At 5:30pm today, in the church of Saint Gregory VII in Rome, the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with a group of people who were participating in a Prayer Vigil which was organized by the Libera Foundation in recognition of the XIX Day of Remembrance and Commitment, recalling the innocent victims of the mafia. There were more than seven hundred families in attendance.
The meeting began with a greeting from Father Luigi Ciotti, who founded Libera, and the reading of the names of about nine hundred victims.
Following the proclamation of the Gospel of the Beatitudes, Pope Francis offered a few words to those who were present.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Thank you for having made this stop in Rome; it gives me an opportunity to meet with you, before the vigil and the Day of Remembrance and Commitment that will be lived tonight and tomorrow in Latina. I wish to thank Father Luigi Ciotti and his collaborators, and also the Franciscan Fathers of this parish. I also wish to greet the Bishop of Latina, His Excellency, Mariano Crociata who is here tonight. Thank you, Your Excellency.
The desire I feel in my heart is to share with you a hope, and it is this: that the sense of responsibility might slowly overcome corruption, in every part of the world ... And this should start from within, from our consciences, and from there it will restore, rehabilitate our behaviours, our relationships, our choices, the fabric of society, so that justice will find some space, that this space might grow, take root and replace inequality.
I know that you feel this hope strongly in your hearts, and I want to share it with you, to tell you that I will be close to you tonight and tomorrow in Latina - even if I cannot be there physically, I will be with you on this journey, which requires tenacity and perseverance.
In particular, I want to express my solidarity with all of you who have lost a loved one, victims of mafia violence. Thank you for your witness, because you have not closed yourself off, you remain open, you came here to tell your story of suffering and of hope. This is very important, especially for young people!
I want to pray with you - and my prayer is sincere - for all the victims of mafia violence. Just a few days ago, near Taranto, there was a criminal who showed no mercy, even to a child. But at the same time, we pray together, all of us, asking for the strength to go on, to not be discouraged, but to continue the fight against corruption.
Before I conclude, I must say a word to those who are absent today, to the protagonists who are absent: to the men and women who are part of the mafia. Please, change your lives, repent, please stop, stop the violence! We are praying for you. Repent, I am asking on my knees; it is for your good. This life that you are living now will never bring you happiness, it will never be joyful, you will never be happy. The power, the money that you have now from so many dirty business ventures, from so many mafia criminals, is blood money, is blood power, and you cannot take it with you to the next life. Repent, there is still time, so that you don't end up in Hell. That's what is waiting for you if you continue on this path. You had a daddy and a mommy: think about them. Shed a few tears and repent!
Let us pray together to our Mother Mary, and ask her to help us: Hail Mary ...
The meeting began with a greeting from Father Luigi Ciotti, who founded Libera, and the reading of the names of about nine hundred victims.
Following the proclamation of the Gospel of the Beatitudes, Pope Francis offered a few words to those who were present.
Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis
for the Prayer Vigil with families
of the Libera Foundation
Dear brothers and sisters,
Thank you for having made this stop in Rome; it gives me an opportunity to meet with you, before the vigil and the Day of Remembrance and Commitment that will be lived tonight and tomorrow in Latina. I wish to thank Father Luigi Ciotti and his collaborators, and also the Franciscan Fathers of this parish. I also wish to greet the Bishop of Latina, His Excellency, Mariano Crociata who is here tonight. Thank you, Your Excellency.
The desire I feel in my heart is to share with you a hope, and it is this: that the sense of responsibility might slowly overcome corruption, in every part of the world ... And this should start from within, from our consciences, and from there it will restore, rehabilitate our behaviours, our relationships, our choices, the fabric of society, so that justice will find some space, that this space might grow, take root and replace inequality.
I know that you feel this hope strongly in your hearts, and I want to share it with you, to tell you that I will be close to you tonight and tomorrow in Latina - even if I cannot be there physically, I will be with you on this journey, which requires tenacity and perseverance.
In particular, I want to express my solidarity with all of you who have lost a loved one, victims of mafia violence. Thank you for your witness, because you have not closed yourself off, you remain open, you came here to tell your story of suffering and of hope. This is very important, especially for young people!
I want to pray with you - and my prayer is sincere - for all the victims of mafia violence. Just a few days ago, near Taranto, there was a criminal who showed no mercy, even to a child. But at the same time, we pray together, all of us, asking for the strength to go on, to not be discouraged, but to continue the fight against corruption.
Before I conclude, I must say a word to those who are absent today, to the protagonists who are absent: to the men and women who are part of the mafia. Please, change your lives, repent, please stop, stop the violence! We are praying for you. Repent, I am asking on my knees; it is for your good. This life that you are living now will never bring you happiness, it will never be joyful, you will never be happy. The power, the money that you have now from so many dirty business ventures, from so many mafia criminals, is blood money, is blood power, and you cannot take it with you to the next life. Repent, there is still time, so that you don't end up in Hell. That's what is waiting for you if you continue on this path. You had a daddy and a mommy: think about them. Shed a few tears and repent!
Let us pray together to our Mother Mary, and ask her to help us: Hail Mary ...
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