Speaking to farmers

At 12:15pm today, in the Sala Clementina at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in Audience the Executives of the Italian National Confederation of Farmers on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the foundation of their Confederation.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

to the Executives of the Italian National

Confederation of Farmers

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.

I welcome you on the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of the foundation of the National Conference of Farmers.  I thank your President for the kind words which he addressed to me in your name, and I extend my greetings to the National Ecclesiastical Council and to the regional Councils who are represented here, a sign of the special attention that the Church pays to your activities.

The name farmers refers to cultivating, which is a typical and fundamental human activity.  The work of agriculture in fact involves welcoming the precious gift of the earth which comes from God, but it is also important to enhance the value of work, equally valuable for men and for women called to respond with bravery and creativity to the call for man to cultivate and keep the land (cf Gen 2:15).  The verb to cultivate reminds us of the care that the farmer pays to the land because it bears fruit which should be shared: how much passion, what attention, what dedication is given to all this!  You create a family relationship with the land, and the land becomes sister earth.

In truth, there would be no humanity without the cultivation of the earth, life would not be worth living without the food that is produced by men and women on every continent.  Farmers therefore have a central role to play.

The work of those who cultivate the earth, who generously dedicate their time and energy, is truly a vocation.  It merits being recognized and adequately valued, even in concrete political and economic choices.  It's a matter of eliminating the obstacles which penalize such a precious activity and often make it look unappetizing to new generations, even though the statistics show a growth in the number of students in schools and colleges of agriculture, which might suggest an increase in jobs in this sector.  At the same time, we must pay attention to the already too-widespread diversion of land once used for agriculture to other uses which seem to be more profitable options (cf Message for the Day of Thanksgiving, November 9, 2014).  Even in this domain, the God of money reigns!  And like people who have no feelings, they sell the family, they sell mothers, for here is the temptation to sell mother earth.

This reflection on the centrality of agricultural work points our attention to two critical areas: the first is that of poverty and hunger, which still unfortunately is a reality for the vast majority of humanity.  The Second Vatican Council recalled the universal destination of the goods of the earth (cf Pastoral Constitution, Gaudium et spes, 69), but in truth, many economic systems exclusively exclude many individuals from benefitting from these goods.  Absolutizing market rules, a culture of waste and of choices which in the case of food have unacceptable, and other factors cause misery and suffering for many families. The system of production and distribution of food needs to be rethought.  Like our grandparents taught us, if there is bread, everything is ok!  I remember that, as a child, when the bread fell off the table, we would take it in our hands and kiss it before bringing it back to the table.  Bread has a part to play in the sacredness of human life, and therefore, it should not be treated as a mere commodity (cf. Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii gaudium, 52-60).

But - coming to the second critical area - equally important is the memory that in the book of Genesis, chapter 2, verse 15, we hear the call for humanity no only to cultivate the earth, but also to care for it.  These two things are closely linked: every farmer knows very well how difficult it has become to work the earth in a time of accelerated climate change and of extreme weather which seems to be becoming a more common occurrence.  How can we continue producing good food for the life of all people when the climactic stability is in danger, when the air, the water and the soil itself are losing their purity because of pollution?  In truth, we realize the importance of prompt actions aimed at caring for creation; in truth, it is an urgent matter that all nations recommit their efforts to working together toward this fundamental goal.

The challenge is: how to make agriculture environmentally friendly?  How to make sure that while we farm the land, we also care for it?  This is the only way, in fact, that future generations will be able to continue living on the land and cultivating it.

Faced with these questions, I would like to extend an invitation and a suggestion.  The invitation is to rediscover a love for the earth as mother - as Saint Francis would say - from which we were derived and to which we must constantly return.  From this point of reference we also find the suggestion: care for the earth, enter into an alliance with it, so that it can continue to be, as God intended it, a font of life for the entire human family.  This goes against the exploitation of the earth, as though it had no relationship with us at all - no longer our mother - as though it were something which could be allowed to weaken, to be abandoned because it is no longer good for anything.

It is the story of this alliance that your tradition continues every day: the story of the human face of social agriculture, made through solid life-giving relationships between humanity and the earth: vital relationships: the earth gives us its fruit but it also has a value for us: the land preserves our health, the land is our sister and our mother who cares for our health.  Inspired by ethics, which are the motivation and sustenance for your work in the light of Catholic social doctrine, beginning with the work of your founder Coldiretti and continuing even today in the Church, your continued collaboration bears much good fruit for the entire Italian society.

Dear friends, I hope that your work to cultivate and to care for the earth will continue to be adequately considered and valued; and I invite you to always give prime importance to the ethical demands with which Christians have always faced the problems and challenges of your activities.

Please, I ask you to pray for me and with all my heart, I give you my blessing.

Greetings to a new President

This morning, the Vatican Press Centre published the text of a telegram which was sent by the Holy Father to the newly-elected President of the Republic of Italy: the Honourable Sergio Mattarella.

Telegram of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

to the newly-elected President of the Republic of Italy

To His Excellency
the Honourable Sergio Mattarella
President elect of the Republic of Italy
Quirinale Palace
00187 Rome

I am pleased to send you expressions of my congratulations for your election to the Supreme Courts of the State of Italy and, while I trust that you will exercise this highest office in a spirit of service and unity for the good of the entire country, I invoke upon your person the constant divine assistance for illuminated guidance toward the promotion of the common good of all and the promotion of authentic human and spiritual values for the Italian people.  With these wishes, I send my Apostolic Blessing to you and to the entire nation.

Francisus

An auxiliary Bishop for London

This morning, the Pope has appointed Father Józef A. Dąbrowski, C.S.M.A., until now serving as the Superior of the North American Vice-Province of the Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel and Pastor of Saint Mary's parish in London, Ontario, as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of London, assigning him as the Titular Bishop of Case di Numidia.

Reverend Father Józef A. Dąbrowski, C.S.M.A, was born in Poland, in the diocese of Przemyśl.  He completed secondary school at the Minor Seminary of the Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel (Michaelites), and after having studied Italian at Perugia (Italy), he completed his studies in Philosophy and Theology at the Theological Institute of Saint Peter in Viterbo, obtaining there a Master of Theology degree in March 1991.  He was ordained a priest on May 4, 1991 in Viterbo, Italy.

Coming to Canada after his priestly ordination, he dedicated himself to learning English and fulfilled various pastoral responsibilities in the Diocese of London: Associate Pastor of Our Lady of Częstochowa in London (1992-1993); Associate Pastor of Saint Michael and Chaplain of Cardinal Carter High School in Leamington (1993-1996); Associate Pastor of Saint Pius X and Chaplain of Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in London (1996-1997).  He then spent a year as Associate Pastor (in 1998) and then as Pastor of Saint Mary's parish (London) and Chaplain of Catholic High School in London.

From 2002 to 2003, he also served as an Associate Spiritual Director at the Diocesan Seminary of Saint Peter in London, and from 2005 to 2006, he was a member of the Diocesan Presbyteral Council.

On June 19, 2013, he was named first Superior of the newly-formed Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Vice-Province of the Michaelites for North America.

Condolences to Mexico

This morning, the Vatican Press Centre released the text of a Message of Condolence for the victims of an explosion of a tanker truck which took place yesterday in front of a children's hospital in Cuajimalpa (Mexico City), and has left many victims and wounded, sent in the name of the Holy Father, by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin to the Archbishop of Mexico City, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera.

