On the night of this Sunday, May 27, Feast of the Holy Trinity, took place the Solemn Mass of Episcopal Consecration of Monsignor Silvano Pedroso Montalvo in the S.M.I. Cathedral of Havana, on this occasion crowded by the faithful of the archdiocese and guests of the eastern end of the country.
Monsignor Juan García, consecrated bishop, asked the chosen one for his willingness to be faithful to the Gospel and to the new mission that the Church bestows upon him. For his part, the secretary of the nunciature in Cuba, Fr. José Manuel Alcaide Borreguero, read the Apostolic Mandate issued by Pope Francis and Msgr. Rodolfo Loiz Morales showed the Papal Bula.
As part of the ritual of celebration, the bishop-elect fell down at the altar and the Litanies of the Saints and Blesseds were sung. Then, in solemn moment, the consecrated bishop laid his hands on the head of the chosen one, a gesture continued by the other bishops present. Afterwards, the new consecrated bishop was anointed with the Holy Crisma, received the Gospels and the insignia of his episcopal office: the ring, the mitre and the pastoral staff.
The Diocese of Guantanamo-Baracoa will be the fate of the new member of the Order of Bishops. A mission not planned by Msgr. Silvano, who acknowledged to the general public that “God’s plans are not ours.”
In his words of thanks, the prelated confessed that he had planned since January of this year to go to work on a new mission to the neighboring diocese of Matanzas. On this confession, which surprised many, he said, “I felt that the Lord called me to team up with other priests in a parish in Matanzas, but as several friends have told me these days: ‘If you want God to make fun of you, tell him your plans.’ And I told them.”
He also rewarded Msgr. Alfredo Petit, co-consecrated bishop with Msgr. Dionisio García, who was the first priest he met and from whom he received the Sacrament of Communion. He also thanked all those who have accompanied him in his ministry and those who, coming from afar, wished to celebrate his joy, especially Archbishop Thomas Wensky, Archbishop of Miami, Octavio Cisneros, Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn and Roberto González Nieves, Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Archbishop Silvano succeeds the now Metropolitan Archbishop of Camaguey, Msgr. Wilfredo Pino, who previously presided over the diocese. With his episcopal motto “Love as I have loved you” (Jn. 15:12), the new purpurado will go to the eastern lands to continue sowing love and throwing away the nets of hope as his Master.
The inauguration in his new diocese will be on Saturday, June 9 at 10 a.m. in the Cathedral of Santa Catalina de Ricci. Let us pray for the new bishop and his faithful.
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