Cardinal Errázuriz: “I can only leave filled with gratitude and joy”

More than 300 priests

In the midst of applause from Santiago’s faithful, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz was bid farewell during a Mass of appreciation for his work as Archbishop of Santiago.

The current apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz, presided at the Eucharist. Auxiliary Bishops Andrés Arteaga concelebrated along with: Bishop Cristián Contreras Villarroel, Bishop Fernando Chomali, and the Apostolic Nuncio, Bishop Giuseppe Pinto, Cardinal Jorge Medina and Bishops Juan Luis Ysern, Tomás González, Enrique Troncoso and Patricio Infante among others including the episcopal vicars and more than 300 priests.

Delegations of hundreds of Santiago’s parishes, apostolic movements, religious, deacons, Cardinal Errázuriz’s family, authorities such as the minister of the general secretariat of the Presidency, Cristián Larroulet, the Rector of the Catholic Pontifical University, Ignacio Sánchez, the member of the Constitutional Tribunal, José Antonio Viera Gallo, the mayor of Vitacura, Raúl Torealba and the Metropolitan Orthodox Archbishop, Sergio Abad were some of the notable ones among those who attended.

Expressions of gratitude

At the beginning of the Eucharist, Father Rodrigo Tupper, Vicar of the Social Pastoral and workers, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Church of Santiago to their pastor of twelve years.

He expressed gratitude for the Cardinal’s immense pastoral work with the youth, promoting vocations, the training of lay people, and the prayerful reading of the Word of God among others. He also thanked giving supreme importance to pro-life work, the promotion of family as well as his care for those whose marriage had broken apart.

“His love of the Holy Virgin is truly a spiritual and pastoral inheritance that we should assume day by day. This has been expressed in the Virgin of Carmen Shrine in the Tabernacle Parish, in the pastoral encouragement in the Shrine of the Immaculate Virgin of Saint Christopher, in the petitions to the Holy Father to give us the Missionary Virgin of Carmen’s beautiful picture for the Bicentennial and for the 5th Conference to be held in the diocese of the Virgin Aparecida in Brazil,” he stated.

“Beloved Francisco Javier, I think I said that we were bidding you farewell, after this presentation, I think I made a mistake; we are simply thanking you for your fruitful ministry precisely on the twentieth year of your Episcopal consecration,” Father Tupper affirmed.

Manifestation of God

After the proclamation of the Gospel, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázriz reflected on the mystery of the Epiphany of the Lord.

“In the wise men, we are the ones who arrive at. We, also, in our time, can say that we have seen his star, the one that announced this impressive Epiphany, that is to say, that admirable manifestation of God, that urges us to set out and search for Jesus, God -with-us, Admirable – Counselor, Prince of Peace.”

“‘We are pilgrims in this land, like the wise men from the East,’ Cardinal Errázuriz said, and we should place the gifts that we have received from the generosity of God at the disposal of others. “What are the gifts that we offer our Lord day by day?” he asked. “Are we generous with God, or are we stingy with Him, only placing a little time and some leftovers in his hands?” The Cardinal stressed that after the encounter with Jesus, the wise men returned by another route. “Which road will we take??” Through our baptismal vocation, we are resolute to always go to the encounter of Jesus, to always be His disciples.”

Meeting Jesus

The Cardinal also recalled many encounters with Jesus in the parish communities, in the families, in the commitment of the religious, deacons, lay people, and “in so many poor people whose gaze reflects Him and whose solidarity glorifies Him.” He maintained: “I can only leave filled with gratitude and joy.”

He also expressed his gratitude to each one of his collaborators, to the people who have prayed for the Church and vocations, as well as to all those who give testimony of their faith in public life.

Almost at the end of his talk, the Cardinal expressed gratitude “to the beloved Popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who I have always admired, with whom I closely collaborated, and from whom I received so much trust, so much truth and so much peace.”

He added: “And thanks to the road that my predecessors prolonged and opened, who I admired and from whom I received so much, I am referring to the Cardinals who God has given our nation, and equally to my beloved brothers in the episcopate”.

Finally he said: “I conclude, aware of having received grace after grace from God our Father. I ask His forgiveness, as well as yours for [my] many deficiencies, omissions and sins, [yet I’m] convinced that He is the Father of Forgiveness and of Mercy”.

Offertory and gifts

The Crucifix that presided at the First Government Meeting and also at the Purification of Memory ceremony for Jubilee 2000 led the offertory procession.

The crucifix was followed by representatives of the work of the catechesis that was carried out at the Pastoral Institute of the Apostle James; the Vicariate of Maipú, the vocation pastorate, Mission Country, the Apostolic Movements, the hospitality ministry, the Vicar General of Pastoral and Continental Mission. At the conclusion of the offertory procession, Francisco Astorga intoned a Song to the Divine.

After the Eucharist, Father Cristián Precht, Vicar General of the Pastoral, along with Father Miguel Hoban, Vicar of the Southern Area, presented a bas relief with images of the Aparecida triptych that was made in Chiquitanía, Bolivia. Paz Escárate and Nibaldo Pérez, from the Department of Public Opinión, gave him an album with photos of the highlights of his twelve years as Archbishop of Santiago.

Complete texts and audios (Spanish)
Touching farewell message of Caridinal Francisco Javier Errázuria (Spanish)

Translation: Celina Garza, San Antonio, Melissa Janknegt, Elgin, USA