ACN
Monsignor Francisco Cases Andreu took possession this Friday as Bishop of the Canary Islands in a ceremony held at the Cathedral of Santa Ana in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where he asked the faithful of the Islands to be his "guide" in the new mission he undertakes.
Cases pointed out in his homily that, after being appointed Bishop on November 26, 2005, he collected and read "all possible information" about the Canary Islands and the Diocese through the Internet and emails sent from the Islands. "But none of this can replace direct knowledge of you," he told the faithful.
In this sense, he promised to visit the different islands of the province because "I am not afraid to learn from everyone", but he is willing to "learn everything", so he asked the approximately 3,000 faithful gathered at the event (2,000 in the cathedral and 1,000 in the tent set up in the Plaza de Santa Ana).
"I will try to open my eyes and ears, and above all my heart" to learn "to know each other", he said, although "the essential thing is that together we deepen our knowledge of Christ".
The new Bishop of the Canary Islands received the "call of Jesus as a new invitation to listen to his voice, already known, to follow him with the joy and confidence of feeling accompanied". "He gives me new brothers whom I already love before I know them and you a new pastor to welcome and love," he stressed.
In his speech, he thanked his predecessor, Ramón Echarren, for the work done "to this Church, with great love". He also mentioned the recent fire at the headquarters of the Bishopric of Tenerife, for which he asked to feel "affection" in today's collection, a request that was answered with applause by the faithful.
As an anecdote, shortly after Cases' homily, around 7:15 p.m., the power went out in the Plaza de Santa Ana, although it did not prevent the event from continuing to be broadcast on the screen installed outside the cathedral. The supply returned around 8:00 p.m.
Act
Monsignor Francisco Cases Andreu (Alicante, 1944) comes from the Diocese of Albacete, where he has been Bishop for the last nine years. From there, about 60 priests and a good number of lay people have come to today's event. From Tenerife, about 40 priests and three bishops: the current Bishop, Bernardo Alvarez, and the two emeritus bishops, Felipe Fernández and Damián Yguacén.
The celebration of this inauguration has been presided over by the Pope's Nuncio, Monsignor Manuel Monteiro de Castro. In addition to Ramón Echarren, currently Apostolic Administrator Bishop, there has been the presence of personalities from the Spanish Church such as: the Cardinal Archbishop of Seville, Carlos Amigo; the Cardinal Emeritus of Toledo, Francisco Alvarez; the Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela Julián Barrio; the Archbishop of Toledo, Antonio Cañizares; the Archbishop of Granada, Javier Martínez Fernández; and the president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Ricardo Blázquez.
In addition to the bishops of Tenerife, there were 15 other bishops from the Peninsula at the celebration, and various civil and military authorities.
The inauguration ceremony began at 5:00 p.m. at the Bishopric, during a private event, where the new Bishop met with the College of Consultors and before which the apostolic letters were read. Then, Monsignor Cases went to the Cathedral where the Dean and the Cathedral Chapter were waiting for him and accompanied him, in procession, to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, to make a brief prayer, a moment that was accompanied by applause by the faithful already gathered.
From there they moved to the House of the Church, on Dr. Chil Street, where the other concelebrating bishops and priests were waiting to begin the entrance procession that left from there at 6:00 p.m. to go to the Cathedral.
