THE GOOD NEWS
ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN

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April 27, 2008

The Good News...

...Thou Art Peter!

Jesus established the Catholic Church to continue His mission and ministry of salvation for all people until the end of time. He commissioned His Apostles: “Go therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always, yes, to the end of time.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

This empowerment of the Church was the fulfillment of an earlier promise Jesus made when He told Saint Peter that He would build His Church upon him. Jesus designated Peter, the rock, the leader, His vicar on earth.

Earlier this month, we rejoiced to welcome Peter, the rock, the leader, the Vicar of Christ, to our beautiful and blessed country in the person of Pope Benedict XVI. The entire American episcopate came to Washington and/or New York to meet with the Holy Father, to concelebrate Mass with him and to be instructed, encouraged and inspired by his presence, prayers and teaching. Among the hundreds of bishops were the four new bishops who had just been announced the prior week. This included Bishop-elect Anthony B. Taylor, our archdiocesan priest who will be consecrated Bishop of Little Rock in June.

The Pope’s visit to the United States was a wonderful opportunity for all American people to see and hear the message of Jesus which the Pope clearly, kindly and enthusiastically proclaimed. The content of  his many homilies, speeches and addresses remains a clear and inspiring instruction for all of us.  

Upon my return to Oklahoma City, I began encouraging the Confir-mation candidates as well as other groups of people in our parishes to read and study the Pope’s messages.  I urge all of you to do the same. In the meantime, I do want to share one of the paragraphs from the Pope’s address at the White House.

“From the dawn of the Republic, Americans’ quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that the principles governing political and social life are intimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of God the Creator.  The framers of this nation’s founding documents drew upon this conviction when they proclaimed the ‘self-evident truth’ that all men are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights grounded in the laws of nature and nature’s God.  The course of American history demonstrates the difficulties, the struggles and the great intellectual and moral resolve which were demanded to shape a society which faithfully embodied these noble principles In that process, which forged the soul of the nation, religious beliefs were a constant inspiration and driving force, as for example, in the struggle against slavery and in the civil rights movement. In our time, too, particularly in moments of crisis, Americans continue to find their strength in a commitment to this patrimony of shared ideals and inspirations.

Mr. President, dear friends: As I begin my visit to the United Sates, I express once more my gratitude for your invitation, my joy to be in your midst and my fervent prayers that Almighty God will confirm this  nation and its people in the ways of justice, prosperity and peace. God bless America!”

How blessed we are as Catholic people of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City! May the words and encouragement of our Holy Father continue to guide us on our pilgrimage of faith. Let us rejoice in the Good News as Jesus assured us: “I am with you always, even to the end of time.”