Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle sent a clear message to the neo-Legionary priests: friendship and encounter. The ceremony was marked by emotion, joy, and a mobile phone. Chronicle.
April 27, 2024, is a date that will remain in the memory of the 20 new Legionary priests and the more than 1,500 attendees at the ordinations held at St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica, an imposing structure that is one of the four papal basilicas of Rome (the other three major basilicas are St. Peter’s, San Giovanni in Laterano, and Santa Maria Maggiore). Like the other three, it features a holy door and a papal altar.
On a spring day in Rome, marked by a blue sky, punctual at 10 a.m., the ceremony began that would ordain 20 Christians from Germany, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, South Korea, Spain, the United States, Mexico, and Venezuela as priests. That day, Abraham Eo, Christopher Daniels, Cristian Ortega, Juan Pablo Castañeda, Gustavo Godínez, Christian Martínez, Jesús Silva, Darren Wallace, Kevin O´Byrne, Santiago Vázquez, Alexandre Simoes, Gustavo Balestrim, Eduardo Perdomo, Alejandro Mora, Diego Páez, Jefferson de Souza, Andrew Torrey, Jesús Mora, Sebastian Sánchez, and Rafael Böhm concluded over 12 years of formation and study to begin a new stage of apostolate, evangelization, and service.
The ceremony proceeded normally: happy families, teary eyes, smiles everywhere, photos here and there, selfies by the thousands, curious onlookers and visitors on either side of the guest area, observing a special ceremony. Behind, the Legion choir demonstrated its musical ability, as the celebration activities unfolded.
When it was time for the homily, Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, Pro-prefect of the Section for the First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelization, prepared to read the words he had written, but oh surprise!: the printed copy of his speech was missing. He looked around, searching left and right, while the more than 1,500 attendees kept silent, expectant about what was happening and how it would be resolved.
Displaying his reputation as a calm and measured man, Cardinal Gokim Tagle searched his pockets, took out his mobile phone, and opened the file where the homily was stored, making it clear that what mattered was what he was going to say, with a knowing smile at the situation. Everyone present laughed, surprised at how calmly a cardinal handled the situation.
With complete calm, Cardinal Gokim Tagle delivered the homily with the help of a mobile phone after not finding the printed version.
In his homily, he thanked the families of the neo-priests, as well as their formators, teachers, seminarians, and Legionary staff for reaching this moment. He also invited the new priests to be friends of Jesus: “He calls all his disciples friends, and particularly, priests. (…) Let us be eager to listen to His words. Do not be afraid to open our hearts to Him. That is how one becomes a friend of Jesus.” Finally, he emphasized the importance of “remaining as compassionate brothers to others”, encouraging them to be a comforting presence because “only then will their priestly ministry of word, sacrament, and shepherding build up the family of God in communion and common mission.”
In his homily, Cardinal Gokim Tagle highlighted the importance for the new priests, as well as all believers, of being friends of Jesus and going out to meet those most in need of the Gospel.
At the end, after all the ceremony and rituals (Presentation and election of the ordinand, bishop’s speech, interrogatory of the ordinand, litanies of the Saints, anointing with holy chrism, presentation of the Gospels, and presentation of the paten and chalice), all attendees received the blessing of peace, a moment when the new priests joined for a group photo. There, at that moment, a loud applause erupted from the attendees, who, among cheers and shouts, expressed their excitement for the moment experienced.
The moment when the attendees thank God and applaud excitedly for these new Legionary servants of the Church.
Finally, the group photo for the memory of that wonderful morning in April 2024 arrived.
And of course, the hugs and blessings from each new priest to their family members and loved ones, as well as to other Legionaries of Christ and members of Regnum Christi.
