In Rimini Greeting Mass for Bishop Lambiasi
Farewell Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of Riminifor the bishop, Monsignor Francesco Lambiasi that – having reached the age limit – leaves, after 15 yearsthe pastoral guide of the Diocese of the Romagna city he had entered on Saturday September 15, 2007. To greet him – awaiting the inauguration of his successor Monsignor Nicolò Anselmiauxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Genoa, scheduled for Sunday 22 – 120 priests, 40 deacons and three Bishops: Monsignor. Andrea Turazzi, Bishop of San Marino-Montefeltro; monsignor Vanni Tani, apostolic administrator of Urbino-Urbania-S.Angelo in Vado and monsignor Giovanni Peragine, apostolic administrator of southern Albania.
In a crowded basilicaLambiasi has defined “the coincidence between the liturgy in progress and the feast of the ‘baptism’ of Jesus is truly happy and suggestiveand the farewell atmosphere that reigns in this celebration, thrilling and movingwith which – he added – I leave you to take, then, with yourselves the final straight who between two Sundays will lead us to welcome, with open hands and arms wide open, Monsignor Nicolò Anselmi, as the new bishop of our beloved Diocese”.
At the end of his homily, addressing the people of Rimini, the Bishop added: “allow me to take leave of you with a question and a prayer. Doesn’t it seem to you that if we have too little joy, it is because we have too little faith, too little hope, too little charity? But we are announcing an event, and we ask you that the grace of the now imminent arrival of our dearest brother and father, Bishop Nicolò, may also give you a providential stimulus to anticipate the road to our conversion. For this – concluded Lambiasi – I entrust myself to your communion and to you and to my successor I assure you of my poor prayerThe Bishop was given a painting with a selection of photos that summarize his 15 years in Rimini.