date: 11.11.2019.
Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo, the Secretary for the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, visited Medjugorje and radio Mir facilities during his 6th visit to this place.
''Each time I come to Medjugorje, I feel as if I am at home, in the home of my Mother. You see, all of her children are welcome here and my Herzegovinian Franciscan brothers welcomed me on each occasion as if I was one of them. I really enjoy to be here and I need to thank our Pope Francis for having chosen Archbishop Hoser as the Apostolic Visitor here and for having permitted official pilgrimages to Medjugorje”, said Msgr. Carballo and he explained the reasons for his visit this time to Medjugorje.
''I came to meet with the various communities who are here in Medjugorje, 18 new communities. What is my point? The Church has a place for all! Just like Franciscans, once they decide to follow their community, the same is for all new communities and members of the consecrated life, all under one condition, that they follow the Church and place the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the center of their lives”, said Msgr. Carballo who was the main celebrant on Saturday evening in the church of St. James. Fr. Marinko Šakota, OFM, welcomed and greeted him at the beginning of this solemn celebration, along with Fr. Miljenko Steko, OFM, the Provincial of Herzegovinian Franciscan Province and 29 priests concelebrating.
Archbishop Carballo invited all to live the logics of giving, as that is God’s logics. ''I invite you and me, let us live in that logics, for God and for the others. Let us live so we would die in what we have, as only in that way we could be born to the eternal life. We came here from different parts of the world, in this place where one can feel Our Lady’s presence and she is the one who completely lived that logics, gave herself to God and to the others.''
Fr. Marinko invited him at the end to come for the Youth Festival next year again.
''Wherever we go to 163 countries where Franciscans serve, we find our brothers there. Thank you for making me feel at home. Let us all go home converted, holy, a bit different than we were when we came here and let us seek for that grace from Our Lady, so we would become a blessing to others. Tell everyone that Mary loves them all and there is a room for all in her heart, even for those who are mostly lost and in sorrow. Please pray for me, for the Holy Father and for the Church and peace in this world”, said Msgr. Carballo at the end of his homily. Prior to being appointed as the Secretary for the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, he previously served as the General Minister of the Order of Friars Minor. (PHOTO)
