At 7:35am this morning (1:35am EDT), the Holy Father, Pope Francis departed from Rome's Ciampino International Airport and travelled to Alessano (Lecce), in the Diocese of Ugento-Santa Maria di Leuca, and to Molfetta (Bari) in the Diocese of Molfetta-Ruvo-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi, where the 25th anniversary of the death of His Excellency, Tonino Bello is being observed. The aircraft landed at the Fortunato Cesari military airport in Galatina, and the Pope then immediately departed aboard a helicopter for Alessano.
Upon his arrival in the parking lot adjacent to the Alessano cemetery, the Pope was welcomed by His Excellency, Vito Angiuli, Bishop of Ugento-Santa Maria di Leuca, and by the Mayor of Alessano, Francesca Torsello.
The Holy Father made his way to the tomb of Bishop Tonino Bello for a moment of prayer; then he greeted some members of the Servant of God's family.
The Pope then went to the square located beside the cemetery where he met with the faithful. Following some words of greeting offered by His Excellency, Vito Angiuli, the Holy Father offered his speech. After his speech, Pope Francis greeted some of the faithful.
At 10:15am local time (4:15am EDT), the helicopter carrying the Holy Father departed and made its way to Molfetta.
Dear brothers and sisters,
I have come as a pilgrim to this land which gave birth to the Servant of God Tonino Bello. I have just prayed at his tomb, which does not rise as a monument toward the skies, but is truly planted in the earth: Father Tonino, planted in his land - like a seed that is planted - seems to be telling us how much he loved this territory. I want to reflect on this, evoking first of all a few of his words of gratitude: Thank you, my land, small and poor, which saw me born poor like you but that, precisely for this reason, you gave me the incomparable treasure of understanding the poor and of being able to serve them today (Grazie, Chiesa di Alessano, La terra dei miei sogni. Bagliori di luce dagli scritti ugentini, 2014, 477).
For him, it was a real wealth to understand the poor, it also meant that he was able to understand his mother; his wealth was his ability to understand the poor. He was right, because the poor are truly the treasure of the Church. Remember this: Don Tonino, when faced with the recurring temptation to follow behind the powerful people of his day, to seek out privileges, to settle for a comfortable life. The gospel - he would often recall it at Christmas and at Easter - calls us to a life that is sometimes uncomfortable, because those who follow Jesus must love the poor and the humble. This is what the Teacher did, this is what his Mother proclaimed, praising God for he had cast the powerful from their thrones, and raised up the humble (Lk 1:52). A Church that has the poor at heart will always remain tuned into the inspirations of God, will never lose the frequency of the gospel and will always feel the need to return to the essential in order to consistently profess that the Lord is the only true good.
Father Tonino reminds us not to theorize about being close to the poor, but to be close to them, like Jesus, who for our sake, as rich as he was, became poor (cf 2 Cor 8:9). Father Tonino felt the need to imitate Jesus, to get involved in the first person, to the point of abandoning himself. Requests from others did not bother him, he was wounded by indifference. He was not afraid to be without money, but he was concerned about the uncertainty of work, a problem that is still current today. He never lost an opportunity to affirm the fact that it is of primary importance that we all work with dignity, not for the profit that comes from greed. He did not hold people's hands: acting locally in order to sow peace globally, in the belief that the best way to prevent violence and every form of war is to take care of those who are in need and to promote justice. In fact, if war produces poverty, poverty also produces war (cf Saint John Paul II, If we seek peace, go and meet the poor, Message for the World Day of Peace, 1 January 1993). Therefore, peace begins in our homes, in our streets, in our stores, wherever people form themselves. Father Tonino would say with hope: From every workshop, as one day they came from a workshop in Nazareth, the word of peace comes forth to instil in all humanity a thirst for justice and for new destinies (La terra dei miei sogni, 32).
Dear brothers and sisters, this vocation of peace belongs to your land, to your marvellous frontier land - finis-terrae - that Don Tonino called earth-window, because from the South of Italy it opens up to the many Souths of the world, where the poor are always more numerous while the rich are always becoming richer and less and less in number (Il pentalogo della speranza, Scritti vari, interviste aggiunte, 2007, 252). You are an open window from which you can observe all the poverty that is imminent in history (La speranza a caro prezzo», Scritti di pace, 1997, 348), but above all, you are a window of hope so that the Mediterranean, the historical cradle of civilization, may never be a strained arc but rather an arc of welcome and peace (cf La profezia oltre la mafia, ivi, 280).
