At 2:30pm today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis left the Archbishop's residence in Turin and went to the Shrine of Consolation, for a moment of private prayer. Present with His Holiness were some priests who are guests at the House. To mark his visit, the Pope placed a Golden Rose in front of the image of the Madonna.
He then went to the Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians where, at 3:00pm, he met with Salesians and the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians who are marking the bicentennial of the birth of Saint John Bosco (1815-1888). In the Square outside the Basilica, children and young people from the Oratory were also present.
Following words of greeting which were offered by the Major Rector of the Salesians, Don Ángel Fernández Artime, the Pope spoke an impromptu greeting, choosing to leave the text of his prepared speech to be read at a later time.
Dear brothers and sisters,
During my pilgrimage which is dedicated to the veneration of Jesus crucified in the sign of the holy Shroud, I have chosen to come to this place which represents the heart of the life and work of Saint John Bosco in order to celebrate with you the second centenary anniversary of his birth. With you, I thank the Lord for having given the Church this Saint, who together with many other Saints from this region, constitute both an honour and a blessing for the Church and for the societies of Turin and Piemonte, for Italy and for the entire world, in particular due to the care you have shown toward the youth who are poor and marginalized. I cannot speak today about Don Bosco without seeing him surrounded by may people: the Salesian Family which he founded, educators who are inspired by him, and of course so many young people, boys and girls, from every part of the globe who acclaim Don Bosco as their father and teacher. We can say so much about Don Bosco! But today, I only want to mention three things: trust in divine Providence; vocations to be priests among the youth, especially the poor; and loyal, devoted service to the Church, especially to the person of the Successor of Peter.
Don Bosco lived his priestly mission even to his dying breath, supported by an unwavering trust in God and in his love; this is the reason why he was able to do great things. This relationship of trust with the Lord is also the substance of consecrated life, so that our service for the sake of the gospel and for others may not remain imprisoned by our views or by the passing truths of a world that is transitory, but so that we might continually surpass our own desires, reaching for eternal truths and so that in the Lord, we may discover our strength and our hope. This will also be the source of our nourishment. Today, we should question ourselves about this nourishment, and - I would say - on good Salesian soil. Are we up to it?
The other important aspect of Don Bosco's life is service to young people. He did this with commitment and perseverance with the sensitivity of a generous heart. He took no step, spoke no word, undertook no task that was not aimed at saving the young ... Truly, he had no other desire in his heart but the salvation of souls (Salesian Constitution, 21). Don Bosco's charism leads us to become educators of young people by implementing the teaching of faith that is summed up as follows: evangelizing by educating and educating by evangelizing (General Directory for Catechesis, 147). To evangelize young people, to educate young people full time, beginning with the most fragile and abandoned, offering them a style of education based on reason, religion and loving kindness, universally appreciated as a preventative system. The gift of gentleness, so much a part of Don Bosco, was a gift that he had certainly learned from his mother Margherita. Strength in gentleness and tenderness! I encourage you to generously and trustingly continue the many activities you undertake for the sake of the new generations: oratories, youth centres, professional institutes, schools and colleges. But never forget those who Don Bosco used to call the street youth: they need so much hope; they need to be taught about the joy of a Christian life.
Don Bosco was always docile and faithful to the Church and to the Pope, following pastoral suggestions and indications. Today, the Church turns to you, spiritual sons and daughters of this great Saint, and in a concrete way, she invites you to go out, to always go out in search of the youth, right where they live - on the outskirts of the cities, in places where they are in physical and moral danger, in social contexts where many material things are lacking, but above all where there is a shortage of love, understanding, tenderness and hope. Go in search of them with the overflowing fatherhood of Don Bosco. The oratory of Don Bosco was born of the encounter with street youth and for a certain time, it travelled through various neighbourhoods in Turin. May you proclaim to all people the mercy of Jesus, creating oratori in every place, especially among the most impoverished; carrying in your heart the oratorian style of Don Bosco and spreading apostolic horizons wider and wider. From the solid roots that he planted two hundred years ago in the soil of the Church and in society, many branches have sprung: thirty religious Institutions currently live his charism, sharing the mission of carrying the gospel to every corner and every periphery. The Lord has blessed this service by raising up from among you over these two centuries, a large group of people who the Church as proclaimed either saints or blesseds. I encourage you to continue along this path, imitating the faith of those who have gone before you.
In this Basilica, so dear to you and to all of God's people, let us call upon Mary, Help of Christians, asking her to bless every member of the Salesian Family; to bless all the parents and the teachers who dedicate their lives to the growth of the young; to bless every young person who is helped by the work of Don Bosco, and all those who dedicate their efforts to helping the poor, so that, through youth who are well received and well educated, the Church and the world might know the joy of a new humanity.