Message of Condolence

for the victims of an explosion

in Mexico City

Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera
Archbishop of Mexico City

Pope Francis, truly distressed when he learned the painful news of an explosion that occurred near the Cuajmalpa maternal and paediatric hospital, which left many victims and wounded, including many children, is offering his prayer for the eternal rest of all those who have died.  Also, the Holy Father wishes to pass on, through your Eminence, his condolences to the families of the deceased, including expressions of comfort and a sincere hope that those who have been injured will soon be restored to full health.  With all his heart, His Holiness offers an Apostolic Blessing as a sign of hope in the risen Lord.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State of His Holiness

With those in dialogue between East and West

At noon today, in the Consistory Hall in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the members of the International Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Address of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

to the International Mixed Commission

for Theological Dialogue between the

Catholic Church and the Oriental (Eastern) Orthodox Churches

Dear brothers in Christ,

With great joy I welcome you, the members of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Through you, I offer fraternal greetings to my venerable brothers, the heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. I thank His Eminence Anba Bishoy, Co-President of the Commission, for his kind words.

It is gratifying to reflect on the work of your Commission, which began in January 2003 as a joint initiative of the ecclesiastical authorities of the family of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. In the last ten years the Commission has examined, from an historical perspective, the ways in which the Churches expressed their communion in the early centuries, and what this can mean for our pursuit of communion today. In the course of this week’s meeting you have also embarked upon a deeper examination of your work on the nature of the sacraments, and of baptism in particular. I express my hope that this work will bear rich fruit for our common theological research and help us to experience ever more fully our fraternal friendship.

With deep appreciation I recall the inspiring commitment to dialogue shown by His Holiness Ignatius Zakka Iwas, Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East, who died this past year. Together with you and his own clergy and faithful, I pray for the eternal rest of this dedicated servant of God.

At this time we especially feel dismay and deep sadness at what is happening in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria. I think of all those living in the region, including our Christian brothers and sisters, and many minorities, who are experiencing the effects of a prolonged and painful conflict. I join you in praying for a negotiated solution and in imploring God’s goodness and mercy upon all those affected by this immense tragedy. All Christians are called to work together, in mutual acceptance and trust, in order to serve the cause of peace and justice. May the intercession and example of the many martyrs and saints who have borne courageous witness to Christ in all our Churches sustain and strengthen you and your Christian communities.

Dear brothers, I thank you for your visit. Upon you and your ministry I invoke the Lord’s blessing and the maternal protection of Mary Most Holy. Please pray for me.

General Audience on God the Father

This morning's General Audience began at 10:00am in the Paul VI Hall.  The Holy Father, Pope Francis met there with groups of pilgrims and with the faithful who had come from all parts of Italy and from all corners of the world.

During his discourse, the Pope continued the cycle of teachings on the family, focusing today on the figure of the father.

Following the summaries of his catechesis, offered as usual in various languages, the Holy Father addressed particular greetings to each of the groups of pilgrims present.

The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imposition of the Apostolic Blessing.

Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the General Audience

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Let us continue the journey of catecheses on the family.  Today let us be guided by the word father.  A word which is more beloved than any other by us Christians because it is the name that Jesus used for God: father.  The meaning of this name received a new depth especially from the way in which Jesus used it in order to address God and to demonstrate his special relationship with Him.  The blessed mystery of intimacy with God: Father, Son and Spirit, revealed by Jesus, is the heart of our Christian faith.

Father is a word that is known to everyone, a universal word.  It indicates a fundamental relationship which is as old as human history.  Today, however, we must admit that ours is a fatherless society.  In other words, especially in the western world, the figure of the father is symbolically absent, gone, removed.  At first, this was perceived as a liberation: a liberation from the father-master, from the father figure represented by the law which was imposed from outside, of the father as the overseer of the happiness of his children and an obstacle to the emancipation and the autonomy of the young.  Sometimes, in some houses, an atmosphere of authoritarianism has even been overpowering: parents who treat their children like servants, not respecting the personal needs for their growth; fathers who do not help their children to freely follow their paths of personal growth - but it is not easy to teach a son with freedom - fathers who do not help their children to assume their proper responsibility to build their future and the future of society.

Certainly, this is not a good attitude: but, as often happens, things can go from one extreme to another.  The problem today doesn't seem to be about the intrusive presence of fathers, but rather their absence, their inaction.  Fathers are often so focused on themselves and on their own work and sometimes on their own individual realities that they forget about their families.  They leave their children all alone.  Even as Bishop of Buenos Aires, I had the sense of orphanhood that many children live today.  I would often ask fathers if they ever spent time playing with their children, if they had the courage and the love for their children to waste time with them.  And the response was startling, in many cases: Ah, I can't because I have so much work to do ...  Fathers were so often absent from the lives of their children who were growing up, not playing with them, no, not wasting time with them.

Now, in this common journey of reflection on the family, I want to say to all Christian communities that we need to be more attentive: the absence of the father figure in the lives of their children causes an emptiness, an injury that can also be very serious.  In fact, many deviations on the part of children and adolescents can be attributed to this lack, a lack of example and authoritative guides in the lives of our young, a lack of close relationships, a lack of love on the part of fathers.  The sense of orphanhood that many young people live with today is deeper than we might think.

They are orphans, but within the family, because the fathers are often absent, even physically, from home but above all because when they are home, they do not behave like fathers, they do not have a dialogue with their children. They do not fulfil their educational task; they do not give to their children – with their example accompanied by words --, those principles, those values, those rules of life that they need, just as much as they need bread. The educational quality of the paternal presence is all the more necessary the more the father is constrained by work to be far from home. At times it seems that fathers do not know well what place to occupy in the family and how to educate the children. And then, in doubt, they abstain, they withdraw and neglect their responsibility, perhaps taking refuge in an improbable relationship on par with their children. However, it is true that you must be a companion to your child but without forgetting that you are a father. However, if you only behave as a companion on par with your child, you will not do the child any good.

However in this also, the civil community with its institutions has a responsibility, which we can say is paternal, towards young people, a responsibility that sometimes is neglected or exercised badly. It also often leaves orphans on the streets that we are sure to come across, orphans in search of teachers they can trust, orphans in search of ideals that warm the heart, orphans in search of values and hopes that sustain them daily. They are filled perhaps with idols, but they are not given work; they are deceived by the god of money and are denied the true riches.

And now it will do well to all, to fathers and to children, to hear again the promise Jesus made to his disciples: I will not leave you orphans (John 14:18). He is, in fact, the Way to follow, the Teacher to listen to, the Hope that the world can change, that love can overcome hatred, that there can be a future of fraternity and peace for all.

One of you might say to me: But, Father, you have been too negative today. You have spoken only of the absence of fathers, of what happens when fathers are not close to their children. It’s true. I wanted to stress this because next Wednesday I will continue this catechesis bringing to light the beauty of paternity. Therefore I chose to begin from the dark to come to the light. May the Lord help us to understand these things well. Thank you!

This catechesis was then repeated in various languages, and the Holy Father addressed particular greetings to each group of pilgrims who were present.  To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:

I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including the various student groups from England and the United States of America. Upon you and your families I cordially invoke grace and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!

Message for Lent 2015

This morning, the Vatican Press Centre released the text of the Holy Father's Message for Lent 2015, entitled: Make your hearts firm (James 5:8).  Ash Wednesday, the first day of the liturgical season of Lent, will be observed this year on February 18.

Message of His Holiness, Pope Francis

for Lent 2015

Make your hearts firm (Js 5:8)

Dear brothers and sisters,

Lent is a time of renewal for the whole Church, for each community and for every believer. Above all it is a time of grace (2 Cor 6:2). God does not ask of us anything that he himself has not first given us. We love because he first has loved us (1 Jn 4:19). He is not aloof from us. Each one of us has a place in his heart. He knows us by name, he cares for us and he seeks us out whenever we turn away from him. He is interested in each of us; his love does not allow him to be indifferent to what happens to us. Usually, when we are healthy and comfortable, we forget about others (something God the Father never does): we are unconcerned with their problems, their sufferings and the injustices they endure … Our heart grows cold. As long as I am relatively healthy and comfortable, I don’t think about those less well off. Today, this selfish attitude of indifference has taken on global proportions, to the extent that we can speak of a globalization of indifference. It is a problem which we, as Christians, need to confront.

