ROME... STAINFORTH.... MOORENDS
Yes they are connected; its like one of those Radio 4 quiz programmes for clever people... How do you connect XYZ? I think its called Round Britain Quiz. Anyway, the above 3 towns are connected because when I said Mass with the Holy Father in his little chapel, complete with Christmas tree and presents from Poland!... I told him that I was Roy Pannell, and I was from Stainforth and Moorends, I'm sure he knew precisely where Stainforth and Moorends were. However, I thought it was important that on at least one occasion, in the history of the Catholic Church, the words ROY PANNELL, STAINFORTH AND MOORENDS, should echo around the Pontifical apartments!
I say all that because the one thing that impressed me was just how accessible the Holy Father is; Fr Jackson and I had planned a pilgrimage to Rome many months before; I wrote to Fr Stanislaus, the secretary who has been with the Holy Father for nearly 30 years, and asked if it would be possible to be at his early morning Mass during our stay in Rome. No reply came until we had been in Rome 3 days, then the reply came just the night before, to be at the Bronze Doors, which lead into the Pontifical Palace At 7.30 am. The rest is so simple.... Mass... a very simple Mass; and then everyone at the Mass has a few moments with The Holy Father; he has a word for everyone, and if there is an obvious sickness or someone tells him of a problem, he assures them of his prayers and I noticed that like the Father he is, he stroked the face of a lady who I guess was perhaps terminally ill. She will never forget that, I'm sure and I could see how that prayerful touch was bringing her such healing of mind and spirit, even if not of body. My point is, that subject to his being in Rome and saying Mass there at that early time, he is available to anyone... all of us for whom he is Holy Father, our chief pastor, and that, in spite of a busy schedule, and his constant weakness, I am convinced that he is now pouring his life out for the Church, and that means for you and me. In one sense it is a kind of martyrdom, and giving of his life for the glory of God. It is also, in the true sense of the word MARTYR, a witness to the whole world, that weakness is turned upside down to be a strength. The MAGNIFICAT speaks of that……"He has put down the mighty and exalted the humble and meek"……and St Paul talks often in this way... "When I am weak I am at my strongest"; this is truly a message for the whole world when it seems to despise what is weak or apparently useless and only really values what is strong, vigorous, and in human terms, attractive. So... "Thank you Holy Father for the witness you give to the Church and to the world."
If that were not enough, we were then taken around the excavations under St Peter's and saw for ourselves the site of Peter's grave, complete with headstone. I still can't quite take it in! When Peter was martyred in about 62 AD, he was buried in the local cemetery on the Vatican Hill. The fact that he was put to death wouldn't mean that he was prevented from having a dignified burial place. The Romans were very just when it came to the disposal of human remains; I suspect they were very frightened of plague if bodies weren't properly buried. Because Peter was obviously honoured very highly by the Christian community in Rome and beyond, he had a large headstone, or trophy as it is also called. Nearly 300 years later, the Christian Emperor Constantine, decided to build a large Basilica over the site of Peter's tomb. In order to do this, because Peter's tomb was on the side of a hill, he had to level off the site and in order to do this had to fill in with soil a large number of family graves, I don't know what the families thought of this; History doesn't tell us. 12 centuries later, the first Basilica of Constantine was replaced by the present St Peter's, with its large canopy by Bernini placed over the papal altar which itself lies over the burial place of the Apostle Peter. We were able to go down in a small group, and see the roadway where the family tombs have been excavated and are now visible. Remember, these were once in the open air, on the hillside of the Vatican Cemetery. We then saw the headstone of what is reckoned to be the grave of Peter; above us was the 15th century Basilica, to our side remnants of the first basilica, and we could hear people walking in the nave above us. I think all that was probably enough for one day.
By the way, (this isn't an advert) but Ryanair.com are opening up a new route to Rome from London Stansted from April of this year. I looked on the Internet last week and found a seat in May for just £32 including tax. Worth pursuing?
Finally, I just want to say thank you for your warm welcome to the parishes of Stainforth and Moorends. This is a good place to work; there are so many opportunities for us here, and now that The Holy Father knows about us, there will be no stopping us.
GOD BLESS YOU
Fr Roy Pannell
