At 4:50pm this afternoon (local time), the Holy Father, Pope Francis visited the Cathedral of Mirandola. Upon his arrival, he was welcomed by the Mayor of the city, Doctor Maino Benatti, and by Father Flavio Segalina, Pastor of the Cathedral.
The Pope paused in the Square outside the entrance to the Cathedral, which is still unusable because of damage caused by the earthquake that struck that region in 2012, and shared with people who were gathered there the following speech.
Dear brothers and sisters,
In this city of yours, that still bears visible signs of such a difficult test, I want to embrace you and all the inhabitants of other areas that we struck by the earthquake that struck in May 2012. My venerated predecessor, Benedict XVI, came to visit only a few weeks after that tragic event to bring you the solidarity and his own personal encouragement as well as that of the entire ecclesiastical community. Today, I am among you to confirm the affection of the entire Church and to bear witness to each of you of my closeness and my encouragement for the journey that still remains to be travelled as you rebuild. I offer a cordial greeting to the Pastor of this Diocese, His Excellency, Francesco Cavina, to the Pastor and to the other priests, to the Mayor and to the other Authorities. I renew my appreciation for the members of the Civil Defence, for all the volunteers and for all those who are committed, at various levels, to the work of restoring the buildings and helping to restore community life.
I know very well how the earthquake has affected the human and cultural patrimony of this land of yours. I think of the inconveniences you have suffered: the damage to your homes, to your productive activities, to your churches and to other monuments, rich in history and in art and symbols of spirituality and of the culture of an entire people. But I think above all of the damaged interiors: the suffering of those who have lost their loved ones and those who have lost the results of lifetimes worth of sacrifice. In the days following the earthquake, great admiration was shown to all of you who bore witness to helping others with such dignity and resourcefulness. With spirit of the gospel, you endeavoured to deal with a precarious situation that was caused by the earthquake, recognizing and accepting in the midst of such difficult events, the mysterious presence of a Father who is always loving, even in the midst of the most harsh trials. Wounds have healed, yes, they have healed. But they remain and they will remain for entire lifetimes in scars. Looking at these scars, you have the courage to grow and to help your children to grow in dignity, in strength, in the spirit of hope and in the courage that you have discovered as a result of your wounds.
My wish is that your strength of spirit will never be diminished, that your hope and industriousness will always set you apart. Remain strong in your intent not to give way to discouragement as you face the difficulties that still remain. In fact, much has already been done in the work of reconstruction, but it is more important than ever that you remain committed to rebuilding historical centres: these are the places of historical memory and indispensable places of social and ecclesial life. I am certain that there will be no lack of good will, on the part of all those involved, so that the rapid completion of this necessary work will be completed for the good of all people.
Standing before your Cathedral, a symbolic place of faith and of tradition in this territory which was seriously damaged by the earthquake, I raise - along with you - a fervent prayer to the Lord for the victims of the earthquake, for their families and for all those who are living in precarious situations. May the Lord help them to feel his support! I wanted to leave, on the altar of the Cathedral, a bouquet of flowers in memory of those who were lost in the earthquake.
Dear brothers and sisters, in two weeks time, we will celebrate the Lord's Resurrection. May the strength of the risen Lord support your commitment to completing the reconstruction and enliven your hope. May the Virgin Mary and your patron Saints obtain from the Lord the gift of strength for those people who are still facing trials; may they bring light and strength to your minds and hearts so that you may soon realize how much others are counting on you. Thank you; thank you for the example that you have shown to all of humanity, the example of courage, of carrying on, of dignity. With all my heart, I bestow my blessing upon you all and upon all the people of this land.
(Blessing)
And please, I ask you to pray for me. Thank you.
The Pope paused in the Square outside the entrance to the Cathedral, which is still unusable because of damage caused by the earthquake that struck that region in 2012, and shared with people who were gathered there the following speech.
Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
to the people of Mirandola
Dear brothers and sisters,
In this city of yours, that still bears visible signs of such a difficult test, I want to embrace you and all the inhabitants of other areas that we struck by the earthquake that struck in May 2012. My venerated predecessor, Benedict XVI, came to visit only a few weeks after that tragic event to bring you the solidarity and his own personal encouragement as well as that of the entire ecclesiastical community. Today, I am among you to confirm the affection of the entire Church and to bear witness to each of you of my closeness and my encouragement for the journey that still remains to be travelled as you rebuild. I offer a cordial greeting to the Pastor of this Diocese, His Excellency, Francesco Cavina, to the Pastor and to the other priests, to the Mayor and to the other Authorities. I renew my appreciation for the members of the Civil Defence, for all the volunteers and for all those who are committed, at various levels, to the work of restoring the buildings and helping to restore community life.
I know very well how the earthquake has affected the human and cultural patrimony of this land of yours. I think of the inconveniences you have suffered: the damage to your homes, to your productive activities, to your churches and to other monuments, rich in history and in art and symbols of spirituality and of the culture of an entire people. But I think above all of the damaged interiors: the suffering of those who have lost their loved ones and those who have lost the results of lifetimes worth of sacrifice. In the days following the earthquake, great admiration was shown to all of you who bore witness to helping others with such dignity and resourcefulness. With spirit of the gospel, you endeavoured to deal with a precarious situation that was caused by the earthquake, recognizing and accepting in the midst of such difficult events, the mysterious presence of a Father who is always loving, even in the midst of the most harsh trials. Wounds have healed, yes, they have healed. But they remain and they will remain for entire lifetimes in scars. Looking at these scars, you have the courage to grow and to help your children to grow in dignity, in strength, in the spirit of hope and in the courage that you have discovered as a result of your wounds.
My wish is that your strength of spirit will never be diminished, that your hope and industriousness will always set you apart. Remain strong in your intent not to give way to discouragement as you face the difficulties that still remain. In fact, much has already been done in the work of reconstruction, but it is more important than ever that you remain committed to rebuilding historical centres: these are the places of historical memory and indispensable places of social and ecclesial life. I am certain that there will be no lack of good will, on the part of all those involved, so that the rapid completion of this necessary work will be completed for the good of all people.
Standing before your Cathedral, a symbolic place of faith and of tradition in this territory which was seriously damaged by the earthquake, I raise - along with you - a fervent prayer to the Lord for the victims of the earthquake, for their families and for all those who are living in precarious situations. May the Lord help them to feel his support! I wanted to leave, on the altar of the Cathedral, a bouquet of flowers in memory of those who were lost in the earthquake.
Dear brothers and sisters, in two weeks time, we will celebrate the Lord's Resurrection. May the strength of the risen Lord support your commitment to completing the reconstruction and enliven your hope. May the Virgin Mary and your patron Saints obtain from the Lord the gift of strength for those people who are still facing trials; may they bring light and strength to your minds and hearts so that you may soon realize how much others are counting on you. Thank you; thank you for the example that you have shown to all of humanity, the example of courage, of carrying on, of dignity. With all my heart, I bestow my blessing upon you all and upon all the people of this land.
(Blessing)
And please, I ask you to pray for me. Thank you.
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