When the people of God are converted to his love, they find answers to the questions that history continually raises. One of the most urgent challenges which I would like to address in this Message is precisely the globalization of indifference.

Indifference to our neighbour and to God also represents a real temptation for us Christians. Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the voices of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience.

God is not indifferent to our world; he so loves it that he gave his Son for our salvation. In the Incarnation, in the earthly life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God, the gate between God and man, between heaven and earth, opens once for all. The Church is like the hand holding open this gate, thanks to her proclamation of God’s word, her celebration of the sacraments and her witness of the faith which works through love (cf Gal 5:6). But the world tends to withdraw into itself and shut that door through which God comes into the world and the world comes to him. Hence the hand, which is the Church, must never be surprised if it is rejected, crushed and wounded.

God’s people, then, need this interior renewal, lest we become indifferent and withdraw into ourselves. To further this renewal, I would like to propose for our reflection three biblical texts.

1. If one member suffers, all suffer together (1 Cor 12:26) – The Church

The love of God breaks through that fatal withdrawal into ourselves which is indifference. The Church offers us this love of God by her teaching and especially by her witness. But we can only bear witness to what we ourselves have experienced. Christians are those who let God clothe them with goodness and mercy, with Christ, so as to become, like Christ, servants of God and of others. This is clearly seen in the liturgy of Holy Thursday, with its rite of the washing of feet. Peter did not want Jesus to wash his feet, but he came to realize that Jesus does not wish to be just an example of how we should wash one another’s feet. Only those who have first allowed Jesus to wash their own feet can then offer this service to others. Only they have a part with him (Jn 13:8) and thus can serve others.

Lent is a favourable time for letting Christ serve us so that we in turn may become more like him. This happens whenever we hear the word of God and receive the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. There we become what we receive: the Body of Christ. In this body there is no room for the indifference which so often seems to possess our hearts. For whoever is of Christ, belongs to one body, and in him we cannot be indifferent to one another. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honoured, all the parts share its joy (1 Cor 12:26).

The Church is the communio sanctorum not only because of her saints, but also because she is a communion in holy things: the love of God revealed to us in Christ and all his gifts. Among these gifts there is also the response of those who let themselves be touched by this love. In this communion of saints, in this sharing in holy things, no one possesses anything alone, but shares everything with others. And since we are united in God, we can do something for those who are far distant, those whom we could never reach on our own, because with them and for them, we ask God that all of us may be open to his plan of salvation.

2. Where is your brother? (Gen 4:9) – Parishes and Communities

All that we have been saying about the universal Church must now be applied to the life of our parishes and communities. Do these ecclesial structures enable us to experience being part of one body? A body which receives and shares what God wishes to give? A body which acknowledges and cares for its weakest, poorest and most insignificant members? Or do we take refuge in a universal love that would embrace the whole world, while failing to see the Lazarus sitting before our closed doors (Lk 16:19-31)?

In order to receive what God gives us and to make it bear abundant fruit, we need to press beyond the boundaries of the visible Church in two ways.

In the first place, by uniting ourselves in prayer with the Church in heaven. The prayers of the Church on earth establish a communion of mutual service and goodness which reaches up into the sight of God. Together with the saints who have found their fulfilment in God, we form part of that communion in which indifference is conquered by love. The Church in heaven is not triumphant because she has turned her back on the sufferings of the world and rejoices in splendid isolation. Rather, the saints already joyfully contemplate the fact that, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, they have triumphed once and for all over indifference, hardness of heart and hatred. Until this victory of love penetrates the whole world, the saints continue to accompany us on our pilgrim way. Saint Therese of Lisieux, a Doctor of the Church, expressed her conviction that the joy in heaven for the victory of crucified love remains incomplete as long as there is still a single man or woman on earth who suffers and cries out in pain: I trust fully that I shall not remain idle in heaven; my desire is to continue to work for the Church and for souls (Letter 254, July 14, 1897).

We share in the merits and joy of the saints, even as they share in our struggles and our longing for peace and reconciliation. Their joy in the victory of the Risen Christ gives us strength as we strive to overcome our indifference and hardness of heart.

In the second place, every Christian community is called to go out of itself and to be engaged in the life of the greater society of which it is a part, especially with the poor and those who are far away. The Church is missionary by her very nature; she is not self-enclosed but sent out to every nation and people.

Her mission is to bear patient witness to the One who desires to draw all creation and every man and woman to the Father. Her mission is to bring to all a love which cannot remain silent. The Church follows Jesus Christ along the paths that lead to every man and woman, to the very ends of the earth (cf Acts 1:8). In each of our neighbours, then, we must see a brother or sister for whom Christ died and rose again. What we ourselves have received, we have received for them as well. Similarly, all that our brothers and sisters possess is a gift for the Church and for all humanity.

Dear brothers and sisters, how greatly I desire that all those places where the Church is present, especially our parishes and our communities, may become islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference!

3. Make your hearts firm! (James 5:8) – Individual Christians

As individuals too, we have are tempted by indifference. Flooded with news reports and troubling images of human suffering, we often feel our complete inability to help. What can we do to avoid being caught up in this spiral of distress and powerlessness?

First, we can pray in communion with the Church on earth and in heaven. Let us not underestimate the power of so many voices united in prayer! The 24 Hours for the Lord initiative, which I hope will be observed on March 13 and 14 throughout the Church, also at the diocesan level, is meant to be a sign of this need for prayer.

Second, we can help by acts of charity, reaching out to both those near and far through the Church’s many charitable organizations. Lent is a favourable time for showing this concern for others by small yet concrete signs of our belonging to the one human family.

Third, the suffering of others is a call to conversion, since their need reminds me of the uncertainty of my own life and my dependence on God and my brothers and sisters. If we humbly implore God’s grace and accept our own limitations, we will trust in the infinite possibilities which God’s love holds out to us. We will also be able to resist the diabolical temptation of thinking that by our own efforts we can save the world and ourselves.

As a way of overcoming indifference and our pretensions to self-sufficiency, I would invite everyone to live this Lent as an opportunity for engaging in what Benedict XVI called a formation of the heart (cf Deus Caritas Est, 31). A merciful heart does not mean a weak heart. Anyone who wishes to be merciful must have a strong and steadfast heart, closed to the tempter but open to God. A heart which lets itself be pierced by the Spirit so as to bring love along the roads that lead to our brothers and sisters. And, ultimately, a poor heart, one which realizes its own poverty and gives itself freely for others.

During this Lent, then, brothers and sisters, let us all ask the Lord: Fac cor nostrum secundum cor tuum: Make our hearts like yours (Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). In this way we will receive a heart which is firm and merciful, attentive and generous, a heart which is not closed, indifferent or prey to the globalization of indifference.

It is my prayerful hope that this Lent will prove spiritually fruitful for each believer and every ecclesial community. I ask all of you to pray for me. May the Lord bless you and Our Lady keep you.

From the Vatican, 4 October 2014
Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi

Francis

Concluding a week of prayer

At 5:30pm today, in the Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls, the Holy Father, Pope Francis presided over the celebration of the Second Vespers for the Solemnity of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle, and the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which focused this year on the theme: Give me a bit of water to drink (cf John 4:7).

At the conclusion of Vespers, before the Apostolic Blessing, Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity offered a word of gratitude to the Holy Father.

Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the Second Vespers of the

Solemnity of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

On his way from Judea to Galilee, Jesus passes through Samaria. He has no problem dealing with Samaritans, who were considered by the Jews to be heretics, schismatics, others. His attitude helps us to realize that encounter with those who are different than ourselves can make us grow. Weary from his journey, Jesus does not hesitate to ask the Samaritan woman for something to drink. His thirst, as we know, is much more than physical: it is also a thirst for encounter, a desire to enter into dialogue with that woman and to invite her to make a journey of interior conversion. Jesus is patient, respectful of the person before him, and gradually reveals himself to her. His example encourages us to seek a serene encounter with others. To understand one another, and to grow in charity and truth, we need to pause, to accept and listen to one another. In this way, we already begin to experience unity. Unity grows along the way; it never stands still. Unity happens when we walk together.

The woman of Sychar asks Jesus about the place where God is truly worshiped. Jesus does not side with the mountain or the temple, but goes deeper. He goes to the heart of the matter, breaking down every wall of division. He speaks instead of the meaning of true worship: God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth (Jn 4:24). So many past controversies between Christians can be overcome when we put aside all polemical or apologetic approaches, and seek instead to grasp more fully what unites us, namely, our call to share in the mystery of the Father’s love revealed to us by the Son through the Holy Spirit. Christian unity – we are convinced – will not be the fruit of subtle theoretical discussions in which each party tries to convince the other of the soundness of their opinions. When the Son of Man comes, he will find us still discussing! We need to realize that, to plumb the depths of the mystery of God, we need one another, we need to encounter one another and to challenge one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who harmonizes diversities, overcomes conflicts, reconciles differences.

Gradually the Samaritan woman comes to realize that the one who has asked her for a drink is able to slake her own thirst. Jesus in effect tells her that he is the source of living water which can satisfy her thirst for ever (cf Jn 4:13-14). Our human existence is marked by boundless aspirations: we seek truth, we thirst for love, justice and freedom. These desires can only be partially satisfied, for from the depths of our being we are prompted to seek something more, something capable of fully quenching our thirst. The response to these aspirations is given by God in Jesus Christ, in his paschal mystery. From the pierced side of Jesus there flowed blood and water (cf Jn 19:34). He is the brimming font of the water of the Holy Spirit, the love of God poured into our hearts (Rom 5:5) on the day of our baptism. By the working of the Holy Spirit, we have become one in Christ, sons in the Son, true worshipers of the Father. This mystery of love is the deepest ground of the unity which binds all Christians and is much greater than their historical divisions. To the extent that we humbly advance towards the Lord, then, we also draw nearer to one another.

Her encounter with Jesus made the Samaritan women a missionary. Having received a greater and more important gift than mere water from a well, she leaves her jar behind (cf Jn 4:28) and runs back to tell her townspeople that she has met the Christ (cf Jn 4:29). Her encounter with Jesus restored meaning and joy to her life, and she felt the desire to share this with others. Today there are so many men and women around us who are weary and thirsting, and who ask us Christians to give them something to drink. It is a request which we cannot evade. In the call to be evangelizers, all the Churches and Ecclesial Communities discover a privileged setting for closer cooperation. For this to be effective, we need to stop being self-enclosed, exclusive, and bent on imposing a uniformity based on merely human calculations (cf Evangelii Gaudium, 131). Our shared commitment to proclaiming the Gospel enables us to overcome proselytism and competition in all their forms. All of us are at the service of the one Gospel!

In this moment of prayer for unity, I would also like to remember our martyrs, the martyrs of today. They are witnesses to Jesus Christ, and they are persecuted and killed because they are Christians. Those who persecute them make no distinction between the religious communities to which they belong. They are Christians and for that they are persecuted. This, brothers and sisters, is the ecumenism of blood.

Mindful of this testimony given by our martyrs today, and with this joyful certainty, I offer a cordial and fraternal greeting to His Eminence Metropolitan Gennadios, the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch, to His Grace David Moxon, the personal representative in Rome of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and to all the representatives of the various Churches and Ecclesial Communions gathered here to celebrate the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. I am also pleased to greet the members of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches, and I offer them my best wishes for the fruitfulness of the plenary session to be held in these coming days. I also greet the students from the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, and the young recipients of study grants from by the Committee for Cultural Collaboration with the Orthodox Churches, centred in the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Also present today are men and women religious from various Churches and Ecclesial Communities who have taken part in an ecumenical meeting organized by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life, in conjunction with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, to mark the Year for Consecrated Life. Religious life, as a prophetic sign of the world to come, is called to offer in our time a witness to that communion in Christ which transcends all differences and finds expression in concrete gestures of acceptance and dialogue. The pursuit of Christian unity cannot be the sole prerogative of individuals or religious communities particularly concerned with this issue. A shared knowledge of the different traditions of consecrated life, and a fruitful exchange of experiences, can prove beneficial for the vitality of all forms of religious life in the different Churches and Ecclesial Communities.

Dear brothers and sisters, today all of us who thirst for peace and fraternity trustingly implore from our heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ our one priest and mediator, and through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Apostle Paul and all the saints, the gift of full communion between all Christians, so that the sacred mystery of the unity of the Church (Unitatis Redintegratio, 2) may shine forth as the sign and instrument of reconciliation for the whole world. Amen.

For unity among Christians

Today marks the end of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  This year, I was invited to share a reflection based on the account of the encounter Jesus had with the Samaritan woman at a well in the city of Sychar.  Here is the text of the meditation I shared with those who took part in today's afternoon prayer service.

Give me a drink

A reflection for the Week of Prayer

for Christian Unity

Not long after I arrived in this city - more than two years ago now - I was told about the special relationship of friendship and collaboration that has existed among the people of various Christian traditions in this city. As we have done for so many years past, today, we are here to pray together: to recognize once more that we are all on a journey of faith. This journey has a common beginning at the baptismal font and is enriched all the more by the gifts and talents we share together and by the stories we share when we gather to pray together on an occasion such as this.

Saint John's account of the encounter Jesus had with the woman of Sychar is one of the most well-known and often told stories of the precious gentleness with which Jesus calls us all to recognize the deep thirst that inhabits our hearts, and the wonderful gift of living water that he offers to all those who are humble enough to ask for it.

The story begins by painting a portrait of Jesus who arrives at Jacob's well after having travelled for some distance. Tired out by the journey, he sits down to rest by the well (cf Jn 4:6). How well we can relate with Jesus in this moment of frailty, for as we travel the journey of faith, we all find ourselves in similar situations: we are tired out by the many demands that are placed on us, we are tired out by the lack of concrete gestures and words of gratitude for the efforts we  expend - whether such a gap be real or imagined - we are tired out by the exasperation we sometimes encounter when despite our best efforts, there always seems to be more that we can or should do. At times, it takes everything we have left simply to utter a few simple but deeply profound words: give me a drink (Jn 4:7), yet once this simple admission of our frailty is voiced, it is Jesus himself who gives us living water that wells up within us (Jn 4:13).

At times, we are not even aware of the living water that is being offered - like the woman who was going about her daily chores, oblivious to the grace that was unfolding right before her very eyes.  She was probably used to the routine: carrying her water jug to the well but constantly having to be on her guard. Why else would she make the journey in the heat of the day rather than in the early morning hours when the other women in the village would customarily gather? Perhaps she herself had been fatigued too often by the judgemental looks of those who knew parts of the journey of her life - parts that she would have preferred to keep hidden from prying eyes and whispering tongues. 

As she approached the well that day, she would have seen the man sitting there. I wonder what went through her mind: what is a man doing sitting there? And he's a Jew! This woman, also tired out by her journey arrived at the well, and discovered living water, but what of us? Can it be true that this living water is still offered for us today?

