It’s an old practice that each cardinal should be a titular of the churches in Rome. With that this means his nomination to the roman clergy and his inclusion in the circle of the direct collaborators of the Pope. The Pope himself is the one who assigns each one a church corresponding to him, and his Office of Liturgical celebrations which fixes the date and organizes the celebration.
From the time of his investiture as cardinal, last February 14, it was known that to Monsignor Jose Luis Lacunza was already designated the Parish of San Jose de Cupertino, in the Roman area of EUR-Cecchignola. Then the date for his inauguration was set on October 18, World Mission Sunday; the time was 6:30 pm, under the direction of Vincenzo Peroni, one of the pontifical master of ceremonies.
In the parish
Right on the eve of the celebration, Lacunza already left his works in the Synod and his residence in the General Curia of the Augustinians, in order to be installed in the parish. It was his second time who made his presence felt there. Last March he made a quick visit to greet the clergy and the parish council. This time he took advantage to have a dialogue with the youth.
On Sunday, the church was already very occupied with the preparations. In its façade, together with the emblem of Pope Francis, was blustering radiant the coat of arms of Cardinal of David. As the moment of the celebration was approaching, amidst the cameras and press photographers, the outside visitors started to arrive: the bishop from Darien (Panama), Pedro Joaquin Hernandez Cantarero; the Panaminian ambassador to the Holy See, Miroslava Rosas de Mota, and the ambassador of Panama to Italy, Fernando Berguido Guizado; and lastly, ten Augustinian recollects, headed by its prior general, Miguel Miro.
Reading of the pontifical bulls
Before the Eucharistic celebration, when the church was already filled with the faithful, Lacunza showed up in the church. He put on his robes as cardinal, with the scarlet cardinal’s hat on his head, and came accompanied by the pontifical master of ceremony. Once already there, after venerating the cross and springkling the faithful with holy water, he paused for a few moments of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.
Afterwards he went to the sacristy, in order to put on the liturgical vestments. And with the entrance procession of the celebrants, started the Eucharist, accompanied in singing by one of the three choirs of the parish. The liturgical rite was corresponding to the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
The only special thing was the reading, at the start of the celebration, of the pontifical bulls, both were dated the previous month of February: one, the elevation of the parish of San Jose de Cupertino to the category with the title of as Cardinal; the second, that this title is awarded to Cardinal Lacunza.
The reading was done in the Italian translation by the delegate and pontifical master of ceremonies, Monsignor Peroni. Its conclusion was strongly applauded by the faithful. In the name of the parish community, the parish priest, Paolo Pizzuti, gave thanks, who then gave the titular Cardinal the keys of the parish, at the same time gave him as homage two relics of San Jose de Cupertino; one, was pieced together in a golden reliquary; the second, in a pectoral, which Cardinal Lacunza immediately hang on his neck.
The homily
In his homily, read in Italian, the Cardinal started to greet everybody those present, that they responsibly assume their roles seriously: “I will try to make myself to be with you, when my responsibilities would permit me in the Eternal City and would allow mesome free time”.
He then proceeded to explain the gospel of the day, in which the brothers James and John asked Jesus a place of honor. He had no difficulty in applying this to the reality: ”the statute of the community of the disciples is characterized by service and not by ambition. Among the followers of Jesus there should be no hierarchy of power. Nobody is above to anybody else. There are no masters nor owners. The parish is not of the parish priest. The church is not owned by the bishops and cardinals. Whoever wants to be great, let him be at the service of others.
And being the day of the World Mission Sunday, he concluded remembering the missionaries, for whom he asked their prayers, the same as to the Synod which is still in progress.
Greeting attendees
Having finished the Eucharistic celebration, already in the sacristy, Monsignor Peroni read in public the minutes which compiled the most important events in the ceremony, and invited all the priests and ministers to sign.
What remained was the time of greeting and fraternization among those who were present. While everybody was enjoying the cold dinner, Cardinal Lacunza had the pleasure of greeting one of his new “faithful people”, those of his parish in Rome.