Angelus in La Habana

At the conclusion of this morning's Mass in the José Martí Plaza de la Revolución in La Habana (Cuba), after a word of gratitude which was offered by His Eminence, Jaime Lucas Cardinal Ortega y Alamino, Archbishop of that See, and following the final blessing, the Holy Father offered how own words of gratitude and then recited the Angelus.

Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis

prior to the recitation of the Angelus

I thank Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino, Archbishop of La Habana, for his fraternal words, as well as my brother bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful.  I also greet Mister President and all the authorities who are present.

We heard in the gospel today how the disciples were afraid to question Jesus when he spoke about his passion and death.  He frightened them and they could not comprehend the possibility of seeing Jesus suffering on a cross.  We too are tempted to run away from our crosses and from the crosses of others, to distance ourselves from suffering.  At the conclusion of this Mass, during which Jesus was once again given to us in his body and blood, let us now fix our gaze on the Virgin, our Mother.  We ask her to teach us how to remain close to the crosses of our brothers and sisters who are suffering.  May she teach us to see Jesus in every man and woman who is wearied by the road of life; in every brother who is hungry or thirsty, who stripped or imprisoned or sick.  Together with our Mother, beneath the cross, we can understand who is truly the greatest, and what it means to be united with the Lord, taking part in his glory.

Let us learn from Mary how to have hearts that are awake and attentive to the needs of others.  As we were taught at the wedding at Cana, there are reminders in all the little details of life, and we should never stop praying for one another, so that everyone will always have enough of the wine of the new love and joy that Jesus offers us.

At this moment, I feel the need to address my thoughts to the people of the beloved land of Columbia, aware of the crucial importance of the present moment, in which, with renewed strength and moved by hope, her children seek to build a peaceful society.  May the blood spilled by thousands of innocents during the past decades of armed conflict, united to the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross, support all the efforts that are being made, even here on this beautiful island, toward definitive reconciliation.  Thus the long night of suffering and violence, with the will of the Columbians, can be transformed into an unending day of concord, justice, fraternity and love, in respect to institutions, as well as national and international rights, so that peace may endure.  Please, we cannot afford another failure in this journey of peace and reconciliation.  Thank you, Mister President, for all that you are doing in your work for reconciliation.

Now I invite you to join your prayers with Mary, to put all our preoccupations and hopes close to the heart of Christ.  And in a special way, we pray to her for those who have lost hope, and who cannot find reasons to continue their fight; for those who suffer injustice, abandonment and solitude; we pray for the elderly, the sick, children and youth, for all families in difficulty, that Mary may dry their tears, console them with her motherly love, restore their hope and their joy.  Holy Mother, we confide to you these, your Cuban children: never abandon them!

After the final blessing, the Holy Father said:

And please, I ask you, don't forget to pray for me.  Thank you!