At the conclusion of the Eucharistic celebration in the Vatican Basilica, during which the Holy Father presided over the Marriage of 20 couples from the Diocese of Rome, at midday today, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace and recited the Angelus along with the faithful and with pilgrims who had gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the weekly appointment.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
On September 14, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Some non-Christians may be wondering: why would they exalt the cross? We can explain that we do not exalt a cross per se, or not just any cross: we exalt the Cross of Jesus because it revealed the extent of God's love for humanity. This is what the gospel of John recounts in the liturgy today: God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son (Jn 3:16). The Father gave the Son in order to save us, and this included the death of Jesus, his death on a cross. Why? Why was the cross was necessary? Because of the seriousness of the evil which was enslaving us. The cross of Jesus expresses two things: the negative strength of evil and the gentle omnipotence of God's mercy. The cross appears to affirm Jesus' failure but in reality it signifies his victory. On Calvary, those who were deriding him were saying: If he is the Son of God, let him come down from the cross (cf. Mt 27:40), but in reality, the contrary was true: it was because he was the Son of God that Jesus was there, on the cross, faithful to the end to the will of the love of God. For this reason, God exalted Jesus (Phil 2:9), conferring upon him a universal kingship.
And when we look at the cross upon which Jesus was nailed, we contemplate the ultimate sign of love, God's infinite love for each of us which is the source of our salvation. From that cross God's mercy flows, embracing the entire world. Through the cross of Christ, the evil one was overcome, death was defeated, live was given, hope was restored. This is important: through the cross of Christ, hope was restored. The cross of Jesus is our one true hope! This is the reason why the Church exalts the Cross, and this is why Christians bless themselves with the sign of the cross. So you see, we do not exalt crosses, but the glorious cross of Jesus, a sign of the infinite love of God, a sign of our salvation and of our journey toward the Resurrection. This is our hope.
While we contemplate and celebrate the holy Cross, we also remember with compassion, our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted and killed because of their faith in Christ. This is taking place especially in cases where religious freedom is not yet guaranteed or fully realized. However, it also happens in countries and environments where, in principle, such freedoms and human rights are protected, but where concretely, believers and especially Christians encounter limitations and discrimination. Therefore, today we remember and pray especially for them.
Mary was present at Calvary, at the foot of the cross (cf. Jn 19:25-27). She is Our Lady of Sorrows, who the liturgy celebrates tomorrow. I confide to her care, both the present and the future of the Church, that we may always seek and accept her message of love, and the message of the salvation of the Cross of Jesus. I especially entrust to her care, the married couples who I had the joy of uniting in matrimony this morning in Saint Peter's Basilica.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Tomorrow, in the Central African Republic, the official beginning of the Mission mandated by the United Nations Security Council will begin its work of promoting peace in the country and protecting the civil population which is suffering greatly as a result of the conflict that is taking place. Assuring the support and the prayer of the Catholic Church, I encourage the efforts of the international community in support of Central Africans of good will. May violence soon give way to dialogue; may opposing factions leave aside their particular interests and strive to ensure that every citizen, regardless of ethnicity or religious affiliation, can contribute to the building up of the common good. May the Lord be with all those who are working for peace!
Yesterday, I went to Redipuglia, to the Austro-Hungarian Cemetery and to the Memorial. There, I prayed for those who died during the World War. The numbers are staggering: there were about 8 million young soldiers who died and about 7 million civilians. This is another reminder that helps us to understand that war is madness! A madness from which humanity has not yet learned her lesson, for after having experienced it once, there was a second World War and many other wars are still being fought today. When will we learn our lesson? I invite all people to look to the crucified Jesus in order to understand that hatred and evil can only be defeated through forgiveness and goodness, in order that we might understand that the response of war only leads to more evil and to death!
Now, I greet you all very warmly, fellow Romans and pilgrims who have come from various parts of Italy and from other countries. I greet in particular Los Amigos de Santa Teresita y de Madre Elisabeth from Columbia; the faithful from Sotto il Monte Govanni XXIII, from Messina, Genoa, Collegno and Spoleto, and the youth choir from Trebaseleghe (Padua). I greet the representatives of the workers from the IDI Group and the members of the Arcobaleno Santa Maria Addolorata Movement.