Don Tonino was a man of this place because it was here that his priesthood grew and matured. Here, his vocation blossomed: a process that he loved to call evocation - evocation of how madly God prefers, one by one, our fragile lives; an echo of his voice of love that speaks to us every day; called to always go forward, to dream with bravado, to decentralize our existence and place it at the service of others; an invitation to always trust in God, the only one who is capable of transforming life into a party. According to Don Tonino, this is what a vocation is: a call to become not only devoted faithful members of the Church but true and proper lovers of the Lord, with the ardour of the dream, the momentum of the gift, the audacity of not settling for half measures. Because when the Lord sets our hearts on fire, hope cannot be extinguished. When the Lord asks for a yes, we cannot reply with a maybe. It would be good, not only for young people but for all of us, for all those who are seeking meaning in their lives, to listen to these words of Don Tonino again and again.
In this land, Antonio was born Tonino and became Don Tonino. This name, simple and familiar, which we read on his tombstone, still speaks to us. It speaks of his desire to make himself small in order to be near, to shorten distances, to offer a helping hand. This gesture invites us to a simple but genuine opening of the gospels. Don Tonino strongly recommended this practice, leaving it as his gift to his priests. He would say: Let us love everyone. Let us love them. Let us take them into our embrace. Let us use mercy. We should not always oppose the rigours of the law if we have not first tempered them with doses of tenderness (Torchio e spirito. Omelia per la Messa crismale 1993, Omelie e scritti quaresimali, 2015, 97). These are words that reveal the desire of a Church for the world: not worldliness, but for the world. May the Lord give us this grace: a Church that is not worldly, at the service of everyone. A Church that is concerned with itself and extroverted, extended, not wrapped up in itself (Sacerdoti per il mondo, Cirenei della gioia, 2004, 26); not waiting to receive, but rather to provide first aid; never lost in the nostalgia of the past but lifted up with love for today, following the example of God, who so loved the world (Jn 3:16).
The name of Don Tonino also speaks to us of his healthy allergy to titles and honours, his desire to deprive himself of something for Jesus who had stripped himself of everything, his courage to free himself from what he could remember, signs of power, in order to leave space to be able to leave space for the power of the signs (Dai poveri verso tutti», ivi, 122 ff). Don Tonino certainly did not do this out of convenience or because he was seeking consensus, but because he was moved by the example of the Lord. In the love we have for him we find the strength to rid ourselves of the garments that hinder us from clothing ourselves with service, in order to be a Church of the apron, the only priestly vestment recorded in the gospel (Configurati a Cristo capo e sacerdote, ivi, 61).
From this beloved land of his, what else can Don Tonino say to us? This believer with his feet on the ground and his eyes fixed on Heaven, has above all a heart that connects Heaven with earth, and has coined, among the many phrases, an original word that gives each of us a great mission. He loved to say that we Christians should be contempl-actives, which is to say that we should be people who are ready to set out from contemplation and allow our own dynamism to flow, our commitment to action (Configurati a Cristo capo e sacerdote», ivi, 55), people who never separate prayer from action. Dear Don Tonino, you warned us to immerse ourselves in the whirlwind of action without planting ourselves in front of the tabernacle, in order not to deceive ourselves into working in vain for the Kingdom (cf Contempl-attivi nella ferialità quotidiana, Non c’è fedeltà senza rischio, 2000, 124; «Soffrire le cose di Dio e soffrire le cose dell’uomo», Cirenei della gioia, 81-82). And we could ask ourselves, if we start from the tabernacle or from our own selves. We can also ask ourselves if, once we have set out, we continue walking; if, like Mary, Woman of the journey, we get up and go out in order to serve others, every one. If I were to ask, we ought to feel ashamed of our lack of mobility and our continual justifications. Then give us back to our exalted vocations; help us to always be more and more a contemplative Church, in love with God and impassioned by mankind!
Dear brothers and sisters, in every age, the Lord places along the path of the Church witnesses who embody the good news of Easter, prophets of hope for the future of all people. From your land, God as caused one such to rise, as a gift and a prophet for our times. And God's desire is that his gift may be welcomed, that his prophecy may come to pass. Do not be content simply to write down good memories, let us not be limited to past nostalgia or even idle chatter about the present or about our fears for the future. Let us imitate Don Tonino, let us allow ourselves to be transported by his youthful Christian zeal, let us listen for his urgent invitation to live the Gospel without compromise. His is an urgent invitation offered to each of us and to the entire Church. Truly, he will help us to spread the fragrant joy of the gospel today.
