St Stan Illustrated Story

7 I N PLACE OF F OREWORD H OMILy DELIVERED By C ARDINAL T ARCISIO B ERTONE , S ECRETARy OF S TATE , DURING THE M ASS OF B EATIFICATION OF F R . S TANISLAUS P APCzy N SkI L ICHE n , S EPTEMBER 16, 2007 My Brother Cardinals, My Brothers in the Episcopate and the Priesthood, Distinguished Civil and Military Authorities, Dear Members of the Religious Family founded by Blessed Stanislaus, Dear Brothers and Sisters, First of all I thank the Lord because, for the second time within the space of a few months, he has given me a welcome opportunity to visit your beloved country, the homeland of Blessed Stanislaus Pap- czynski and of the Servant of God, John Paul II who, let us hope, may himself soon be raised to the honors of the altar. I also thank the Lord because in this very Shrine, where last night we gathered for Vespers, it falls to me today to preside at the solemn Eucharist during which, in the name of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, I have had the honor of beatifying Fr. Stanislaus Papczy n ski. It is both significant and mov- ing that this should happen at the famous Shrine of Our Lady of Liche ń , where for many years, the Marian Fathers and Brothers, the spiritual sons of the new beatus, have carried out their pastoral min- istry, ever faithful to the charism of their Founder. With these sentiments of deep gratitude towards the Lord, I would like to extend a cordial greeting to the Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops present, with a particular word of thanks to Bishop Wieslaw Mering of this Diocese, who has provided a truly fraternal welcome to me and to those who have accompanied me here. I respectfully greet the civil and military authorities from the locality, the region and the State, beginning with the President of the Republic of Poland, Mr Lech kaczy n ski. Today we see fulfilled the wish of the Sejm [Parliament] of the Res Publica of the two nations [Poland and Lithuania], which in 1764, petitioned the Apostolic See to raise to the altars “Stanislaus Papczy n ski, a Pole famous for his miracles” ( Volumina Legum , vol. VII, Saint Petersburg 1860, p. 168, no. 105). I greet all the priests and deacons, consecrated persons, and among them in particular, the Mar-