He then went to the Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians where, at 3:00pm, he met with Salesians and the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians who are marking the bicentennial of the birth of Saint John Bosco (1815-1888). In the Square outside the Basilica, children and young people from the Oratory were also present.
Following words of greeting which were offered by the Major Rector of the Salesians, Don Ángel Fernández Artime, the Pope spoke an impromptu greeting, choosing to leave the text of his prepared speech to be read at a later time.
Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
consigned to the organizers of an encounter
with members of the Salesian community
and the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians
Dear brothers and sisters,
During my pilgrimage which is dedicated to the veneration of Jesus crucified in the sign of the holy Shroud, I have chosen to come to this place which represents the heart of the life and work of Saint John Bosco in order to celebrate with you the second centenary anniversary of his birth. With you, I thank the Lord for having given the Church this Saint, who together with many other Saints from this region, constitute both an honour and a blessing for the Church and for the societies of Turin and Piemonte, for Italy and for the entire world, in particular due to the care you have shown toward the youth who are poor and marginalized. I cannot speak today about Don Bosco without seeing him surrounded by may people: the Salesian Family which he founded, educators who are inspired by him, and of course so many young people, boys and girls, from every part of the globe who acclaim Don Bosco as their father and teacher. We can say so much about Don Bosco! But today, I only want to mention three things: trust in divine Providence; vocations to be priests among the youth, especially the poor; and loyal, devoted service to the Church, especially to the person of the Successor of Peter.
Don Bosco lived his priestly mission even to his dying breath, supported by an unwavering trust in God and in his love; this is the reason why he was able to do great things. This relationship of trust with the Lord is also the substance of consecrated life, so that our service for the sake of the gospel and for others may not remain imprisoned by our views or by the passing truths of a world that is transitory, but so that we might continually surpass our own desires, reaching for eternal truths and so that in the Lord, we may discover our strength and our hope. This will also be the source of our nourishment. Today, we should question ourselves about this nourishment, and - I would say - on good Salesian soil. Are we up to it?
The other important aspect of Don Bosco's life is service to young people. He did this with commitment and perseverance with the sensitivity of a generous heart. He took no step, spoke no word, undertook no task that was not aimed at saving the young ... Truly, he had no other desire in his heart but the salvation of souls (Salesian Constitution, 21). Don Bosco's charism leads us to become educators of young people by implementing the teaching of faith that is summed up as follows: evangelizing by educating and educating by evangelizing (General Directory for Catechesis, 147). To evangelize young people, to educate young people full time, beginning with the most fragile and abandoned, offering them a style of education based on reason, religion and loving kindness, universally appreciated as a preventative system. The gift of gentleness, so much a part of Don Bosco, was a gift that he had certainly learned from his mother Margherita. Strength in gentleness and tenderness! I encourage you to generously and trustingly continue the many activities you undertake for the sake of the new generations: oratories, youth centres, professional institutes, schools and colleges. But never forget those who Don Bosco used to call the street youth: they need so much hope; they need to be taught about the joy of a Christian life.
Don Bosco was always docile and faithful to the Church and to the Pope, following pastoral suggestions and indications. Today, the Church turns to you, spiritual sons and daughters of this great Saint, and in a concrete way, she invites you to go out, to always go out in search of the youth, right where they live - on the outskirts of the cities, in places where they are in physical and moral danger, in social contexts where many material things are lacking, but above all where there is a shortage of love, understanding, tenderness and hope. Go in search of them with the overflowing fatherhood of Don Bosco. The oratory of Don Bosco was born of the encounter with street youth and for a certain time, it travelled through various neighbourhoods in Turin. May you proclaim to all people the mercy of Jesus, creating oratori in every place, especially among the most impoverished; carrying in your heart the oratorian style of Don Bosco and spreading apostolic horizons wider and wider. From the solid roots that he planted two hundred years ago in the soil of the Church and in society, many branches have sprung: thirty religious Institutions currently live his charism, sharing the mission of carrying the gospel to every corner and every periphery. The Lord has blessed this service by raising up from among you over these two centuries, a large group of people who the Church as proclaimed either saints or blesseds. I encourage you to continue along this path, imitating the faith of those who have gone before you.
In this Basilica, so dear to you and to all of God's people, let us call upon Mary, Help of Christians, asking her to bless every member of the Salesian Family; to bless all the parents and the teachers who dedicate their lives to the growth of the young; to bless every young person who is helped by the work of Don Bosco, and all those who dedicate their efforts to helping the poor, so that, through youth who are well received and well educated, the Church and the world might know the joy of a new humanity.
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