For the past (almost) two weeks, I've been visiting with Father Rex in his native land. The journey from North Bay to the seaside town of Kanyiakumari in Southern India took more than two days. As I travelled, I was very aware of my own physical fatigue, but in those first hours after my arrival, I was also aware of another kind of tiredness: the kind of fatigue that might go unnoticed for far too long when we get caught up in the daily routines of carrying our own burdens: a deep tiredness of the soul. I silently uttered a prayer - finally perceiving the heartfelt thirst that had left me wanting.  I am firmly convinced that Jesus heard my prayer that day, for the answer was revealed, not immediately but in very short order.

The living water that Jesus provides for all those who thirst is indeed capable of refreshing our souls, but it is never given for self-serving purposes. Instead, this living water springs up within us, giving us new strength to go beyond the limits of egocentric temptation and to reach out in service to others.

So it was that on the very first evening of my visit to Southern India, I was introduced to Father Sahim, a priest who for the past six years has been working at a school for poor children. We stood on the rocks at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, looking out over the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, and he offered to introduce me to the children. Last week was a time of holidays in the State of Tamilnadu so only about forty of the children were still there: others had gone home to their families, like the disciples who had left Jesus at the well and gone into the town to buy food (Jn 4:8). The few children who remained were orphans. Father Sahim and the staff at the school are their family now. There's something about the look of innocence in a little girl's eyes, or the playful fascination with posing for photos with friends that brings such healing to tired souls. The absolute trust of a child who can dance and laugh, seemingly unaware of all she has lost is equally refreshing.

As the week continued, I had other such encounters: each of them a precious meeting at the well where living water is given: like the visit to the tomb of Mother Teresa in Calcutta. She is buried in a very simple tomb located in the chapel at the Motherhouse of the Missionaries of Charity. This holy woman spent one hour a day in silent prayer in that very chapel. From the well of living water, she drew the strength to go out into the streets in search of the poorest of the poor, sharing with each one she met, the living water she herself had received. This work of compassion continues even today for the sake of children who are abandoned at birth, or because they have physical or mental challenges, and for adults who face the certainty of dying in the not-too-distant future. As I walked through the nursery, I could almost hear Mother herself speaking: bring me the children; I want them all.

We pray today with the church of Brazil, a country that is known for its warmth and hospitality, but a country where the interests of the few have far too often caused great pain and suffering for the many.  Our homeland is not so different from theirs. People in our midst are thirsting in so many ways. Jesus invites us again today to be attentive to the ways in which we ourselves are afraid to approach the well of encounter with him and with others. If we ourselves are aware even for the first time today that we are being offered the precious gift of living water, perhaps we will become more and more capable of approaching the well, and eventually be able to overcome any fear of who or what we might encounter there. Perhaps we will learn to recognize the thirst that inhabits our souls, and learn to ask for a drink that is truly able to refresh us and give us life. Perhaps we will even be inspired to go out in search of others, and courageously share with them the testimony of our own encounter with Jesus, and perhaps with God's grace, others will hear for themselves and know that this man really is the saviour of the world (Jn 4:42).

Angelus for the unity of Christians

At noon today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims who had gathered in Saint Peter's Square, among others including youth from Catholic Action in the Diocese of rome who are concluding the annual Caravan of Peace which traditionally takes place during the month of January and is dedicated to the theme of peace.

At the conclusion of the prayer of the Angelus, a young boy and a young girl, belonging to two different Roman parishes, who were invited to the Papal apartments, read a message in the name of Catholic Action Rome while youth present in the square launched a hot-air balloon containing messages of peace and coloured balloons.

Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

prior to the recitation of the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today's gospel presents the beginning of Jesus' preaching in Galilee. Saint Mark highlights the fact that Jesus began to preach after John (the Baptist) had been arrested (John 1:14). Precisely in this moment in which the prophetic voice of the Baptizer, who announced the coming of the Kingdom of God, is silenced by Herod, Jesus begins to walk the streets of his land to bring to all, especially the poor, the Gospel of God (Ibid). Jesus' announcement is similar to that of John, with the major difference that Jesus does not indicate that another is to come: it is Jesus Himself who is the fulfillment of the promise; He is the good news to believe in, to receive and to communicate to men and women of all time, so that they also entrust to Him their existence. Jesus Christ Himself is the living Word and He is active in history: he who listens to Him and follows Him will enter the Kingdom of God.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the divine promise because it is He who gives mankind the Holy Spirit, the living water that quenches our restless heart that thirsts for life, love, freedom, peace: that thirsts for God. He revealed Himself to the Samaritan woman, who He met at Jacob's well, to whom He said: Give me to drink (Jn.4,7). These very words of Christ, addressed to the Samaritan woman, were the theme of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which concludes today.  This evening, with the faithful of the diocese of Rome and with the representatives of the various Churches and ecclesial communities, we will meet in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls to pray fervently to the Lord, so that he strengthens our commitment to the unity of all believers in Christ. It is an ugly thing that Christians are divided. But Jesus wants us to be united. One body! Our sins, our history have divided us. For this we must pray that the Spirit unites us again.

God, who made Himself man, experienced our thirst, not only for water, but above all the thirst for a full life, free from the slavery of evil and death. At the same time, with His incarnation God has placed His thirst, because God also thirsts, in the heart of mankind: Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, in the heart of Christ, human and divine thirst meets. And the desire for the unity of his disciples belongs to this thirst. We find it expressed in the prayers raised to the Father before the Passion: So that they all may be one (Jn 17:21). That is what Jesus wanted, the unity of all. The devil, as we know, is the father of division. He is one that always divides, always makes war and does so much evil.

May Jesus' thirst increasingly become our thirst! We continue, therefore, to pray and strive for the full unity of the Disciples of Christ, in the certainty that He Himself is at our side sustaining us with the strength of His Spirit so that this goal can be reached. And we entrust this, our prayer, to the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church so that She, like a good Mother, may unite us.

After the Angelus, the Pope continued:

Dear brothers and sisters,

I am following with deep concern the escalation of fighting in eastern Ukraine, which continues to cause many casualties among the civilian population. As I assure you of my prayers for all who suffer, I renew a heartfelt appeal so that efforts for dialogue can resume and bring an end to all hostilities.

Today we celebrate World Leprosy Day. I express my closeness to all people who suffer from this disease, as well as those take care of them, and for those who fight to remove the causes of the disease, whose conditions of life do not dignify man. Let us renew our commitment to solidarity with these brothers and sisters!

I affectionately greet all of you, dear pilgrims who have come from different parishes in Italy and from other countries, as well as the associations and school groups.

In particular, I greet the Filipino community of Rome. My dear ones, the Filipino people are wonderful, for their strong and joyful faith.  May the Lord sustain you always, you who live far from your country. Thank you for your witness! And thank you so much for all the good that you do for us; because you show faith to us. You give a beautiful witness of faith!

I greet the students from Cuenca, Villafranca de los Barros and Badajoz (Spain), the parish groups from Isole Baleari and the young women from Panama. I greet the faithful from Catania, Diamante, Delianuova and Crespano del Grappa.

I now address the young girls and boys of Catholic Action in Rome. Dear young people, this year, accompanied by the Cardinal Vicar and Monsignor Mansueto, you have come in great numbers at the conclusion of your Caravan of Peace. I thank you and encourage you to continue the Christian path with joy, bringing the peace of Jesus to all people. Now we will listen to the message that your friends will read, here next to me.

(A young girl reads a message from Catholic Action)

Thank you, young people. To all of you I wish a good Sunday and enjoy your lunch. Please, pray for me. Good bye!

