In the land of Moravia, where Saints Cyril and Methodius once walked, where they worked at evangelizing the nations, where they worked out the Cyrilic alphabet which is still in use today, the Holy Father celebrated Mass this morning with Cardinals, bishops, priests, religious and faithful lay people on the grounds of the Turany Airport in Brno.
And there's also video coverage provided by CTV (Vatican Television) of the Sunday homily being delivered, if you want to hear it in person. From this person's reading, it looks as though the liturgical gurus in the Vatican have changed the readings of the day. This is a rare occurrence. Usually the texts are the same throughout the world, but in this case, the Holy Father is celebrating a special Mass for a people who have for too long been isolated and left to languish. The purpose of this voyage is to reassure them that they are united in joy and suffering with the Successor of Peter.
At the conclusion of the outdoor Mass, the Holy Father led the recitation of the Angelus, and as is his custom, addressed the crowds with words of encouragement. His Holiness acknowledged the presence of pilgrims not only from Moravia, but from the surrounding countries including Poland and Slovakia, and renewed his invitation to all the gathered crowds 'to remain faithful to your Christian vocation and to the Gospel, so as to build together a future of solidarity and peace.'
Before the day is through, His Holiness will also meet with members of other Christian denominations, and with members of the academic community.
No comments:
Post a Comment