![\"\"](\"http:\/\/insidethevatican.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Silent-Night-2014.12.png\")
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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>A sheet containing the first verse of the hymn <\/em>Silent Night prepared for a Christmas dinner in Washington, D.C. in December 2014, more than nine years ago<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>I received in my email today a link<\/em><\/strong><\/a> to the Christmas Homily delivered by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigan\u00f2<\/strong>, 82, in commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ 2023 years ago in Bethlehem in Judea.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Despite the many polemics surrounding the archbishop on all sides of the Catholic spectrum (see, for example, link<\/strong><\/a>), this homily has nothing in it of Church polemics.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>As is appropriate for Christmas, it focuses on the meaning of Christ’s Incarnation, and why that meaning gives supreme hope to mankind, always…<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>***<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The homily’s title words are “For love has made you now become poor” \u2014 the final line of Italy’s most popular Christmas hymn: “Tu scendi dalle stelle<\/em>” (“You descend from the stars,” written in 1732 in Nola, Italy, by St. Alphonsus Liguori<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Here is a beautiful performance of the hymn by the blind Italian singer Andrea Bocelli<\/strong> (link<\/strong><\/a>).<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>He says it was the first Christmas hymn he ever learned, and his favorite. You may listen to him sing the hymn and follow it by reading the text below.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>You come down from the stars, O King of heaven \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>And come to a cave in the cold and frost \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>And come to a cave in the cold and frost \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>O my divine Child, I see you here trembling \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>O blessed God \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Ah, how much it cost you to have loved us \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Ah, how much it cost you to have loved us \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>To you, who are the Creator of the world \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Clothes and fire are missing, oh my Lord \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Clothes and fire are missing, oh my Lord \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Dear chosen little child, how much this poverty \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The more I fall in love \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Since he made you poor love again \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Since he made you poor love again \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>(The last line is the title of Vigan\u00f2’s Christmas homily).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>***\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>This reminded me of another Christmas hymn.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span> Just before Christmas in 2014, Vigan\u00f2, then nuncio of the Holy See to the United States of America, kindly agreed to host a Christmas gathering for our Urbi et Orbi foundation. (link<\/strong><\/a>)<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>That evening, some 100 Catholic and Orthodox guests were present.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>They came from Russia, Ukraine, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the Philippines, the United States, and other countries as well.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Guests included:<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2014 a Russian, Leonid Sevastianov<\/strong> from Moscow, head of an alliance of Russian Orthodox Old Believers (link<\/strong><\/a>);<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u2014a Ukrainian, Alexander Sigov<\/strong> from Kiev, son of leading Ukrainian Orthodox intellectual Dr. Constantin Sigov<\/strong> (link<\/strong><\/a>);<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2014my son, Christopher Hart-Moynihan<\/strong>, who had just traveled on the Trans-Siberian railroad with his brother, Luke<\/strong>, and come to Rome to meet Pope Francis<\/strong>. (The Pope kindly took time to meet the boys and talk to them in the Domus Santa Martha, where the four of us prayed together for 20 minutes in the chapel. Then he questioned them about their experience, which included playing guitars and singing songs with Russian soldiers, who got on and off the train as it rolled interminably through Asia toward Europe);<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2014 an Orthodox American pastor of St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Riverside, California, Fr. Josiah Trenham<\/strong> (link<\/strong><\/a>);<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2014 the Irish Bishop Brian Farrell<\/strong>, 79, a key official for many years in the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Unity of Christians, the Vatican’s office for dialogue with the Orthodox;<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2014 his younger brother, Irish Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell<\/strong>, 76, formerly the Archbishop of Dallas, Texas, later head of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, now the Camerlengo of the Holy See, the man who will organize the next conclave.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>We prepared a sheet of the first verse of Silent Night<\/em> in five languages: English, Italian, Russian, Greek, and Ukrainian.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>That evening, all together (though somewhat haltingly, reading from the sheets and helping one another), we 100 from many countries sang the first verse of Silent Night<\/em> in five languages, recalling the coming into the world of the Prince of Peace, sharing together the hope, expressed in the hymn, that the little baby \u2014 and also all human babies \u2014 might “sleep in heavenly peace.” –RM<\/em><\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>P.S. Here are two links I offer to you for your enjoyment and comment.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The first is to a number of brief videos I have done and posted on our Instagram pilgrimage website, two of which have (quite unexpectedly) gained more than 1 million views. (link<\/strong><\/a>)<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The second is to a series of readings of the story of the 4th Wise Man read by my son, Christopher. The reading is done well and deserves a wider audience (link<\/strong><\/a>).<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>P.S.S. Any donation to support this letter is appreciated: <\/em>here<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Letter #183, 2023, Thursday, December 28: Memory of a Hymn<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Tu scendi dalle stelle <\/em>(English and Italian):<\/h4>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Tu scendi dalle stelle, o Re del cielo<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>E vieni in una grotta al freddo e al gelo<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>E vieni in una grotta al freddo e al gelo<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>O Bambino mio divino, io ti vedo qui a tremar<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>O Dio beato<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Ah, quanto ti cost\u00f2 l’averci amato<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Ah, quanto ti cost\u00f2 l’averci amato<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>A te, che sei del mondo il Creatore<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Mancano panni e fuoco, o mio Signore<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Mancano panni e fuoco, o mio Signore<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Caro eletto pargoletto quanto questa povert\u00e0<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Pi\u00f9 m’innamora<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Giacch\u00e9 ti fece amor povero ancora<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Giacch\u00e9 ti fece amor povero ancora<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n