Colombo to Manila

This morning, the Holy Father celebrated a private Mass and then left the Apostolic Nunciature in Colombo, and before going to the airport, he travelled by car to Bolawalana for a moment of private prayer in the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Lanka, part of the Benedict XVI Cultural Institute.

Welcomed there by the Rector of the Institute, Father Mahamalage Quintus Fernando, the Pope went to the chapel, accompanied by ten Jesuit Fathers from that community and stopped for a moment of silent prayer.  Also present at the time was a choir and a few local fishermen, while outside the chapel, there were numerous sea farers who had also worked on the construction of the Centre.

Shortly before 9:00am, at the international airport in Colombo, the departure ceremony was held.  The Holy Father was welcomed by the President of the Republic, His Excellency, Maithripala Sirisena, and by civic and religious authorities as well as a group of faithful.  After the military honours had been presented, and having greeted the respective dignitaries, the aircraft bearing the Holy Father - an A340 belonging to Sri Lankan Airlines - departed at 9:10am local time for Manila.

The following telegrams were dispatched as the Pope's plane travelled to Manila:

Sri Lanka

HIS EXCELLENCY MAITHRIPALA SIRISENA
PRESIDENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA
COLOMBO

AS I DEPART FROM SRI LANKA, I EXTEND TO YOU, THE GOVERNMENT AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS MY HEARTFELT GRATITUDE FOR YOUR WARM WELCOME AND EVERY KINDNESS SHOWN TO ME DURING MY VISIT. I RENEW TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE ENTIRE COUNTRY THE ASSURANCE OF MY PRAYERS FOR PEACE, UNITY AND PROSPERITY.

FRANCISCUS PP.

India

HIS EXCELLENCY PRANAB MUKHERJEE
PRESIDENT OF INDIA
NEW DELHI

I RENEW MY WARM GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AS I FLY OVER INDIA ON MY WAY FROM SRI LANKA TO THE PHILIPPINES. WITH PRAYERS FOR THE NATION, I INVOKE UPON ALL THE CITIZENS ABUNDANT DIVINE BLESSINGS.

FRANCISCUS PP.

Myanmar

HIS EXCELLENCY THEIN SEIN
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE UNION OF MYANMAR
NAYPYITAW

I SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AS I FLY OVER THE COUNTRY ON MY WAY FROM SRI LANKA TO THE PHILIPPINES. I ASSURE YOU OF MY PRAYERS FOR YOU AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF MYANMAR, INVOKING UPON YOU ABUNDANT BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.

FRANCISCUS PP.

Thailandia

HIS MAJESTY BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ
KING OF THAILAND
BANGKOK

I SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR MAJESTY AS I FLY OVER THAILAND ON MY WAY FROM SRI LANKA TO THE PHILIPPINES. I ASSURE YOU OF MY PRAYERS FOR YOU AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE KINGDOM, INVOKING UPON YOU ABUNDANT BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.

FRANCISCUS PP.

Cambodia

HIS MAJESTY NORODOM SIHAMONI
KING OF CAMBODIA
PHNOM PENH

I SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR MAJESTY AS I FLY OVER THE KINGDOM ON MY WAY FROM SRI LANKA TO THE PHILIPPINES. I ASSURE YOU OF MY PRAYERS FOR YOU AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF CAMBODIA, INVOKING UPON YOU ABUNDANT BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.

FRANCISCUS PP.

Vietnam

HIS EXCELLENCY TRUONG TAN SANG
PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
HANOI

I SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AS I FLY OVER THE COUNTRY ON MY WAY FROM SRI LANKA TO THE PHILIPPINES. I ASSURE YOU OF MY PRAYERS FOR YOU AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF VIETNAM, INVOKING UPON YOU ABUNDANT BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.

FRANCISCUS PP.

The Pope's aircraft reached Villamor Air Base in Manila at 5:35pm local time (10:35am in Rome), after a flight of almost six hours.

The Holy Father was welcomed by the President of the Philippine Republic, His Excellency, Benigno S. Aquino III, the Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency, Giuseppe Pinto, and various other State Authorities as well as the Praesidium of the Philippine Episcopal Conference and about a thousand faithful.  Following the national hymns and the presentation of the respective delegations, the Pope and the President met briefly in a room at the airport.  Then Pope Francis travelled in a covered vehicle to the Apostolic Nunciature in Manila.

A few extras in Colombo

Yesterday afternoon, having returned from Madhu after the Marian celebration at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Pope met at the Apostolic Nunciature in Colombo with the former President of the Republic of Sri Lanka, Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had initially offered the official invitation for the Pope's visit to his country.  The former President was accompanied (for this visit) by his brother, who also served as a Minister in the former government, and their respective wives.

During the evening hours,the Pope visited the Buddhist temple of Mahabodhi - having welcomed the invitation which had been offered to do so either when he arrived at the airport on the previous day or at the conclusion of the inter-religious meeting held yesterday - by one of the monks from that temple.

Neither of these events had been accounted for in the official programme for the Apostolic visit.

Finally, before returning to the Nunciature, Pope Francis wished to honour his scheduled meeting with the Bishops, who he was unable to meet on Wednesday due to the fact that his arrival in the country had been delayed.  He therefore travelled to the Archbishop's office where he met with the Prelates, who had returned by this point from Madhu.

Visiting Our Lady of the Rosary

On the first afternoon, the Holy Father left the Apostolic Nunciature and transferred by helicopter to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Madhu, in the northern part of the island.

Upon his arrival, around 3:30pm, the Pope was welcomed by His Excellency, Joseph Rayappu, Bishop of Mannar, in whose diocese the Shrine is found, and by a few local authorities.

The Marian celebration, led by the Holy Father from the doorway to the Shrine, was introduced by words of greeting on the part of Bishop Rayappu.  During the ceremony, a special prayer was offered to Mary for the continuity of peace in the country which was finally achieved in 2009, at the culmination of a thirty-year conflict.  Representatives of Tamil and Sinhalese families were present, especially those who have suffered because of the hostilities.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

addressed to the faithful who were present

in front of the Marian Sanctuary

Dear brothers and sisters,

We are in our Mother’s house. Here she welcomes us into her home. At this shrine of Our Lady of Madhu, every pilgrim can feel at home, for here Mary brings us into the presence of her Son Jesus. Here Sri Lankans, Tamil and Sinhalese alike, come as members of one family. To Mary they commend their joys and sorrows, their hopes and needs. Here, in her home, they feel safe. They know that God is very near; they feel his love; they know his tender mercy, the tender mercy of God.

There are families here today which suffered greatly in the long conflict which tore open the heart of Sri Lanka. Many people, from north and south alike, were killed in the terrible violence and bloodshed of those years. No Sri Lankan can forget the tragic events associated with this very place, or the sad day when the venerable statue of Mary, dating to the arrival of the earliest Christians in Sri Lanka, was taken away from her shrine.

But Our Lady is remaining always with you. She is the mother of every home, of every wounded family, of all who are seeking to return to a peaceful existence. Today we thank her for protecting the people of Sri Lanka from so many dangers, past and present. Mary never forgot her children on this resplendent island. Just as she never left the side of her Son on the Cross, so she never left the side of her suffering Sri Lankan children.

Today we want to thank Our Lady for that presence. In the wake of so much hatred, violence and destruction, we want to thank her for continuing to bring us Jesus, who alone has the power to heal open wounds and to restore peace to broken hearts. But we also want to ask her to implore for us the grace of God’s mercy. We ask also for the grace to make reparation for our sins and for all the evil which this land has known.

