At 7:00am this morning, the Holy Father, Pope Francis left the Vatican and travelled by helicopter to Prato and Florence in order to participate in the 5th National Convention of the Italian Church.
Upon his arrival in Prato, at the Lungobisenzio sports field, the Pope was welcomed by the Bishop of Prato, His Excellency, Franco Agostinelli; by the Prefect, Doctor Maria Laura Simonetti; and by the Mayor, Doctor Matteo Biffoni.
The Holy Father then travelled by car to the Cathedral where he venerated the Relics of the Madonna's Holy Cincture (belt) and greeted the members of the Chapter, a group of sick persons, a few elderly priests and some cloistered monks.
Pope Francis then went to a pulpit outside the Cathedral for his meeting with the faithful who were gathered in the Square below and following a few words of welcome spoken by the Bishop of Prato, His Holiness shared the following speech.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
I thank your Bishop, Monsignor Agostinelli, for the very courteous words which he addressed to me. I greet all of you who are physically present with great affection, especially those who are sick, the elderly and those who are confined in the prison.
I have come as a pilgrim - a pilgrim ... on the way! That isn't much, but there is a willingness - in this city that is rich in history and beauty, which throughout history has been defined as Mary's city. How fortunate you are, for you are in good hands! They are maternal hands that will always protect, open to welcome. You are privileged also because you keep care of the Madonna's Holy Cincture, which I have just visited.
This sign of blessing for your city provides me with a few thoughts, drawn also from the Word of God. The first takes us back to the journey of salvation which the people of Israel undertook, from slavery in Egypt toward the promised land. Before freeing them, the Lord asked them to celebrate the paschal meal and to eat it in a particular fashion: with your loins girded (Ex 12:11). Fastening a belt around ones loins signifies readiness, a state of preparedness to leave, to set out on a journey. Even today, the Lord asks this of his people, today more than ever before: he asks us not to remain closed in indifference, but to be open: so that all people might hear, know that they have been called and be ready to leave something behind in order to reach out sto someone else, with whom they can share the joy of having encountered the Lord, and the fatigue of walking along the path. We are asked to go out in order to draw close to men and women of our time. To go out certainly means to take risks - to go out means to take risks - but there is no faith without risk. A faith that thinks only of itself is closed in and is not faithful to the Lord who calls his people to take initiatives and to share themselves without any fear. Faced with the transformations which at times during these recent years can be frantic, there is a danger of being subjected to a whirlwind of events, of losing courage and of seeking shelter. The result is that we prefer to find refuge and this will surely lead us to stop looking at the big picture presented by Jesus' words. But the Lord, who wishes to reach out to those who do not yet love him, urges us on. His desire is that a renewed missionary passion be born in us and he entrusts great responsibility to us. He asks the Church, his spouse, to walk today's rugged paths, to accompany those who have lost their way; to plant shoots of hope, where we can welcome those who have been wounded and who no longer expect to gain anything out of life. This is what the Lord asks of us.
He himself gives us an example by drawing close to us. In fact, the Holy Cincture also recalls the gesture enacted by Jesus during the Last Supper, when he removed his outer garment, like a servant, and washed the feet of his disciples (cf Jn 13:4; Lk 12:37). For, as he himself has done, we too must do. We have been served by God who made himself our neighbour, in order that we in turn might serve those who are our neighbours. Fora disciple of Jesus, no one who is close can be driven away. Therefore, there is no one - even those who are afar - who are too far away, but only those who are close by, within our reach. I thank you for your continued efforts to involve every person in your community, crossing the boundaries of culture, indifference and wastefulness. In times marked by uncertainties and fears, your initiatives to support the weak and the family structures are praiseworthy, including your willingness to adopt. While you strive to find the best practical possibilities for inclusion, do not let difficulties discourage you. Do not give into what may seem to be difficult situations of coexistence; always strive to be guided by a desire to establish true terms of proximity. That's it, proximity, closeness! Draw close to others and you will be successful.
