At 11:45 this morning, in the Sala Clementina at the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience a delegation from Verona and from Catanzaro who were presenting the gifts of the crèche and the Christmas tree for Saint Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters,
We meet on the day when the manger scene and the Christmas tree are being unveiled in Saint Peter's Square, and I thank all those who have contributed in various ways to the realization of this gift. I greet all of you most cordially, beginning with your bishops, His Excellency, Giuseppe Zenti and His Excellency, Vincenzo Bertolone. Along with them, I greet the authorities and the representatives from the various institutions who have so generously favored this initiative. Thank you for these two beautiful Christmas gifts which will be admired by many pilgrims from every corner of the globe.
The crèche with the life-sized terracotta statues, donated by the Arena Foundation from Verona, and the large fir tree, along with the other trees which will be displayed in various locations throughout the Vatican, offered by the Provincial Administration of Catanzaro, epress the traditions and the spirituality of your region. Christian values, in fact, have enriched culture, reading, music and the arts in your lands; and even today, these values constitute a precious patrimony which should be maintained and passed on to future generations.
The crèche and the Christmas tree are signs of the season which are cherished by our Christian families: they recall the mystery of the incarnation, the only-begotten Son of God who became man for the sake of our salvation, and the light which Jesus brought to the world with his birth. But the crèche and the tree touch the hearts of everyone, even those who do not believe, because they speak of fraternity, of intimacy and of friendship calling all people of our time to rediscover the beauty of simplicity, of sharing and of solidarity. These are a call to unity, to harmony and to peace; an invitation to make space in our personal and social lives for God who does not come arrogantly to impose his power, but who offers his all-powerful love through the fragile figure of a child. The crèche and the tree therefore bear with them a message of light, of hope and of love.
To all of you here present, to your families and to all the inhabitants of your respective regions: from Veneto and Calabria, may you experience the Lord's nativity with serenity and intensity. He, the Messiah, became man and came to live among us, to disperse the clouds of error and sin, and to bring humanity his divine light. Jesus himself would say about himself: I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (Jn 8:12). Let us follow Him, the true light, not to wander aimlessly but to reflect in turn His light and warmth to those who are experiencing moments of difficulty and interior darkness.
Dear friends, thank you for your gifts! I invoke upon each of you the maternal protection of the Holy Virgin and I willingly give you my blessing. Please don't forget to pray for me. Merry Christmas!
Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
addressed to visitors from Verona and Catanzaro
who were presenting the Christmas tree and the crèche
Dear brothers and sisters,
We meet on the day when the manger scene and the Christmas tree are being unveiled in Saint Peter's Square, and I thank all those who have contributed in various ways to the realization of this gift. I greet all of you most cordially, beginning with your bishops, His Excellency, Giuseppe Zenti and His Excellency, Vincenzo Bertolone. Along with them, I greet the authorities and the representatives from the various institutions who have so generously favored this initiative. Thank you for these two beautiful Christmas gifts which will be admired by many pilgrims from every corner of the globe.
The crèche with the life-sized terracotta statues, donated by the Arena Foundation from Verona, and the large fir tree, along with the other trees which will be displayed in various locations throughout the Vatican, offered by the Provincial Administration of Catanzaro, epress the traditions and the spirituality of your region. Christian values, in fact, have enriched culture, reading, music and the arts in your lands; and even today, these values constitute a precious patrimony which should be maintained and passed on to future generations.
The crèche and the Christmas tree are signs of the season which are cherished by our Christian families: they recall the mystery of the incarnation, the only-begotten Son of God who became man for the sake of our salvation, and the light which Jesus brought to the world with his birth. But the crèche and the tree touch the hearts of everyone, even those who do not believe, because they speak of fraternity, of intimacy and of friendship calling all people of our time to rediscover the beauty of simplicity, of sharing and of solidarity. These are a call to unity, to harmony and to peace; an invitation to make space in our personal and social lives for God who does not come arrogantly to impose his power, but who offers his all-powerful love through the fragile figure of a child. The crèche and the tree therefore bear with them a message of light, of hope and of love.
To all of you here present, to your families and to all the inhabitants of your respective regions: from Veneto and Calabria, may you experience the Lord's nativity with serenity and intensity. He, the Messiah, became man and came to live among us, to disperse the clouds of error and sin, and to bring humanity his divine light. Jesus himself would say about himself: I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (Jn 8:12). Let us follow Him, the true light, not to wander aimlessly but to reflect in turn His light and warmth to those who are experiencing moments of difficulty and interior darkness.
Dear friends, thank you for your gifts! I invoke upon each of you the maternal protection of the Holy Virgin and I willingly give you my blessing. Please don't forget to pray for me. Merry Christmas!
No comments:
Post a Comment