“On Saturday evening June 28, Pope Benedict XVI opened the Pauline Year at the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (see TLIC’s July 2, 2008 edition). From now till June 29, 2009, the whole Church will honor St. Paul, the great Apostle to the gentiles, on the 2,000th anniversary of his birth. It will be an opportunity for us as Church to re-read and reflect on Paul’s letters, that extraordinary body of teaching that illumines every facet of the revelation of Jesus Christ. This year is, then, an invitation from the Holy Father to all of us to deepen our appreciation for the great preacher of the Truth who brought the message of Jesus Christ to every corner of the known world and who gave his life as a martyr of the faith around 67 A.D. in Rome at a site known as Tre Taverne.

His body was buried on the Via Ostiense outside the city walls not far from the pyramid of Cestius which can still be seen today. It was the Roman custom to bury the dead outside the city along the great consular roads that led from the city to every part of the Roman world. Great pyramids and family tombs and mausolea lined these roads. In between the great family monuments were smaller and humbler spaces for the common folk, which then would have included most, but not all, of the disciples of Jesus who made up the Church at Rome. There Paul was buried, and the site of his burial quickly became a gathering spot for the nascent Church whose members went to pray and leave offerings in honor of Paul, the apostle and martyr. In the fourth century, first the Emperor Constantine, then the Popes Theodosius and Honorius built the first basilicas over the tomb of St. Paul. Today the great papal basilica, rebuilt after the tragic fire of 1823, is one of the four major papal basilicas and a place of pilgrimage that attracts thousands of pious men and women daily.

When Pope Benedict celebrated evening prayer last week to open the Pauline Year, he had beside him the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I. Together they led the prayer service which included representatives from the major Churches and ecclesial communities of east and west. Both pope and patriarch spoke about the Pauline Year. Both blessed the congregation at the end of the service. Thus the Pauline Year has been opened by a significant ecumenical gesture that will give shape and impetus to the year as it unfolds.

That ecumenical encounter was deepened further on the next day, The Solemnity of SS. Peter and Paul. At the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, the two Church leaders, Benedict and Bartholomew, both blessed the congregation with the Gospel books of the other’s Liturgy; both preached, and one after the other blessed the faithful at the end of Mass. I had the privilege of speaking for a few moments with the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of North America, Demetrios. A Pauline scholar whom I have known for some years, he agreed to come to our seminary in the fall to offer the Cardinal Bevilacqua Lecture on themes in Paul’s writings for the priests, seminarians and laity involved in theological education and formation of our diocese.

During his homily Pope Benedict offered us a virtual primer on Pauline theology. He set forth the major themes in Paul’s letters and, as he did so, he opened up to us all the extraordinary richness of Paul’s thought, so faithful to Christ, so central for our understanding of the faith. The Holy Father plans to continue these reflections at his Wednesday audiences.

In our diocese, we are planning a spiritual pilgrimage and retreat for priests next February. Organized by Msgr. James McNamara of Holy Cross Parish, Nesconset, the retreat will take place in Greece and Rome. Bishop Emil Wcela, another expert on Paul’s writings, will offer reflections on Paul and his letters for the priests who make this pilgrimage with us. I am hopeful we also will be able to meet with some leaders of the Greek Orthodox Church in Greece as well as some experts on Paul at the Roman universities. We will also be celebrating Mass daily, of course, with one of our places being the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls where the abbot, Edmund Power, will concelebrate with us and preach.

Here on Long Island there will be special events that are now in the planning. It is my prayer that all of us, during this Pauline Year, might come to know better the fascinating person of Paul of Tarsus as we also deepen our understanding of his teaching that will lead us all into a deeper living out of our faith thanks to the Apostle of the Gentiles, the great Preacher of the Truth. He proclaimed Christ crucified and formed Churches throughout the Roman empire. St. Paul’s only desire was to know Him in whom he had placed his trust so that he, Paul, could live no longer for himself but for Christ Jesus who gave His life as a ransom for us all.