| Brazil - The Rector Major visits Vitoria |
| Vatican – Fr Scaramussa Auxiliary Bishop of San Paolo |
In order to be present at the ordination yesterday the Rector Major, Fr Pascual Chávez, his Vicar, Fr Adriano Bregolin, Fr Pier Fausto Frisoli, Councillor for the Region Italy – Middle East, Fr Natale Vitali, the new Councillor for America South Cone and Br. Jesus Garcia representing the Social Communication Department of which Bishop Scaramussa was Councillor all left for Brazil.
The motto chosen by Bishop Scaramussa for his episcopate is taken from the Prologue of the Gospel of St John (Jn 1,14) “E habitou entre nos” (And he came to dwell among us) expressing the mystery of the Incarnation and of the Son of God sharing our human nature which also characterises the Salesian pastoral mission.
The episcopal stemma includes the contents of the motto distinctive elements of Salesian spirituality. The blue field symbolises human nature assumed and divinised by the incarnation of Jesus, directed in Hope towards the eternal Kingdom.
Th tent, the house, the tabernacle of God, is represented by two bands of gold indicating the virtue of Faith. The flame on the tent recalls the presence of the Holy Spirit and the passion of the pastoral charity of the Salesian charism for the young.
The presence of Mary, Mother and Teacher of Don Bosco and today of every Salesian, is represented by the white star on the left.
At the bottom of the shield in symbolic form are represented the places in which Bishop Scaramussa has lived: the seas and the mountains of the States of Spirito Santo and Minas Gerais, where he spent a good part of his priestly life. The sea is also a symbol of the vocation received from the Lord who called Bishop Scaramussa to be a pastor in order to evangelise, “Duc in altum – launch into the deep” (Lk 5,4) to cast the net.
The upper part of the shield is silver and represents the virtue of Truth which is transparent. The book of the Sacred Scriptures in red indicates the virtue of Charity, with the letters Alpha and Omega recalling that the Lord is the Beginning and End of everything (Ap 1,8). The ears of corn the symbol of the Eucharistic Bread, iidicate the loviong and constant presence of God who is close to us and dwells among us through the Eucharist.
The ceremony of the enthronement of Bishop Scaramussa will take place on 3 May in the “N. Senhora da Assunção” Metropolitan Cathedral of San Paolo.
Published 18/04/2008