It is not easy to do this. Yet only when we come to understand, in the light of the Cross, the evil we are capable of, and have even been a part of, can we experience true remorse and true repentance. Only then can we receive the grace to approach one another in true contrition, offering and seeking true forgiveness. In this difficult effort to forgive and find peace, Mary is always here to encourage us, to guide us, to lead us. Just as she forgave her Son’s killers at the foot of his Cross, then held his lifeless body in her hands, so now she wants to guide Sri Lankans to greater reconciliation, so that the balm of God’s pardon and mercy may bring true healing to all.

Finally, we want to ask Mother Mary to accompany with her prayers the efforts of Sri Lankans from both Tamil and Sinhalese speaking communities to rebuild the unity which was lost. Just as her statue came back to her shrine of Madhu after the war, so we pray that all her Sri Lankan sons and daughters may now come home to God in a renewed spirit of reconciliation and fellowship.

Dear brothers and sisters, I am happy to be with you in Mary’s house. Let us pray for one another. Above all, let us ask that this shrine may always be a house of prayer and a haven of peace. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Madhu, may all people find here inspiration and strength to build a future of reconciliation, justice and peace for all the children of this beloved land. Amen.

Sri Lanka's first Saint

This morning, the Holy Father, Pope Francis left the Apostolic Nunciature and travelled by car to the Galle Face Green in Colombo, where, at 8:30am, he presided over the celebration of the Mass for the Canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz, an Oratorian priest who lived between 1651 and 1711, the first Saint from Sri Lanka, who was proclaimed Blessed on January 21, 1995 by Pope John Paul II, during a celebration which also took place on the Galle Face Green in Colombo.

Upon his arrival, the Pope travelled through the crowd of approximately 500,000 faithful in a covered vehicle, before receiving the greetings presented by the Mayor of Colombo who presented him with the keys to the city.

During the Eucharistic Celebration, after the rite of Canonization and the proclamation of the gospel, the Pope shared the following homily with those who were present:

Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the celebration of Mass for the

canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz

All the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God (Isaiah 52:10)

This is the magnificent prophecy which we heard in today’s first reading. Isaiah foretells the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the ends of the earth. This prophecy has a special meaning for us, as we celebrate the canonization of a great missionary of the Gospel, Saint Joseph Vaz. Like countless other missionaries in the history of the Church, he responded to the Risen Lord’s command to make disciples of every nation (cf Mt 28:19). By his words, but more importantly, by the example of his life, he led the people of this country to the faith which gives us an inheritance among all God’s holy ones (cf Acts 20:32).

In Saint Joseph we see a powerful sign of God’s goodness and love for the people of Sri Lanka. But we also see in him a challenge to persevere in the paths of the Gospel, to grow in holiness ourselves, and to testify to the Gospel message of reconciliation to which he dedicated his life.

A priest of the Oratory in his native Goa, Saint Joseph Vaz came to this country inspired by missionary zeal and a great love of its people. Because of religious persecution, he dressed as a beggar, performing his priestly duties in secret meetings of the faithful, often at night. His efforts provided spiritual and moral strength to the beleaguered Catholic population. He had a particular desire to serve the ill and suffering. His ministry to the sick was so appreciated by the king during a smallpox epidemic in Kandy that he was allowed greater freedom to minister. From Kandy, he could reach out to other parts of the island. He spent himself in missionary work and died, exhausted, at the age of fifty-nine, revered for his holiness.

Saint Joseph Vaz continues to be an example and a teacher for many reasons, but I would like to focus on three. First, he was an exemplary priest. Here today with us are many priests and religious, both men and women, who, like Joseph Vaz, are consecrated to the service of God and neighbour. I encourage each of you to look to Saint Joseph as a sure guide. He teaches us how to go out to the peripheries, to make Jesus Christ everywhere known and loved. He is also an example of patient suffering in the cause of the Gospel, of obedience to our superiors, of loving care for the Church of God (cf Acts 20:28). Like ourselves, Saint Joseph Vaz lived in a period of rapid and profound transformation; Catholics were a minority, and often divided within; there was occasional hostility, even persecution, from without. And yet, because he was constantly united with the crucified Lord in prayer, he could become for all people a living icon of God’s mercy and reconciling love.

Second, Saint Joseph shows us the importance of transcending religious divisions in the service of peace. His undivided love for God opened him to love for his neighbour; he ministered to those in need, whoever and wherever they were. His example continues to inspire the Church in Sri Lanka today. She gladly and generously serves all members of society. She makes no distinction of race, creed, tribe, status or religion in the service she provides through her schools, hospitals, clinics, and many other charitable works. All she asks in return is the freedom to carry out this mission. Religious freedom is a fundamental human right. Each individual must be free, alone or in association with others, to seek the truth, and to openly express his or her religious convictions, free from intimidation and external compulsion. As the life of Saint Joseph Vaz teaches us, genuine worship of God bears fruit not in discrimination, hatred and violence, but in respect for the sacredness of life, respect for the dignity and freedom of others, and loving commitment to the welfare of all.

Finally, Saint Joseph gives us an example of missionary zeal. Though he came to Ceylon to minister to the Catholic community, in his evangelical charity he reached out to everyone. Leaving behind his home, his family, the comfort of his familiar surroundings, he responded to the call to go forth, to speak of Christ wherever he was led. Saint Joseph knew how to offer the truth and the beauty of the Gospel in a multi-religious context, with respect, dedication, perseverance and humility. This is also the way for the followers of Jesus today. We are called to go forth with the same zeal, the same courage, of Saint Joseph, but also with his sensitivity, his reverence for others, his desire to share with them that word of grace (cf Acts 20:32) which has the power to build them up. We are called to be missionary disciples.

Dear brothers and sisters, I pray that, following the example of Saint Joseph Vaz, the Christians of this country may be confirmed in faith and make an ever greater contribution to peace, justice and reconciliation in Sri Lankan society. This is what Christ asks of you. This is what Saint Joseph teaches you. This is what the Church needs of you. I commend all of you to the prayers of our new saint, so that, in union with the Church throughout the world, you may sing a new song to the Lord and declare his glory to all the ends of the earth. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised (cf Ps 96: 1-4)! Amen.

Before the final blessing, the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranijth, addressed a word of thanks to the Holy Father.

At the conclusion of the Eucharist, Pope Francis returned by car to the Apostolic Nunciature.

With Inter-religious leaders in Colombo

This afternoon, the Holy Father left the Apostolic Nunciature in Colombo and travelled by car to the Presidential Residence to pay a courtesy visit to the President of the Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency, Maithripala Sirisensa, who has been in office only since January 9 of this year.

At the offices of the Secretariat of the President, following the signing of the Golden Book, the Pope and the President spoke privately, then the presentation of family members and the authorities took place, as well as the exchange of gifts.

Following a brief ceremony for the presentation of postage stamps which have been prepared to commemorate the Papal visit, the Holy Father departed and continued to the BMICH Congress Centre in Colombo for an inter-religious meeting.

The Inter-religious meeting took place this afternoon at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo.  In attendance were members of the main religious families of Sri Lanka along with a thousand representatives of various communities: Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and some Christian denominations.

Having signed the Golden Book, and after a welcome with traditional music, His Excellency, Cletus Chandrasiri Perera, Bishop of Ratnapura, representative of the Episcopal Conference of Sri Lanka for Inter-religious Dialogue, introduced the Pope to those who were gathered for the meeting.

Then, following the singing of a Buddhist song, Hindu and Muslim blessings, a prayer by an Ecumenical group and a speech by a Buddhist monk, the Holy Father shared the following words:

Address of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the Inter-religious gathering

in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Dear Friends,

I am grateful for the opportunity to take part in this meeting which brings together, among others, the four largest religious communities integral to the life of Sri Lanka: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. I thank you for your presence and for your warm welcome. I also thank those who have offered prayers and blessings, and in a particular way I express my gratitude to Bishop Cletus Chandrasiri Perera and to the Venerable Vigithasiri Niyangoda Thero for their kind words.

