September 1
Double-Thanksgiving Celebration
Greetings of Apostolic Delegate Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio
Dear Brother Archbishop John,
For me, it is a great joy to be present today, a historical day for the People of God in Kota Kinabalu, to witness the erection of Kota Kinabalu as Archbishop and the elevation of you, dear brother, as its first archbishop.
Congratulations!
It is a "double feast" for you, dear brother in the episcopate, and for the newly erected Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu with the two suffragan dioceses of Keningau and Sandakan.
As Pope Benedict XVI said during the Holy Mass for the conferral of pallium on 29 June 2008,
"The pallium becomes the symbol of our love for Christ the Good Shepherd and of our loving together with him - it becomes the symbol of the vocation to love people as he does, together with him; those who are sure of themselves and the humble, the simple and the great; he becomes a symbol of the call to love all of them with the power of Christ and in view of Christ, so that they may find him and in him find themselves.
These exhortations of the Holy Father have already been integrated and depicted in your motto, "Love one another" as you lovingly serve the flock of Jesus Christ.
Dear Brother Archbishop John and faithful of Kota Kinabalu,
I wish all of you once again "Congratulations" as I assure you of my fraternal support and sincere heartfelt prayers.
Now I have the great honour to read the English translation of the Papal Bull.