At noon yesterday, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Regina Caeli with the faithful and with pilgrims who had gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters, hello!
Today the reading from the Acts of the Apostles makes us see that even in the early Church there were tensions and dissent. There are always conflicts in life and the problem is how to deal with them. Until that time the unity of the Christian community had been helped by the fact that its members belonged to the same ethnic group, the same culture. They were all Jews. But when Christianity – which by Jesus’ will is destined for all people – was opened up to include Greek culture, this homogeneity disappeared and the first difficulties occurred. At that moment malcontent spread, there were complaints, and rumors of favoritism and unequal treatment circulated. This happens in our parishes too! The community’s assistance toward needy people – widows, orphans and poor people generally – seemed to privilege the Christians of Jewish extraction over others.
So, faced with this conflict, the Apostles took the situation in hand: they called a meeting that included the disciples too; they discussed the issue together. Everyone. Problems do not go away by pretending that they do not exist! And this frank confrontation between pastors and faithful is beautiful. A subdivision of tasks is thus established. The Apostles made a proposal that was accepted by everyone. They would dedicate themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word, while 7 men, the deacons, would provide service at meals and to the poor. These 7 were not chosen because they were experts but because they were honest men with good reputations, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. They were installed in their service by the imposition of the Apostles' hands, and in this way, from the state of malcontent, from that complaining, from those rumors of favoritism and unequal treatment, they found a solution. Confronting each other, debating, praying – it is in this way that conflicts are resolved in the Church. Confronting each other, debating and praying. One thing is certain: gossip, envy and jealousy never lead to concord, to harmony or to peace. The Holy Spirit was there too, crowning this agreement and this helps us understand that when we let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit, he brings us to harmony, to unity and to respect for different gifts and talents. Have you truly understood this? No gossip, no envy, no jealousy! Do you understand?
May the Virgin Mary help us to be docile to the Holy Spirit, so that we might know how to respect each other and be ever more united in faith and charity, keeping our hearts open to the needs of our brothers and sisters.
Following the recitation of the Marian prayer, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Terrible floods have devastated large parts of the Balkans, above all in Serbia and Bosnia. As I entrust the victims of this calamity to the Lord, I express my personal nearness to those who are experiencing a time of anxiety and tribulation. Let us pray to Our Lady together for these brothers and sisters, who are in such difficulties.
Hail Mary...
Yesterday in Iaşi, Romania, Bishop Anton Durcovici, a martyr for the faith, was beatified. He was a zealous and courageous pastor and was persecuted by the Romanian communist regime. He died in prison of hunger and thirst in 1951. Together with the faithful of Iaşi and of all Romania let us thank God for this!
I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims: families, parish groups, associations, schools...
In particular I greet the students of the Catholic schools from Madrid and Pamplona, from Mexico and from Colombes in France, the young people from Our Lady of the Snow in Genoa, and the children from the Holy Face Centre in Bari.
I greet the delegations from the city of Perth (Australia) and Vasto (Italy), which have been twinned for 25 years; the faithful from Tombolo, Grezzana, Cerignola, San Biagio, San Fiorano, Parabita, Patù, Bronte, Cassino and Dogana; the choir from Brindisi, the circle of elderly people from Locara, the Little Emmaus Fraternity of Saint Benedict from Tronto, as well as the young people from Lodi and Atri.
I encourage the associations of volunteers who have come for the Day of Cancer Victims. I pray for you and for the sick and their families. And don't forget to pray for me!
I wish everyone a good Sunday! Have a good lunch and goodbye!
Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Regina Caeli
Dear brothers and sisters, hello!
Today the reading from the Acts of the Apostles makes us see that even in the early Church there were tensions and dissent. There are always conflicts in life and the problem is how to deal with them. Until that time the unity of the Christian community had been helped by the fact that its members belonged to the same ethnic group, the same culture. They were all Jews. But when Christianity – which by Jesus’ will is destined for all people – was opened up to include Greek culture, this homogeneity disappeared and the first difficulties occurred. At that moment malcontent spread, there were complaints, and rumors of favoritism and unequal treatment circulated. This happens in our parishes too! The community’s assistance toward needy people – widows, orphans and poor people generally – seemed to privilege the Christians of Jewish extraction over others.
So, faced with this conflict, the Apostles took the situation in hand: they called a meeting that included the disciples too; they discussed the issue together. Everyone. Problems do not go away by pretending that they do not exist! And this frank confrontation between pastors and faithful is beautiful. A subdivision of tasks is thus established. The Apostles made a proposal that was accepted by everyone. They would dedicate themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word, while 7 men, the deacons, would provide service at meals and to the poor. These 7 were not chosen because they were experts but because they were honest men with good reputations, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. They were installed in their service by the imposition of the Apostles' hands, and in this way, from the state of malcontent, from that complaining, from those rumors of favoritism and unequal treatment, they found a solution. Confronting each other, debating, praying – it is in this way that conflicts are resolved in the Church. Confronting each other, debating and praying. One thing is certain: gossip, envy and jealousy never lead to concord, to harmony or to peace. The Holy Spirit was there too, crowning this agreement and this helps us understand that when we let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit, he brings us to harmony, to unity and to respect for different gifts and talents. Have you truly understood this? No gossip, no envy, no jealousy! Do you understand?
May the Virgin Mary help us to be docile to the Holy Spirit, so that we might know how to respect each other and be ever more united in faith and charity, keeping our hearts open to the needs of our brothers and sisters.
Following the recitation of the Marian prayer, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Terrible floods have devastated large parts of the Balkans, above all in Serbia and Bosnia. As I entrust the victims of this calamity to the Lord, I express my personal nearness to those who are experiencing a time of anxiety and tribulation. Let us pray to Our Lady together for these brothers and sisters, who are in such difficulties.
Hail Mary...
Yesterday in Iaşi, Romania, Bishop Anton Durcovici, a martyr for the faith, was beatified. He was a zealous and courageous pastor and was persecuted by the Romanian communist regime. He died in prison of hunger and thirst in 1951. Together with the faithful of Iaşi and of all Romania let us thank God for this!
I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims: families, parish groups, associations, schools...
In particular I greet the students of the Catholic schools from Madrid and Pamplona, from Mexico and from Colombes in France, the young people from Our Lady of the Snow in Genoa, and the children from the Holy Face Centre in Bari.
I greet the delegations from the city of Perth (Australia) and Vasto (Italy), which have been twinned for 25 years; the faithful from Tombolo, Grezzana, Cerignola, San Biagio, San Fiorano, Parabita, Patù, Bronte, Cassino and Dogana; the choir from Brindisi, the circle of elderly people from Locara, the Little Emmaus Fraternity of Saint Benedict from Tronto, as well as the young people from Lodi and Atri.
I encourage the associations of volunteers who have come for the Day of Cancer Victims. I pray for you and for the sick and their families. And don't forget to pray for me!
I wish everyone a good Sunday! Have a good lunch and goodbye!
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