Now, all together, let us pray to Our Lady and afterwards I will give you my blessing, ok?
(Ave Maria and blessing)
Upon his arrival in the parking lot adjacent to the Alessano cemetery, the Pope was welcomed by His Excellency, Vito Angiuli, Bishop of Ugento-Santa Maria di Leuca, and by the Mayor of Alessano, Francesca Torsello.
The Holy Father made his way to the tomb of Bishop Tonino Bello for a moment of prayer; then he greeted some members of the Servant of God's family.
The Pope then went to the square located beside the cemetery where he met with the faithful. Following some words of greeting offered by His Excellency, Vito Angiuli, the Holy Father offered his speech. After his speech, Pope Francis greeted some of the faithful.
At 10:15am local time (4:15am EDT), the helicopter carrying the Holy Father departed and made its way to Molfetta.
Speech of His Holiness, Pope Francis
during the meeting with the faithful at Alessano
Dear brothers and sisters,
I have come as a pilgrim to this land which gave birth to the Servant of God Tonino Bello. I have just prayed at his tomb, which does not rise as a monument toward the skies, but is truly planted in the earth: Father Tonino, planted in his land - like a seed that is planted - seems to be telling us how much he loved this territory. I want to reflect on this, evoking first of all a few of his words of gratitude: Thank you, my land, small and poor, which saw me born poor like you but that, precisely for this reason, you gave me the incomparable treasure of understanding the poor and of being able to serve them today (Grazie, Chiesa di Alessano, La terra dei miei sogni. Bagliori di luce dagli scritti ugentini, 2014, 477).
For him, it was a real wealth to understand the poor, it also meant that he was able to understand his mother; his wealth was his ability to understand the poor. He was right, because the poor are truly the treasure of the Church. Remember this: Don Tonino, when faced with the recurring temptation to follow behind the powerful people of his day, to seek out privileges, to settle for a comfortable life. The gospel - he would often recall it at Christmas and at Easter - calls us to a life that is sometimes uncomfortable, because those who follow Jesus must love the poor and the humble. This is what the Teacher did, this is what his Mother proclaimed, praising God for he had cast the powerful from their thrones, and raised up the humble (Lk 1:52). A Church that has the poor at heart will always remain tuned into the inspirations of God, will never lose the frequency of the gospel and will always feel the need to return to the essential in order to consistently profess that the Lord is the only true good.
Father Tonino reminds us not to theorize about being close to the poor, but to be close to them, like Jesus, who for our sake, as rich as he was, became poor (cf 2 Cor 8:9). Father Tonino felt the need to imitate Jesus, to get involved in the first person, to the point of abandoning himself. Requests from others did not bother him, he was wounded by indifference. He was not afraid to be without money, but he was concerned about the uncertainty of work, a problem that is still current today. He never lost an opportunity to affirm the fact that it is of primary importance that we all work with dignity, not for the profit that comes from greed. He did not hold people's hands: acting locally in order to sow peace globally, in the belief that the best way to prevent violence and every form of war is to take care of those who are in need and to promote justice. In fact, if war produces poverty, poverty also produces war (cf Saint John Paul II, If we seek peace, go and meet the poor, Message for the World Day of Peace, 1 January 1993). Therefore, peace begins in our homes, in our streets, in our stores, wherever people form themselves. Father Tonino would say with hope: From every workshop, as one day they came from a workshop in Nazareth, the word of peace comes forth to instil in all humanity a thirst for justice and for new destinies (La terra dei miei sogni, 32).
Dear brothers and sisters, this vocation of peace belongs to your land, to your marvellous frontier land - finis-terrae - that Don Tonino called earth-window, because from the South of Italy it opens up to the many Souths of the world, where the poor are always more numerous while the rich are always becoming richer and less and less in number (Il pentalogo della speranza, Scritti vari, interviste aggiunte, 2007, 252). You are an open window from which you can observe all the poverty that is imminent in history (La speranza a caro prezzo», Scritti di pace, 1997, 348), but above all, you are a window of hope so that the Mediterranean, the historical cradle of civilization, may never be a strained arc but rather an arc of welcome and peace (cf La profezia oltre la mafia, ivi, 280).
