ROME: 13th April 2005 -- On Tuesday 12th April the staff and students of the UPS [Salesian Pontifical University] welcomed five of the six Salesian cardinals who gathered in Rome last Friday for the funeral of John Paul II for a service of prayer and reflection.
    Three of the cardinals, Tarcisio Bertone, Archbishop of Genoa, Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and Miguel Obando Bravo, whose resignation as Archbishop of Managua, Nicaragua Pope John Paul accepted a couple of days before his death, will be taking
part in the conclave that begins next Monday. They are all under 80 years of age. Cardinals Jose Castillo Lara of Venezuela and Antonio Javierre Ortas of Spain who were also present are over 80 and
consequently will not be taking part in the election of the new pope. The sixth Salesian cardinal, the Austrian Alfons Stickler, who is well over 80, was unable to attend.
    The cardinals were welcomed to the UPS by the provincial of the Visitatoria, Fr Guiseppe Fr Nicolussi. After his welcome speech delivered in the large chapel located near the entrance to the University, the cardinals, staff and students took part in a 40 minute service of prayer and reflection on the theme, "Duc in altum" - "Launch out into the deep" - a favourite gospel text of Pope John Paul II. The focus was very much on the task facing the cardinals in the choice of the next pope. Reflective prayers specially written for the service made reference to the events at last Friday's funeral.  One prayer was particularly striking: "The book of the gospels, which was placed open on John Paul's coffin, had its pages blown this way and that by the wind. And then, unexpectedly, by the force of the same wind, it was blown shut. Come Holy Spirit, come; because the new pope and the whole People of God must re-open this book of the gospels and make its words, its message, come alive in our time!"
    Cardinal Bertone spoke briefly towards the end of the service and emphasised the need for all members of the Church to pray for the guidance of the Spirit for the cardinals in their important task.
    After the service the cardinals mixed freely for several minutes with all those present before joining the staff of the university for supper. Later in the evening they returned with police escort to the Vatican.

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