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T R U E L I F E I N G O D
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God not known to be a God of Mercy and of power but of
surprises as well?
11th October – Sunday
As was done in previous pilgrimages, the first day’s program
activity in Rome, right after breakfast, was the recitation of the
‘Our Father’ prayer sung in the Aramaic language. Then came
the preparation for the procession of the hundred and four
clergywho represented fifteen different Church denominations
andwho had towalk in a procession, escorted by the organizers,
Anne-Marie Peters and Theodora Konidari together with
Vassula. Unfortunately David Armitage, another organizer,
was not well and did not go to Rome. All of the clergy were
dressed in full splendor and in diversity representing their
own Church; it is a formidable sight to see how the Church
of Christ can appear when all the shepherds are dressed in all
their regalia, in all their splendor and in their diversity. One
can compare the Church to a beautiful garden with all sorts of
flowers, a rich variety of flowers.
Everyone watching could not deny being touched while they
watched, and here I would emphasize: to watch
‘The One
and Unique Church, the One Mystical Body’,
solemnly
walking together in silence through the aisle as one body with a
background tune of
Kyrié Eleisson.
When the clergy reached
the podium, each one of them in turn introduced himself and
the church to which he belonged, while a great thunder of
applause was heard with cheers.
When it came to Mgr. René Laurentin’s turn to introduce
himself, there was a sudden louder uproar of acclamation,
thundering the assembly hall with cheers, with a standing
ovation for him. Mgr. Laurentin could hardly finish
introducing himself. It was not only because Mgr. Laurentin
was the eldest of all the pilgrims, just over 98 years of age,
totally blind and barely walking, but also because he has been
heroically defending the Messages of True Life in God. He was
(and is still) a staunch defender of Vassula’s apostolic mission.
He has never missed any of our Pilgrimages, not one. When
everybody again was seated, Vassula read out to us the so
awaited Message of Christ and what He had to tell us in this
significant gathering. And as I said above, it was again a clear
and decisive Message that Christ was once again inviting his
shepherds to reconcile and unite by showing a visible sign of
Unity around one Altar.
After hearing Christ’s message, there was a slight pause among
all, so as to reflect on the Message, and then the first speaker
was called to give his speech. It was not the first time that
Archbishop Georges Haddad was at our pilgrimages. He
belongs to the Melkite Church, living in Lebanon. He had in
the past invited Vassula to give a talk to his congregation in
Lebanon. His speech was based on the words of the Heavenly
Father saying that God has a special plan for each one of us
and that we can only know Him through the Holy Spirit and
the Truth. In fact, this is what Jesus has been asking us in the
Messages of True Life in God:
“come and get to knowMe and
understand Me…”
and that He would be greatly disappointed
were we to die without having known Him…He continued by
saying that Salvation is theDoorwhichopens into theHeavenly
Father through Jesus and that the Holy Spirit makes the Unity
of the Church, through the diversity of people, their culture,
their personalities and their countries. He concluded his
speech with a prayer of repentance that we all prayed together.
Rome Pilgrimage 2015
(continued)
Coptic Orthodox Liturgy celebrated by Bishop Athanasius Canepa
(Bishop of all France, the French Coptic Orthodox Church)
T R U E L I F E I N G O D
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Msgr. Rene Laurentin escorted by his guardian angels
Nicolas Buchet and René de Cacqueray