I have come to Sri Lanka in the footsteps of my predecessors Popes Paul VI and John Paul II to demonstrate the great love and concern which the Catholic Church has for Sri Lanka. It is a particular grace for me to visit the Catholic community here, to confirm them in their Christian faith, to pray with them and to share their joys and sufferings. It is equally a grace to be with all of you, men and women of these great religious traditions, who share with us a desire for wisdom, truth and holiness.

At the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church declared her deep and abiding respect for other religions. She stated that she rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions. She has a high regard for their manner of life and conduct, their precepts and doctrines (Nostra Aetate, 2). For my part, I wish to reaffirm the Church’s sincere respect for you, your traditions and beliefs.

It is in this spirit of respect that the Catholic Church desires to cooperate with you, and with all people of good will, in seeking the welfare of all Sri Lankans. I hope that my visit will help to encourage and deepen the various forms of inter-religious and ecumenical cooperation which have been undertaken in recent years.

These praiseworthy initiatives have provided opportunities for dialogue, which is essential if we are to know, understand and respect one another. But, as experience has shown, for such dialogue and encounter to be effective, it must be grounded in a full and forthright presentation of our respective convictions. Certainly, such dialogue will accentuate how varied our beliefs, traditions and practices are. But if we are honest in presenting our convictions, we will be able to see more clearly what we hold in common. New avenues will be opened for mutual esteem, cooperation and indeed friendship.

Such positive developments in inter-religious and ecumenical relations take on a particular significance and urgency in Sri Lanka. For too many years the men and women of this country have been victims of civil strife and violence. What is needed now is healing and unity, not further conflict and division. Surely the fostering of healing and unity is a noble task which is incumbent upon all who have at heart the good of the nation, and indeed the whole human family. It is my hope that inter-religious and ecumenical cooperation will demonstrate that men and women do not have to forsake their identity, whether ethnic or religious, in order to live in harmony with their brothers and sisters.

How many ways there are for the followers of the different religions to carry out this service! How many are the needs that must be tended to with the healing balm of fraternal solidarity! I think in particular of the material and spiritual needs of the poor, the destitute, those who yearn for a word of consolation and hope. Here I think too of the many families who continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones.

Above all, at this moment of your nation’s history, how many people of good will are seeking to rebuild the moral foundations of society as a whole? May the growing spirit of cooperation between the leaders of the various religious communities find expression in a commitment to put reconciliation among all Sri Lankans at the heart of every effort to renew society and its institutions. For the sake of peace, religious beliefs must never be allowed to be abused in the cause of violence and war. We must be clear and unequivocal in challenging our communities to live fully the tenets of peace and coexistence found in each religion, and to denounce acts of violence when they are committed.

Dear friends, I thank you once again for your generous welcome and your attention. May this fraternal encounter confirm all of us in our efforts to live in harmony and to spread the blessings of peace.

Having concluded his speech, the Pope met individually with some of the Religious Leaders, and then returned by car to the Apostolic Nunciature in Colombo.

Arriving in Sri Lanka

Yesterday evening the Holy Father departed from Rome's Fumicino airport shortly after 7:00pm and flew overnight to Colombo (Sri Lanka) where he arrived shortly before 9:00am local time this morning.

Upon his arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, the Pope was welcomed by the newly-elected President of the Republic, His Excellency, Mister Maithripala Sirisena, as well as other State Authorities, the Archbishop of Colombo and President of the Sri Lankan Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don, other bishops from Sri Lanka, a group of faithful and a choir of children.

After the national hymns had been played and military honours presented, there were some introductory comments presented by the President of the Republic of Sri Lanka, and then the Pope shared the following speech.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

upon arrival in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Mr President,

Honourable Government Authorities,

Your Eminence, Your Excellencies,

Dear Friends,

I thank you for your warm welcome. I have looked forward to this visit to Sri Lanka and these days which we will spend together. Sri Lanka is known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean for its natural beauty. Even more importantly, this island is known for the warmth of its people and the rich diversity of their cultural and religious traditions.

Mr President, I extend to you my best wishes for your new responsibilities. I greet the distinguished members of the government and civil authorities who honour us by their presence. I am especially grateful for the presence of the eminent religious leaders who play so important a role in the life of this country. And of course, I would like to express my appreciation to the faithful, the members of the choir, and the many people who helped make this visit possible. I thank you all, from the bottom of my heart for your kindness and hospitality.

My visit to Sri Lanka is primarily pastoral. As the universal pastor of the Catholic Church, I have come to meet, encourage and pray with the Catholic people of this island. A highlight of this visit will be the canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz, whose example of Christian charity and respect for all people, regardless of ethnicity or religion, continues to inspire and teach us today. But my visit is also meant to express the Church’s love and concern for all Sri Lankans, and to confirm the desire of the Catholic community to be an active participant in the life of this society. It is a continuing tragedy in our world that so many communities are at war with themselves. The inability to reconcile differences and disagreements, whether old or new, has given rise to ethnic and religious tensions, frequently accompanied by outbreaks of violence. Sri Lanka for many years knew the horrors of civil strife, and is now seeking to consolidate peace and to heal the scars of those years. It is no easy task to overcome the bitter legacy of injustices, hostility and mistrust left by the conflict. It can only be done by overcoming evil with good (cf Rom 12:21) and by cultivating those virtues which foster reconciliation, solidarity and peace. The process of healing also needs to include the pursuit of truth, not for the sake of opening old wounds, but rather as a necessary means of promoting justice, healing and unity.

Dear friends, I am convinced that the followers of the various religious traditions have an essential role to play in the delicate process of reconciliation and rebuilding which is taking place in this country. For that process to succeed, all members of society must work together; all must have a voice. All must be free to express their concerns, their needs, their aspirations and their fears. Most importantly, they must be prepared to accept one another, to respect legitimate diversities, and learn to live as one family. Whenever people listen to one another humbly and openly, their shared values and aspirations become all the more apparent. Diversity is no longer seen as a threat, but as a source of enrichment. The path to justice, reconciliation and social harmony becomes all the more clearly seen.

In this sense, the great work of rebuilding must embrace improving infrastructures and meeting material needs, but also, and even more importantly, promoting human dignity, respect for human rights, and the full inclusion of each member of society. It is my hope that Sri Lanka’s political, religious and cultural leaders, by measuring their every word and action by the good and the healing it will bring, will make a lasting contribution to the material and spiritual progress of the Sri Lankan people.

Mr President, dear friends, I thank you once again for your welcome. May these days we spend together be days of friendship, dialogue and solidarity. I invoke an abundance of God’s blessings upon Sri Lanka, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, and I pray that its beauty may shine forth in the prosperity and peace of all its people.

The respective delegations having been introduced, and having signed the Golden Book, Pope Francis and the President of the Republic, along with Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and the Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka, His Excellency, Pierre Nguyên Van Tot, met together briefly in a room at the airport.

The Holy Father then travelled in the popemobile to the Apostolic Nunciature in Colombo, where he arrived almost an hour later than scheduled because of a great crowd which greeted him along the way, a distance of 28 kilometres from the airport to the centre of the city.  At the Nunciature, the Pope celebrated a private Mass.

At the meeting with the bishops of Sri Lanka, scheduled for 1:00pm, the Holy Father was not able to attend.  Instead, the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, and the other Cardinals and Bishops in the Papal Party went to the Archbishop's Residence to greet the prelates and the seminarians.