Focusing on charity, Cardinal Levada takes possession of Rome church

Published: 2006-03-27

ROME (CNS) -- Sealing his ties with the church of Rome, U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, told parishioners he hoped to grow in love and charity with them. In a brief ceremony and Mass March 26, Cardinal Levada formally "took possession" of the Church of St. Mary in Domnica. Known as one of Rome's ancient "diaconal churches," it is built on the site of one of the early Christian house churches, which later became a center for the distribution for food and clothing to the poor. Each new cardinal technically becomes a member of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, being assigned a church in the city as a sign of his call to collaborate in the ministry of the pope, the bishop of Rome. Cardinal Levada began his homily by addressing the parishioners in Italian. He told them he knew how much chaos the day's Rome marathon had created for the city's traffic and promised to speak only briefly because he did not "want to start another marathon."

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