I ask you all to please pray for me. I wish you all a good Sunday and a good lunch. Good bye!
Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
On September 14, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Some non-Christians may be wondering: why would they exalt the cross? We can explain that we do not exalt a cross per se, or not just any cross: we exalt the Cross of Jesus because it revealed the extent of God's love for humanity. This is what the gospel of John recounts in the liturgy today: God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son (Jn 3:16). The Father gave the Son in order to save us, and this included the death of Jesus, his death on a cross. Why? Why was the cross was necessary? Because of the seriousness of the evil which was enslaving us. The cross of Jesus expresses two things: the negative strength of evil and the gentle omnipotence of God's mercy. The cross appears to affirm Jesus' failure but in reality it signifies his victory. On Calvary, those who were deriding him were saying: If he is the Son of God, let him come down from the cross (cf. Mt 27:40), but in reality, the contrary was true: it was because he was the Son of God that Jesus was there, on the cross, faithful to the end to the will of the love of God. For this reason, God exalted Jesus (Phil 2:9), conferring upon him a universal kingship.
And when we look at the cross upon which Jesus was nailed, we contemplate the ultimate sign of love, God's infinite love for each of us which is the source of our salvation. From that cross God's mercy flows, embracing the entire world. Through the cross of Christ, the evil one was overcome, death was defeated, live was given, hope was restored. This is important: through the cross of Christ, hope was restored. The cross of Jesus is our one true hope! This is the reason why the Church exalts the Cross, and this is why Christians bless themselves with the sign of the cross. So you see, we do not exalt crosses, but the glorious cross of Jesus, a sign of the infinite love of God, a sign of our salvation and of our journey toward the Resurrection. This is our hope.
While we contemplate and celebrate the holy Cross, we also remember with compassion, our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted and killed because of their faith in Christ. This is taking place especially in cases where religious freedom is not yet guaranteed or fully realized. However, it also happens in countries and environments where, in principle, such freedoms and human rights are protected, but where concretely, believers and especially Christians encounter limitations and discrimination. Therefore, today we remember and pray especially for them.
Mary was present at Calvary, at the foot of the cross (cf. Jn 19:25-27). She is Our Lady of Sorrows, who the liturgy celebrates tomorrow. I confide to her care, both the present and the future of the Church, that we may always seek and accept her message of love, and the message of the salvation of the Cross of Jesus. I especially entrust to her care, the married couples who I had the joy of uniting in matrimony this morning in Saint Peter's Basilica.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Tomorrow, in the Central African Republic, the official beginning of the Mission mandated by the United Nations Security Council will begin its work of promoting peace in the country and protecting the civil population which is suffering greatly as a result of the conflict that is taking place. Assuring the support and the prayer of the Catholic Church, I encourage the efforts of the international community in support of Central Africans of good will. May violence soon give way to dialogue; may opposing factions leave aside their particular interests and strive to ensure that every citizen, regardless of ethnicity or religious affiliation, can contribute to the building up of the common good. May the Lord be with all those who are working for peace!
Yesterday, I went to Redipuglia, to the Austro-Hungarian Cemetery and to the Memorial. There, I prayed for those who died during the World War. The numbers are staggering: there were about 8 million young soldiers who died and about 7 million civilians. This is another reminder that helps us to understand that war is madness! A madness from which humanity has not yet learned her lesson, for after having experienced it once, there was a second World War and many other wars are still being fought today. When will we learn our lesson? I invite all people to look to the crucified Jesus in order to understand that hatred and evil can only be defeated through forgiveness and goodness, in order that we might understand that the response of war only leads to more evil and to death!
Now, I greet you all very warmly, fellow Romans and pilgrims who have come from various parts of Italy and from other countries. I greet in particular Los Amigos de Santa Teresita y de Madre Elisabeth from Columbia; the faithful from Sotto il Monte Govanni XXIII, from Messina, Genoa, Collegno and Spoleto, and the youth choir from Trebaseleghe (Padua). I greet the representatives of the workers from the IDI Group and the members of the Arcobaleno Santa Maria Addolorata Movement.
I ask you all to please pray for me. I wish you all a good Sunday and a good lunch. Good bye!
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