At noon today, the Solemnity of Pentecost, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Regina Caeli with the faithful and with pilgrims who had gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the usual Sunday appointment.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
The feast of Pentecost allows us to relive the beginnings of the Church. The book of the Acts of the Apostles says that fifty days after Easter, in the house where the disciples of Jesus were gathered, suddenly there came from the skies a noise like a strong driving wind ... and all were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-2). The disciples were completely transformed by this outpouring: fear was replaced with courage, they were no longer closed in upon themselves but rather began to proclaim and every doubt was cast aside by faith that was filled with love. This was the Church's baptism, which began her journey through history, guided by the strength of the Holy Spirit.
That event, which changed the hearts and the lives of the Apostles and of the other disciples was reflected immediately, outside the Cenacle. In fact, that door that had been kept closed for fifty days was opened and the first Christian community, no longer turned in upon itself, began to speak to the crowds from differing walks of life about the great things that God had done (cf Acts 2:11) ... that is to say the Resurrection of Jesus who had been crucified. Every one of those who was present heard the disciples speaking in their own language. The gift of the Spirit re-establishes harmony among the languages which had been lost at Babel, a prefigurement of the universal dimension of the mission of the apostles. The Church was not born in an isolated fashion, it was born universal, one, Catholic, with a precise identity but open to all, not closed in upon herself, an identity that embraces the entire world, without excluding anyone. The mother Church does not close the doors to anyone, to anyone! Not even to the greatest of sinners, to no one! She is able to do this through the strength she draws from the grace of the Holy Spirit. The mother Church opens, throws her doors open wide to all people because she is a mother.
The Holy Spirit that was poured into the hearts of the disciples at Pentecost is the beginning of a new stage: the stage of bearing witness and of fraternity. It is a stage that comes from on high, from God, like the flame of fire that rested on the head of each of the disciples. It was a flame of love that burns away all bitterness; it was the language of the gospel that crosses all boundaries imposed by humanity and touches the hearts of the multitude, without any distinction based on language, race or nationality. Like that day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is continually pouring even today upon the Church and upon each one of us so that we can overcome our mediocrities and our fears and proclaim the merciful love of the Lord to all the world. To communicate the merciful love of the Lord: this is our mission! Even we have been given the gift of the language of the gospel and the fire of the Holy Spirit so that while we proclaim the risen Christ, who is living and present among us, we may warm our own hearts and the hearts of those who we bring to Him who is the way, the truth and the life.
Let us confide ourselves to the maternal intercession of Blessed Mary, who was present as a mother to all the disciples in the Cenacle; and the mother of the Church, the mother of Jesus became the mother of the Church. We entrust ourselves to her, that the Holy Spirit may descend in abundance upon the Church of our time, filling the hearts of all the faithful and kindling in us the fire of his love.
After the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
With sadness in my heart, I continue to follow very closely the developments concerning the many refugees in the Bay of Bengal and in the Andaman Sea. I am grateful for the efforts being made by many countries who have expressed their willingness to welcome these people who are facing great suffering and danger. I encourage the international community to provide them with humanitarian assistance.
One hundred years ago today, Italy entered into the Great War, the useless slaughter: let us pray for all the victims of war, asking the Holy Spirit to grant them the gift of peace.
Yesterday, in Salvador and in Kenya, a bishop and a Religious Sister were proclaimed Blessed. The first was His Excellency, Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, who was killed for hatred of the faith while he was celebrating the Eucharist. This zealous pastor, following the example of Jesus, chose to be in the midst of his people, especially the poor and the oppressed, even at the cost of his own life. The Religious was Sister Irene Stefani, an Italian from the Consolata Missionaries, who served the Kenyan people with joy, mercy and tender compassion. The heroic example of these Blesseds arouses in each of us the great desire to bear witness to the gospel with courage and self-sacrifice.
I greet you all, dear Romans and pilgrims: families, parish groups and associations. In particular, the faithful who have come from Britain, from Barcellona and from Freiburg, and the choir of boys from Herxheim. I greet the Dominican community of Rome, the faithful from Cervaro (Frosinone), the military from the Air Force stationed at Naples, the Jonica Sacred Choir and confirmation candidates from Pievidizzio (Brescia).
Today, on the Feast of Mary, Help of Christians, I greet the Salesian community: may the Lord grant you the strength to continue the spirit of Saint John Bosco.
