Vatican City, 30 December 2022 -- Exactly on the 400th anniversary day of St Francis de Sales’ death (28 December 2022) Pope Francis published his Apostolic Letter Totum Amoris Est (Everything Pertains to Love). Our present Pontiff continues the tradition since last century.
- in 1923: On the 300th death anniversary, Pope Pius XI, declared St Francis de Sales as the 'Saint Patron of all Writers' in his Encyclical
- in 1967: St Paul VI highlighted his model for the ways of ecumenism and his Christ-centered 'super-humanism' in his Apostolic Letter on the 400th anniversary of St Francis’ Birthday.
- in 2002: St John Paul II in his letter on the 400th anniversary of our Saint bishop's ordination, to the bishop of Annecy stressed his wish to spread the true 'Salesian spirituality' of watchful faith in the world of today.
The Apostolic Letter highlights the Life of the 'Salesian' Saint who died in Lyons on 28 December 1622 and is divided into the following sections, the longest being about 'The ecstasy of life':
The criterion of love
Early education: the adventure of coming to know oneself in God
The discovery of a new world
Charity does everything for her children
The demand of an epochal shift
Wind and wings
True devotion
The ecstasy of life
We could take these few page during these last days of this 'Salesian Year' (and beyond) to deepen our Salesian convictions and find some renewed inspirations.
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