There is still another suggestion that I want to propose. Saint Paul invites Christians to put on a particular armour, the armour of God. In fact, he says that we should be clothed with the necessary virtues in order to face our real enemy, who is never another person, but rather the spirit of evil. In the first place, this armour includes truth: around his waist, truth, the apostle writes (Eph 6:14). We must clothe ourselves with truth. We cannot build anything good based on plots of deceit or on a lack of transparency. It's not easy to always seek out and choose truth; but it is a vital decision, which must deeply characterize the existence of each person and also that of society, so that both can be more just and more honest. The sacredness of every human being requires respect, welcome and dignified work for everyone. Dignified work! Allow me to recall the five men and two women, Chinese citizens who died two years ago in an accident that took place in an industrial area of Prato. They lived and slept in the same industrial building in which they worked; in an area that had been converted into a small dormitory using cardboard and plaster, with bunk beds in order to take advantage of the height of the structure. This is a tragedy of exploitation and the conditions of human life. This is not dignified work! The life of every community requires that we fight even harder against the cancer of corruption, the cancer of human exploitation and working conditions and the poison of lawlessness. Within ourselves and together with others, let us never grow weary of fighting for truth and justice.
I encourage you all, above all your youth - they tell me that you young people held a prayer vigil last night, all night long ... Thank you, thank you! - never give in to pessimism and resignation. Mary is the one who with prayer and with love, in her silent work, transformed the sadness of Saturday into the new dawn of the Resurrection. If some of you are tired out and oppressed by the circumstances of your lives, confide your worry to our Mother, who is close to you and ready to console, because she is our Mother! She always renews our hearts and invites us to trust in God: her son will never betray our expectations; he will always sow hope in our hearts - hope that never disappoints. Thank you.
At the conclusion of his speech, the Holy Father stood on the steps of the Cathedral and greeted some representatives from the ecclesial community, the civil community, from businesses and some of the city's labourers. Then, he travelled by car to the community sports field where he boarded the helicopter and left Prato, heading toward Florence.
Upon his arrival in Prato, at the Lungobisenzio sports field, the Pope was welcomed by the Bishop of Prato, His Excellency, Franco Agostinelli; by the Prefect, Doctor Maria Laura Simonetti; and by the Mayor, Doctor Matteo Biffoni.
The Holy Father then travelled by car to the Cathedral where he venerated the Relics of the Madonna's Holy Cincture (belt) and greeted the members of the Chapter, a group of sick persons, a few elderly priests and some cloistered monks.
Pope Francis then went to a pulpit outside the Cathedral for his meeting with the faithful who were gathered in the Square below and following a few words of welcome spoken by the Bishop of Prato, His Holiness shared the following speech.
Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
to the faithful in Prato
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
I thank your Bishop, Monsignor Agostinelli, for the very courteous words which he addressed to me. I greet all of you who are physically present with great affection, especially those who are sick, the elderly and those who are confined in the prison.
I have come as a pilgrim - a pilgrim ... on the way! That isn't much, but there is a willingness - in this city that is rich in history and beauty, which throughout history has been defined as Mary's city. How fortunate you are, for you are in good hands! They are maternal hands that will always protect, open to welcome. You are privileged also because you keep care of the Madonna's Holy Cincture, which I have just visited.
