Campania Category:Catholics from Italy Category:Cardinals