Editor’s Note: The following message was sent to Bishop Kevin Vann on behalf of Pope Francis. It was sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, and delivered by Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Archbishop Christophe Pierre.
To The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, JCD, DD, Bishop of Orange in California:
As you celebrate the dedication of Christ Cathedral, His Holiness Pope Francis sends warm greetings to you, your Auxiliary Bishops Timothy Freyer and Thomas Thanh Thai Nguyen, Bishop Emeritus Tod Brown, and all the priests, religious and lay faithful of the Diocese of Orange in California, as well as to all those gathered for this joyful event. He assures you of his spiritual closeness as he joins you in praising Almighty God for the abundant blessings which the Lord has bestowed upon the Diocese over the years. The Holy Father prays that the cathedral may serve as a tangible sign of our Lord Jesus Christ’s presence in your midst, and help to deepen your missionary witness to the broader community, and so lead all souls to an experience of his abiding mercy and divine life. In this way, you will be “like living stones…built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (l Pet 2:25). Commending all present to the loving intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, Pope Francis renews his deep affection for all of you and imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace and joy in Jesus Christ.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State