This sign of blessing for your city provides me with a few thoughts, drawn also from the Word of God. The first takes us back to the journey of salvation which the people of Israel undertook, from slavery in Egypt toward the promised land. Before freeing them, the Lord asked them to celebrate the paschal meal and to eat it in a particular fashion: with your loins girded (Ex 12:11). Fastening a belt around ones loins signifies readiness, a state of preparedness to leave, to set out on a journey. Even today, the Lord asks this of his people, today more than ever before: he asks us not to remain closed in indifference, but to be open: so that all people might hear, know that they have been called and be ready to leave something behind in order to reach out sto someone else, with whom they can share the joy of having encountered the Lord, and the fatigue of walking along the path. We are asked to go out in order to draw close to men and women of our time. To go out certainly means to take risks - to go out means to take risks - but there is no faith without risk. A faith that thinks only of itself is closed in and is not faithful to the Lord who calls his people to take initiatives and to share themselves without any fear. Faced with the transformations which at times during these recent years can be frantic, there is a danger of being subjected to a whirlwind of events, of losing courage and of seeking shelter. The result is that we prefer to find refuge and this will surely lead us to stop looking at the big picture presented by Jesus' words. But the Lord, who wishes to reach out to those who do not yet love him, urges us on. His desire is that a renewed missionary passion be born in us and he entrusts great responsibility to us. He asks the Church, his spouse, to walk today's rugged paths, to accompany those who have lost their way; to plant shoots of hope, where we can welcome those who have been wounded and who no longer expect to gain anything out of life. This is what the Lord asks of us.
He himself gives us an example by drawing close to us. In fact, the Holy Cincture also recalls the gesture enacted by Jesus during the Last Supper, when he removed his outer garment, like a servant, and washed the feet of his disciples (cf Jn 13:4; Lk 12:37). For, as he himself has done, we too must do. We have been served by God who made himself our neighbour, in order that we in turn might serve those who are our neighbours. Fora disciple of Jesus, no one who is close can be driven away. Therefore, there is no one - even those who are afar - who are too far away, but only those who are close by, within our reach. I thank you for your continued efforts to involve every person in your community, crossing the boundaries of culture, indifference and wastefulness. In times marked by uncertainties and fears, your initiatives to support the weak and the family structures are praiseworthy, including your willingness to adopt. While you strive to find the best practical possibilities for inclusion, do not let difficulties discourage you. Do not give into what may seem to be difficult situations of coexistence; always strive to be guided by a desire to establish true terms of proximity. That's it, proximity, closeness! Draw close to others and you will be successful.
There is still another suggestion that I want to propose. Saint Paul invites Christians to put on a particular armour, the armour of God. In fact, he says that we should be clothed with the necessary virtues in order to face our real enemy, who is never another person, but rather the spirit of evil. In the first place, this armour includes truth: around his waist, truth, the apostle writes (Eph 6:14). We must clothe ourselves with truth. We cannot build anything good based on plots of deceit or on a lack of transparency. It's not easy to always seek out and choose truth; but it is a vital decision, which must deeply characterize the existence of each person and also that of society, so that both can be more just and more honest. The sacredness of every human being requires respect, welcome and dignified work for everyone. Dignified work! Allow me to recall the five men and two women, Chinese citizens who died two years ago in an accident that took place in an industrial area of Prato. They lived and slept in the same industrial building in which they worked; in an area that had been converted into a small dormitory using cardboard and plaster, with bunk beds in order to take advantage of the height of the structure. This is a tragedy of exploitation and the conditions of human life. This is not dignified work! The life of every community requires that we fight even harder against the cancer of corruption, the cancer of human exploitation and working conditions and the poison of lawlessness. Within ourselves and together with others, let us never grow weary of fighting for truth and justice.
I encourage you all, above all your youth - they tell me that you young people held a prayer vigil last night, all night long ... Thank you, thank you! - never give in to pessimism and resignation. Mary is the one who with prayer and with love, in her silent work, transformed the sadness of Saturday into the new dawn of the Resurrection. If some of you are tired out and oppressed by the circumstances of your lives, confide your worry to our Mother, who is close to you and ready to console, because she is our Mother! She always renews our hearts and invites us to trust in God: her son will never betray our expectations; he will always sow hope in our hearts - hope that never disappoints. Thank you.
At the conclusion of his speech, the Holy Father stood on the steps of the Cathedral and greeted some representatives from the ecclesial community, the civil community, from businesses and some of the city's labourers. Then, he travelled by car to the community sports field where he boarded the helicopter and left Prato, heading toward Florence.
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