To all of you, I wish a good Pentecost Sunday. Please don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Good bye.
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Regina Caeli
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
The feast of Pentecost allows us to relive the beginnings of the Church. The book of the Acts of the Apostles says that fifty days after Easter, in the house where the disciples of Jesus were gathered, suddenly there came from the skies a noise like a strong driving wind ... and all were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-2). The disciples were completely transformed by this outpouring: fear was replaced with courage, they were no longer closed in upon themselves but rather began to proclaim and every doubt was cast aside by faith that was filled with love. This was the Church's baptism, which began her journey through history, guided by the strength of the Holy Spirit.
That event, which changed the hearts and the lives of the Apostles and of the other disciples was reflected immediately, outside the Cenacle. In fact, that door that had been kept closed for fifty days was opened and the first Christian community, no longer turned in upon itself, began to speak to the crowds from differing walks of life about the great things that God had done (cf Acts 2:11) ... that is to say the Resurrection of Jesus who had been crucified. Every one of those who was present heard the disciples speaking in their own language. The gift of the Spirit re-establishes harmony among the languages which had been lost at Babel, a prefigurement of the universal dimension of the mission of the apostles. The Church was not born in an isolated fashion, it was born universal, one, Catholic, with a precise identity but open to all, not closed in upon herself, an identity that embraces the entire world, without excluding anyone. The mother Church does not close the doors to anyone, to anyone! Not even to the greatest of sinners, to no one! She is able to do this through the strength she draws from the grace of the Holy Spirit. The mother Church opens, throws her doors open wide to all people because she is a mother.
The Holy Spirit that was poured into the hearts of the disciples at Pentecost is the beginning of a new stage: the stage of bearing witness and of fraternity. It is a stage that comes from on high, from God, like the flame of fire that rested on the head of each of the disciples. It was a flame of love that burns away all bitterness; it was the language of the gospel that crosses all boundaries imposed by humanity and touches the hearts of the multitude, without any distinction based on language, race or nationality. Like that day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is continually pouring even today upon the Church and upon each one of us so that we can overcome our mediocrities and our fears and proclaim the merciful love of the Lord to all the world. To communicate the merciful love of the Lord: this is our mission! Even we have been given the gift of the language of the gospel and the fire of the Holy Spirit so that while we proclaim the risen Christ, who is living and present among us, we may warm our own hearts and the hearts of those who we bring to Him who is the way, the truth and the life.
Let us confide ourselves to the maternal intercession of Blessed Mary, who was present as a mother to all the disciples in the Cenacle; and the mother of the Church, the mother of Jesus became the mother of the Church. We entrust ourselves to her, that the Holy Spirit may descend in abundance upon the Church of our time, filling the hearts of all the faithful and kindling in us the fire of his love.
After the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
With sadness in my heart, I continue to follow very closely the developments concerning the many refugees in the Bay of Bengal and in the Andaman Sea. I am grateful for the efforts being made by many countries who have expressed their willingness to welcome these people who are facing great suffering and danger. I encourage the international community to provide them with humanitarian assistance.
One hundred years ago today, Italy entered into the Great War, the useless slaughter: let us pray for all the victims of war, asking the Holy Spirit to grant them the gift of peace.
Yesterday, in Salvador and in Kenya, a bishop and a Religious Sister were proclaimed Blessed. The first was His Excellency, Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, who was killed for hatred of the faith while he was celebrating the Eucharist. This zealous pastor, following the example of Jesus, chose to be in the midst of his people, especially the poor and the oppressed, even at the cost of his own life. The Religious was Sister Irene Stefani, an Italian from the Consolata Missionaries, who served the Kenyan people with joy, mercy and tender compassion. The heroic example of these Blesseds arouses in each of us the great desire to bear witness to the gospel with courage and self-sacrifice.
I greet you all, dear Romans and pilgrims: families, parish groups and associations. In particular, the faithful who have come from Britain, from Barcellona and from Freiburg, and the choir of boys from Herxheim. I greet the Dominican community of Rome, the faithful from Cervaro (Frosinone), the military from the Air Force stationed at Naples, the Jonica Sacred Choir and confirmation candidates from Pievidizzio (Brescia).
Today, on the Feast of Mary, Help of Christians, I greet the Salesian community: may the Lord grant you the strength to continue the spirit of Saint John Bosco.
To all of you, I wish a good Pentecost Sunday. Please don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Good bye.
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