At 12:15pm today in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience a group of people participating in the pilgrimage organized by the Diocese of Cassano all'Jonio.
Dear brothers and sisters,
First of all, I greet the faithful from the Diocese of Cassano all'Jonio, who are here with your pastor, His Excellency, Nunzio Galantino, who I thank for the words he has offered to me. And I thank you for allowing him to be available to the Episcopal Conference last year. Thank you very much! Thank you with all my heart. But poor man, during this past year, he came and went, came and went ... I believe that it's time to think about giving you another pastor ... (the pilgrims respond: No!) ... Maybe you can offer him your applause, he will remember it ... I also greet the other bishops who are present, among them including the Eparch of Lungro: in fact the Church in Calabria has traditionally welcomed different rites which express the variety of gifts that enrich the Church of Christ.
I greet the representatives from the Emmanuel Community, born out of a desire to bring life to life with all those who knock at the door. I thank you, (Father Mario Marafioti) for the words you have offered to me, and I encourage your efforts to welcome the suffering Christ. This welcome is the result of a style of apostleship based on fervent prayer and intense community life. The result is seen in Centres of welcome where people are listened to, family homes in Italy and elsewhere and Associations, among which I greet the Emmanuel Volunteers from Cerignola.
The memory of my visit to your diocesan community is still fresh in my heart: the meetings with prisoners, with the sick, with the priests, the religious, the seminarians ... how many seminarians are there now? (Eight) Eight? That's not enough! We need to pray more for vocations. Ok? Ok! The Lord told us to pray and to ask Him to send us priests. I trust in your prayers: knock at the heart of Jesus, ask him to send us priests. I also remember the meeting I had with the elderly: the visit at the Cathedral and at the Seminary; and then the extraordinary presence of people in the Sibari Plain: all of Calabria was there! I witnessed first-hand both your faith and your love. May the Lord help you to always walk together with your parishes and your associations, led by the bishop and the priests. May He help you to be a welcoming community, to accompany all those who are struggling to discern Christ's saving presence.
I would like to reaffirm a thought that I suggested during my visit: whoever loves Jesus, whoever hears and welcomes his Word and whoever lives in sincere response to the call of the Lord cannot be involved in any way with evil works. Choose either Jesus or evil! Jesus did not invite devils to lunch: he drove them away because they were evil. Choose either Jesus or evil! No one can call himself Christian and violate the dignity of persons; anyone who belongs to a Christian community cannot be trained to use gestures of violence against other people and against the environment. External gestures of religiosity which are not accompanied by true and public conversion are not enough to be considered in communion with Christ and with his Church. External gestures of religiosity are not enough for others to believe that others are believers, especially if they demonstrate malice and arrogance typical of evildoers, if they live lawless lifestyles. To those who have chosen the path of evil and are affiliated with evildoing organizations, I renew my invitation to conversion. Open your hearts to the Lord! Open your hearts to the Lord! The Lord is waiting for you and the Church is ready to welcome you. Since your choice to serve evil is so well known, clear and publicly known will your willingness also be to serve good.
Dear brothers and sisters from Cassano, the beauty of your land is a gift fro God and a heritage worth preserving and passing on in all its splendour to future generations. Therefore, this must be the courageous commitment of all peoples, beginning with your Institutions, so that it is not irreparably scarred by narrow-minded interests. Among the beauties of your land, is the Emmanuel Community, an example of welcome and sharing with the less fortunate. Youth who have been devastated by drugs have found in your and in your structure the good Samaritan who knew how to stoop down over their wounds and to anoint them with the balm of closeness and affection. How many families have found in you the help they needed to hope once again for their children! The Church is grateful to you for this service. Placing yourselves alongside young people and adults who are suffering under the weight of dependencies, you have embraced the suffering Jesus and have sown seeds of hope.
Our times are in great need of hope! Young people cannot be prevented from hoping. Young people need to hope! All those who are living experiences of pain and suffering must be offered concrete signs of hope. Social and associative realities, as well as individuals who work in hospitality and cooperative efforts, are creators of hope. Therefore I exhort your Christian communities to be builders of solidarity, to not stop in the face of those who, out of narrow-minded self-interest would rather sow selfishness, violence and injustice. Oppose the culture of death and be witnesses of the gospel of life! The light of the Word of God and the support of the Holy Spirit will help and guide you with new eyes and to be available to the many new forms of poverty which through so many young people and families into desperation.
Upon all of you who are here and upon the entire Diocese of Cassano all'Jonio I invoke the protection of Holy Mary, who you venerate under the title of Our Lady of Chains and Our Lady of the Castle. May my blessing also accompany you. Please, don't forget to pray for me.
And now, all together, we turn to Our Lady, and pray together: Hail Mary ...
