At the conclusion of the Mass for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated in Liberty Square at Castel Gandolfo, the Pastor of the local parish church, Saint Thomas of Villanova, Father Pietro Diletti, SDB offered a word of greeting to the Holy Father in the name of all the parishioners of that parish who had gathered in the square for the celebration of the Mass.
Then the Holy Father led the recitation of the Angelus,
with the faithful and with the pilgrims who were present.
Greetings
of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
Prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters,
At the end of this celebration, we turn to the Virgin
Mary with the prayer of the Angelus. Mary’s path toward heaven began with her yes pronounced in Nazareth, in response
to the heavenly messenger who announced to her the will of God for her. It is always like that: every yes to God is a path toward heaven,
toward eternal life, because that is what God wills: that all his sons should
live life in abundance! God wants all of
us to be with him, in his house!
Unfortunately, there is painful news currently coming
from Egypt. I want to assure the
families of the victims, the wounded and those who are suffering that I am
praying for all of them. Let us pray together
for peace, for dialogue, for reconciliation in that dear land and in the whole
world. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for
us! Let’s all say: Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!
I want to remember the 25th Anniversary of the
publication of Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Mulieris dignitatem on the dignity of the vocation of women. This document is full of ideas which deserve
to be followed up on and developed; at the centre of it all is the image of
Mary, in fact the Letter was published during the Marian Year. Today, we make our own, the prayer which was
written at the end of that Apostolic Letter (cf. n. 31): that, meditating on the biblical mystery of the woman, made visible
in Mary, all women may discover
themselves and their ‘supreme vocation, and that the whole Church may
deepen and better appreciate the great and important role of women.
I thank all of you who are present, residents of Castel
Gandolfo and pilgrims alike! Thank you
to all the residents of Castel Gandolfo, thank you very much! And thank you to
all the pilgrims, especially those from Guinea, who are here with their bishop.
I affectionately greet the alumni from the Michael Ham Passionist College from Vicente
López, Argentina, and the young people, members of the musical band from José
de Jesús Rebolledo College in Coatepec, Mexico.
Now, let us all pray with Mary …. The angel of the Lord …
I wish you all a good feast day today, Mary’s day. Have a good day, and enjoy your lunch!
After the
recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father had lunch at Castel Gandolfo. Then, before returning to the Vatican, he
made a private visit to the Pontifical parish of Saint Thomas of Villanova.
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