At 9:10am this morning (3:10am EST), before the General Audience, inside the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with those participating in the pilgrimage from the Archdiocese of Benevento, led by Archbishop Felice Accrocca, returning the apostolic visit which the Pope made to that Archdiocese on 17 March of last year in Pietrelcina on the occasion of the centenary of the apparition of the permanent stigmata on the body of Saint Pio and the 50th anniversary of his death.
At the conclusion of their meeting, the pilgrims were able to participate in the General Audience - which took place in the Paul VI Hall - via video link from the Vatican Basilica.
Good morning! So many of you have come, this is like a canonization! Thank you very much to your bishop, to the mayors, to all of you, thank you for this courtesy, which certainly indicates the subtlety of the soul, thank you.
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am happy to welcome you and to offer to each one of you my cordial greetings. You have come to Rome, with your Pastor, His Excellency, Felice Accrocca, to repay the visit that I had the joy of making when I visited Pietrelcina on 17 March last year, to celebrate the centenary of the apparition of the Padre Pio's permanent stignata and the 50th anniversary of his death.
I would like to renew to all of you my heartfelt thanks for the warm welcome you have given me on that occasion. I cannot forget that day, as I could never forget so many sick people I greeted; that visit has remained in my heart. The memory of that event, charged with ecclesial and spiritual significance, revives in everyone the desire to deepen the life of faith, in the wake of the teachings of your illustrious and holy fellow-countryman Padre Pio. He distinguished himself by firm faith in God, firm hope in the heavenly realities, generous dedication to the people, fidelity to the Church, which he always loved with all its problems and its adversities. I stop a bit to focus on this point. He loved the Church, with so many problems that the Church has, with so many adversities, with so many sinners. Because the Church is holy, she is the bride of Christ, but we, the children of the Church, are all sinners - and some are serious ones! - but he loved the Church as it was, and he did not destroy it with his tongue, as it is fashionable to do now. No! He loved it. The one who loves the Church knows how to forgive, because he knows that he himself is a sinner and needs God's forgiveness. He knows how to fix things, because the Lord wants to settle things well but always with forgiveness: we can not live a whole life accusing, accusing, accusing the Church. The office of the accuser, who is that? Who is what the Bible calls the great accuser? The devil! And those who spend their lives accusing, accusing, accusing, are - I will not say children, because the devil has none - but friends, cousins, relatives of the devil. And no, this is not good, we must point out the defects to correct, but at the moment that the defects are pointed out, the defects are denounced, the Church is loved. Without love, that is from the devil. Saint Padre Pio had both of these, he loved the Church with all its problems and its adversities, complete with the sins of its children. Do not forget this.
I encourage you to understand and accept ever more the love of God, the source and reason for our true joy. We are called to give this life-changing love, especially to the weak and those who are most in need. Each of us, spreading divine charity, contributes to building a more just and supportive world. Following the example of Padre Pio, please, do not grow tired of entrusting yourself to Christ and announcing his goodness and mercy with the witness of your life. This is what men and women in our time also await from the disciples of the Lord. Testimony. Think of Saint Francis - who your Bishop knows well - what did he say to his disciples? Go, testify, words are not necessary. Sometimes we must talk but start with your testimony, live as Christians, testifying that love is more beautiful than hatred, that friendship is more beautiful than enmity, that brotherhood among us is more beautiful than war.
Thank you again for your visit! With all my heart, I impart my blessing to all of you, which I extend to all your families, to your community and to the entire Archdiocese of Benevento. Thank you very much!
At the conclusion of their meeting, the pilgrims were able to participate in the General Audience - which took place in the Paul VI Hall - via video link from the Vatican Basilica.
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
addressed to pilgrims from Benevento
Good morning! So many of you have come, this is like a canonization! Thank you very much to your bishop, to the mayors, to all of you, thank you for this courtesy, which certainly indicates the subtlety of the soul, thank you.
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am happy to welcome you and to offer to each one of you my cordial greetings. You have come to Rome, with your Pastor, His Excellency, Felice Accrocca, to repay the visit that I had the joy of making when I visited Pietrelcina on 17 March last year, to celebrate the centenary of the apparition of the Padre Pio's permanent stignata and the 50th anniversary of his death.
I would like to renew to all of you my heartfelt thanks for the warm welcome you have given me on that occasion. I cannot forget that day, as I could never forget so many sick people I greeted; that visit has remained in my heart. The memory of that event, charged with ecclesial and spiritual significance, revives in everyone the desire to deepen the life of faith, in the wake of the teachings of your illustrious and holy fellow-countryman Padre Pio. He distinguished himself by firm faith in God, firm hope in the heavenly realities, generous dedication to the people, fidelity to the Church, which he always loved with all its problems and its adversities. I stop a bit to focus on this point. He loved the Church, with so many problems that the Church has, with so many adversities, with so many sinners. Because the Church is holy, she is the bride of Christ, but we, the children of the Church, are all sinners - and some are serious ones! - but he loved the Church as it was, and he did not destroy it with his tongue, as it is fashionable to do now. No! He loved it. The one who loves the Church knows how to forgive, because he knows that he himself is a sinner and needs God's forgiveness. He knows how to fix things, because the Lord wants to settle things well but always with forgiveness: we can not live a whole life accusing, accusing, accusing the Church. The office of the accuser, who is that? Who is what the Bible calls the great accuser? The devil! And those who spend their lives accusing, accusing, accusing, are - I will not say children, because the devil has none - but friends, cousins, relatives of the devil. And no, this is not good, we must point out the defects to correct, but at the moment that the defects are pointed out, the defects are denounced, the Church is loved. Without love, that is from the devil. Saint Padre Pio had both of these, he loved the Church with all its problems and its adversities, complete with the sins of its children. Do not forget this.
I encourage you to understand and accept ever more the love of God, the source and reason for our true joy. We are called to give this life-changing love, especially to the weak and those who are most in need. Each of us, spreading divine charity, contributes to building a more just and supportive world. Following the example of Padre Pio, please, do not grow tired of entrusting yourself to Christ and announcing his goodness and mercy with the witness of your life. This is what men and women in our time also await from the disciples of the Lord. Testimony. Think of Saint Francis - who your Bishop knows well - what did he say to his disciples? Go, testify, words are not necessary. Sometimes we must talk but start with your testimony, live as Christians, testifying that love is more beautiful than hatred, that friendship is more beautiful than enmity, that brotherhood among us is more beautiful than war.
Thank you again for your visit! With all my heart, I impart my blessing to all of you, which I extend to all your families, to your community and to the entire Archdiocese of Benevento. Thank you very much!
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