Thank you very much for your visit. God bless you all!
Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for pilgrims from the Diocese of Cassano all'Jonio
Dear brothers and sisters,
First of all, I greet the faithful from the Diocese of Cassano all'Jonio, who are here with your pastor, His Excellency, Nunzio Galantino, who I thank for the words he has offered to me. And I thank you for allowing him to be available to the Episcopal Conference last year. Thank you very much! Thank you with all my heart. But poor man, during this past year, he came and went, came and went ... I believe that it's time to think about giving you another pastor ... (the pilgrims respond: No!) ... Maybe you can offer him your applause, he will remember it ... I also greet the other bishops who are present, among them including the Eparch of Lungro: in fact the Church in Calabria has traditionally welcomed different rites which express the variety of gifts that enrich the Church of Christ.
I greet the representatives from the Emmanuel Community, born out of a desire to bring life to life with all those who knock at the door. I thank you, (Father Mario Marafioti) for the words you have offered to me, and I encourage your efforts to welcome the suffering Christ. This welcome is the result of a style of apostleship based on fervent prayer and intense community life. The result is seen in Centres of welcome where people are listened to, family homes in Italy and elsewhere and Associations, among which I greet the Emmanuel Volunteers from Cerignola.
The memory of my visit to your diocesan community is still fresh in my heart: the meetings with prisoners, with the sick, with the priests, the religious, the seminarians ... how many seminarians are there now? (Eight) Eight? That's not enough! We need to pray more for vocations. Ok? Ok! The Lord told us to pray and to ask Him to send us priests. I trust in your prayers: knock at the heart of Jesus, ask him to send us priests. I also remember the meeting I had with the elderly: the visit at the Cathedral and at the Seminary; and then the extraordinary presence of people in the Sibari Plain: all of Calabria was there! I witnessed first-hand both your faith and your love. May the Lord help you to always walk together with your parishes and your associations, led by the bishop and the priests. May He help you to be a welcoming community, to accompany all those who are struggling to discern Christ's saving presence.
I would like to reaffirm a thought that I suggested during my visit: whoever loves Jesus, whoever hears and welcomes his Word and whoever lives in sincere response to the call of the Lord cannot be involved in any way with evil works. Choose either Jesus or evil! Jesus did not invite devils to lunch: he drove them away because they were evil. Choose either Jesus or evil! No one can call himself Christian and violate the dignity of persons; anyone who belongs to a Christian community cannot be trained to use gestures of violence against other people and against the environment. External gestures of religiosity which are not accompanied by true and public conversion are not enough to be considered in communion with Christ and with his Church. External gestures of religiosity are not enough for others to believe that others are believers, especially if they demonstrate malice and arrogance typical of evildoers, if they live lawless lifestyles. To those who have chosen the path of evil and are affiliated with evildoing organizations, I renew my invitation to conversion. Open your hearts to the Lord! Open your hearts to the Lord! The Lord is waiting for you and the Church is ready to welcome you. Since your choice to serve evil is so well known, clear and publicly known will your willingness also be to serve good.
Dear brothers and sisters from Cassano, the beauty of your land is a gift fro God and a heritage worth preserving and passing on in all its splendour to future generations. Therefore, this must be the courageous commitment of all peoples, beginning with your Institutions, so that it is not irreparably scarred by narrow-minded interests. Among the beauties of your land, is the Emmanuel Community, an example of welcome and sharing with the less fortunate. Youth who have been devastated by drugs have found in your and in your structure the good Samaritan who knew how to stoop down over their wounds and to anoint them with the balm of closeness and affection. How many families have found in you the help they needed to hope once again for their children! The Church is grateful to you for this service. Placing yourselves alongside young people and adults who are suffering under the weight of dependencies, you have embraced the suffering Jesus and have sown seeds of hope.
Our times are in great need of hope! Young people cannot be prevented from hoping. Young people need to hope! All those who are living experiences of pain and suffering must be offered concrete signs of hope. Social and associative realities, as well as individuals who work in hospitality and cooperative efforts, are creators of hope. Therefore I exhort your Christian communities to be builders of solidarity, to not stop in the face of those who, out of narrow-minded self-interest would rather sow selfishness, violence and injustice. Oppose the culture of death and be witnesses of the gospel of life! The light of the Word of God and the support of the Holy Spirit will help and guide you with new eyes and to be available to the many new forms of poverty which through so many young people and families into desperation.
Upon all of you who are here and upon the entire Diocese of Cassano all'Jonio I invoke the protection of Holy Mary, who you venerate under the title of Our Lady of Chains and Our Lady of the Castle. May my blessing also accompany you. Please, don't forget to pray for me.
And now, all together, we turn to Our Lady, and pray together: Hail Mary ...
Thank you very much for your visit. God bless you all!
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