New U.S. cardinal says St. Sebastian is reminder of defending faith

Published: 2007-11-28

ROME (CNS) -- Celebrating Mass where St. Sebastian was killed under Roman persecution, U.S. Cardinal John P. Foley said the third-century martyrdom should remind modern Christians of the importance of defending one's faith. St. Sebastian was executed because he refused to renounce his Christian beliefs to the Emperor Diocletian, Cardinal Foley said. Today his witness is a lesson in how pagan civilizations pass from the scene, he said. "False religions will die. The true religion endures. No one can kill the true faith," the cardinal said. Cardinal Foley celebrated Mass Nov. 27 in the Church of St. Sebastian on the Palatine, which was symbolically placed under his pastoral care as part of his elevation to cardinal. The church, whose foundations date back at least to the 10th century, stands amid the ruins of imperial Roman residences. It was built on the site of ancient Rome's Temple of the Unconquered Sun. The small interior was packed with pilgrims from Cardinal Foley's native Philadelphia, including friends, relatives and former classmates.

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