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In May 2019, the Italian Chapter of the Crabtree Foundation
sent the Australian Chapter copies of their 2019 Oration, and included a
copy of a letter from the Vatican to their Foundation.
The letter is a response to an invitation to the Pope to
attend the Crabtree Oration. (Click
here
to see a larger copy of the letter.)
The text of the letter is:
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Dato presso la Città del Vaticano il 15 maggio 2019
Gentile Presidente,
Sua Santità ha accolto con vivo apprezzamento l'invito e mi prega di fare pervenire a Lei e agli Scholar tutti il rammarico di non potere condividere la pregevole Orazione e l'illuminante serata. Nel corso del suo pontificato, Papa Francesco ha più volte ricordato con ammirazione la figura di Joseph Crabtree, talora da Lui definito un santo laico: il travaglio del genere umano sarebbe stato ben più penoso senza la presenza di apostoli di alta scienza e profonda spiritualità quali il Nostro.
Il Pontefice invia la Sua benedizione e non dimenfica di pregare per ciascuno dei
presenti e per Joseph Crabtree.
Mons. Peter B. Wells
Assessore
Prof. Claudio Di Benedetto
Presidente del Capitolo Italiano
Joseph Crabtree Foundation
Firenze
A rough translation of the letter is:
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My Dear President,
His Holiness welcomed the invitation with deep appreciation and asked
me to convey to you and to the Scholars his deep regrets for not being
able to share the valuable Oration and the enlightening evening.
During his pontificate, Pope Francis has repeatedly recalled with
admiration the figure of Joseph Crabtree, whom he sometimes defines as
a lay saint: the travails of the human race would have been much more
painful without the presence of such an apostle of high science and
profound spirituality.
The Pope sends his blessing and does not forget to pray for everyone
present and for Joseph Crabtree.
Mons. Peter B. Wells
Councillor
What a wonderful endorsement of Crabtree! "Lay saint". "Apostle of
high science". And this from the Pope himself in what is surely a Papal Bull.
Elders and Scholars of the Foundation throughout the world should
rejoice at such a recognition of his virtues. Perhaps canonization,
or at the very least beatification, will follow.
Footnote
Close observers of the Church will doubtless be aware that
the Monsignor Peter Wells who signed the letter is
a prominent American clergyman who for many years was a senior
diplomat at the Vatican. Monsignor Wells was consecrated a bishop in 2016
and appointed
resident papal nuncio in South Africa. One can only marvel at Bishop
Wells' time-travelling skills which enabled him to be back signing letters
in the Vatican in his old rank and position some three years later.
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