Don Tonino was a man of this place because it was here that his priesthood grew and matured. Here, his vocation blossomed: a process that he loved to call evocation - evocation of how madly God prefers, one by one, our fragile lives; an echo of his voice of love that speaks to us every day; called to always go forward, to dream with bravado, to decentralize our existence and place it at the service of others; an invitation to always trust in God, the only one who is capable of transforming life into a party. According to Don Tonino, this is what a vocation is: a call to become not only devoted faithful members of the Church but true and proper lovers of the Lord, with the ardour of the dream, the momentum of the gift, the audacity of not settling for half measures. Because when the Lord sets our hearts on fire, hope cannot be extinguished. When the Lord asks for a yes, we cannot reply with a maybe. It would be good, not only for young people but for all of us, for all those who are seeking meaning in their lives, to listen to these words of Don Tonino again and again.
In this land, Antonio was born Tonino and became Don Tonino. This name, simple and familiar, which we read on his tombstone, still speaks to us. It speaks of his desire to make himself small in order to be near, to shorten distances, to offer a helping hand. This gesture invites us to a simple but genuine opening of the gospels. Don Tonino strongly recommended this practice, leaving it as his gift to his priests. He would say: Let us love everyone. Let us love them. Let us take them into our embrace. Let us use mercy. We should not always oppose the rigours of the law if we have not first tempered them with doses of tenderness (Torchio e spirito. Omelia per la Messa crismale 1993, Omelie e scritti quaresimali, 2015, 97). These are words that reveal the desire of a Church for the world: not worldliness, but for the world. May the Lord give us this grace: a Church that is not worldly, at the service of everyone. A Church that is concerned with itself and extroverted, extended, not wrapped up in itself (Sacerdoti per il mondo, Cirenei della gioia, 2004, 26); not waiting to receive, but rather to provide first aid; never lost in the nostalgia of the past but lifted up with love for today, following the example of God, who so loved the world (Jn 3:16).
The name of Don Tonino also speaks to us of his healthy allergy to titles and honours, his desire to deprive himself of something for Jesus who had stripped himself of everything, his courage to free himself from what he could remember, signs of power, in order to leave space to be able to leave space for the power of the signs (Dai poveri verso tutti», ivi, 122 ff). Don Tonino certainly did not do this out of convenience or because he was seeking consensus, but because he was moved by the example of the Lord. In the love we have for him we find the strength to rid ourselves of the garments that hinder us from clothing ourselves with service, in order to be a Church of the apron, the only priestly vestment recorded in the gospel (Configurati a Cristo capo e sacerdote, ivi, 61).
From this beloved land of his, what else can Don Tonino say to us? This believer with his feet on the ground and his eyes fixed on Heaven, has above all a heart that connects Heaven with earth, and has coined, among the many phrases, an original word that gives each of us a great mission. He loved to say that we Christians should be contempl-actives, which is to say that we should be people who are ready to set out from contemplation and allow our own dynamism to flow, our commitment to action (Configurati a Cristo capo e sacerdote», ivi, 55), people who never separate prayer from action. Dear Don Tonino, you warned us to immerse ourselves in the whirlwind of action without planting ourselves in front of the tabernacle, in order not to deceive ourselves into working in vain for the Kingdom (cf Contempl-attivi nella ferialità quotidiana, Non c’è fedeltà senza rischio, 2000, 124; «Soffrire le cose di Dio e soffrire le cose dell’uomo», Cirenei della gioia, 81-82). And we could ask ourselves, if we start from the tabernacle or from our own selves. We can also ask ourselves if, once we have set out, we continue walking; if, like Mary, Woman of the journey, we get up and go out in order to serve others, every one. If I were to ask, we ought to feel ashamed of our lack of mobility and our continual justifications. Then give us back to our exalted vocations; help us to always be more and more a contemplative Church, in love with God and impassioned by mankind!
Dear brothers and sisters, in every age, the Lord places along the path of the Church witnesses who embody the good news of Easter, prophets of hope for the future of all people. From your land, God as caused one such to rise, as a gift and a prophet for our times. And God's desire is that his gift may be welcomed, that his prophecy may come to pass. Do not be content simply to write down good memories, let us not be limited to past nostalgia or even idle chatter about the present or about our fears for the future. Let us imitate Don Tonino, let us allow ourselves to be transported by his youthful Christian zeal, let us listen for his urgent invitation to live the Gospel without compromise. His is an urgent invitation offered to each of us and to the entire Church. Truly, he will help us to spread the fragrant joy of the gospel today.
Now, all together, let us pray to Our Lady and afterwards I will give you my blessing, ok?
(Ave Maria and blessing)
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