At 6:30am (12:30am EDT) this morning, the Holy Father, Pope Francis departed from the Casa Santa Marta and travelled to the Ciampino International Airport from where he departed for his Apostolic Visit to the Dioceses of Piazza Armerina and Palermo, marking the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the death of Blessed Pino Puglisi.
When he had arrived at the Cosimo di Palma airport in Sigonella, he left once again, this time aboard a helicopter bound for Piazza Armerina.
Upon his arrival, at the San Ippolito sports field, the Holy Father was welcomed by the Bishop of Piazza Armerina, His Excellency, Rosario Gisana; the Prefect of Enna, Doctor Maria Antonietta Cerniglia; and the city's Mayor, Doctor Nino Cammarata.
His Holiness then travelled by car to Piazza Europa where he met with the faithful.
Following a few words of greeting offered by His Excellency, Rosario Gisana, the Pope shared his speech with the faithful who were present. After his speech, he greeted some of the faithful.
Then, he travelled by car to the San Ippolito sports field where he bid farewell to the Authorities who had greeted him earlier in the day.
At 10:15am (4:15am EDT), His Holiness left Piazza Armerina and flew to Palermo aboard a helicopter.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
I am happy to be here among you. The sun in Sicily is wonderful! It's great! Thank you for your warm welcome! I thank His Excellency, Rosario Gisana, the Mayor and the other Authorities, as well as all those who have worked to prepare for this visit.
Your Bishop has just recalled the choice that the Church of Piazza Armerina is making with joyful hope, amid the various problems that limit the serenity of this territory. There are more than a few sores that are afflicting you. They have a name: social and cultural underdevelopment; exploitation of workers and a lack of dignified employment for young people; migration of whole family units; usury; alcoholism and other addictions; gambling; and fraying of family ties. And in the face of so much suffering, the ecclesial community may at times appear disoriented and tired; sometimes, thank God, it is lively and prophetic, while seeking new ways of proclaiming and offering mercy above all to those brothers and sisters who have fallen into disaffection, mistrust, into the crisis of faith. It's true: it is not easy to live their faith among so many problems. It's not easy, I understand it.
To consider the wounds of society and of the Church is not a denigrating and pessimistic endeavour. If we want to give substance to our faith, we must learn to recognize the wounds of the Lord in these human sufferings. Look at them, touch them (cf John 20:27). To touch the wounds of the Lord in our wounds, in the wounds of our society, our families, our people, our friends. Touch the sores of the Lord there. And this means for us Christians to take the history and the flesh of Christ as a place of salvation and liberation. I urge you, therefore, to commit yourselves to the new evangelization of this Sicilian territory, starting with its crosses and sufferings. As you celebrate the bicentenary of your Diocese, an exciting mission awaits you, to revive the face of a Synodal Church and the Word; a Church of missionary charity; a eucharistic Church community.
The perspective of a synodal Church and of the Word requires the courage of listening to each other, but above all listening to the Word of the Lord. Please do not put anything before the essential focus of Christian communion, which is the Word of God, but make it your own especially through lectio divina, a wonderful moment of meeting heart to heart with Jesus, of resting at the feet of the divine Master. The Word of God and synodal communion are the hands of those who live among hopes and disappointments and invoke a merciful Church, ever more faithful to the Gospel and open to the reception of those who feel defeated in body and spirit, those who are relegated to the margins. To carry out this mission, we must always refer to the spirit of the first Christian community which, enlivened by the fire of Pentecost, courageously witnessed to the Risen Jesus. Enter with confidence, dear brothers and sisters, into the time of discernment and fruitful choices that are useful for your happiness and for harmonious development. To go forward in this, you must grow accustomed to the Word of God: read the Gospel, every day, a small part of the Gospel. It does not take more than five minutes. Maybe carry a little bible in your pocket, in your handbag ... Take it, look, and read. And so, every day, like water falling drop by drop, the Gospel will enter our hearts and make us more disciples of Jesus, strengthened and better able to go out, to face all the problems of our city, our society, our Church. Do it, do it. I ask the Bishop to facilitate the possibility of having a small Gospel for all those who ask for it, to take the bible with them, wherever they go. Reading the Word of God will make you strong.
To be a Church of missionary charity, attention must be paid to the service of charity which is required by concrete circumstances. Priests, deacons, consecrated persons and lay faithful are called to feel evangelical compassion - this word is clear, it is what Jesus felt: evangelical compassion - for the many evils that were tempting the people, encouraging others to become itinerant apostles of mercy in imitation of God who is tenderness and wants to lead us to constant and renewing presence (Gaudete et exsultate, 134). With simplicity you must go through the alleys, the crossroads, the squares and the places of working life, and bring to everyone the good news that a coexistence is right between us, pleasant and lovable, and that life is not an obscure curse to be borne fatalistically, but trusting in the goodness of God and in the love of our brothers and sisters.
It is important that we foster evangelical love, solidarity and fraternal solicitude in parishes and communities, avoiding the worldly temptation of quiet living, of spending it well, without worrying about the needs of others. I encourage you to continue in your ecclesial service which is expressed in concrete works: Caritas listening centres, canteens and shelters for the most unfortunate of our brothers and sisters, structures to host refugees and houses of love for the elderly, who are often lonely and discouraged. Please do not leave the elderly alone! Our grandparents. They are our identity, they are our roots, and we do not want to be an uprooted people! Our roots are found in the elderly. Come on! Take care of the elderly, the old. Taking care of grandparents. And make sure that young people talk to their grandparents, so they will take root. Do not forget that Christian charity is not content to assist; it does not grow tired in philanthropy - charity is two different things: Christian charity and philanthropy - but it pushes the disciple and the whole community to seek out the causes of inconveniences and try to remove them, as much as possible, living together with our needy brothers and sisters, integrating them into our work.
Another aspect of missionary charity is paying attention to young people and their problems. I see here many boys and girls, and many young people who colou the assembly with hope and joy. Dear friends, you young people, boys and girls, I greet you all and encourage you to be joyful architects of your destiny. Always look ahead, without forgetting your roots. Know that Jesus loves you: He is a sincere and faithful friend who will never abandon you; you can trust him! In moments of doubt - we all have had bad, doubtful moments - in times of difficulty, you can count on Jesus' help, especially to nourish your great ideals. And to the extent that everyone can, it is also good that you trust the Church, called to recognize your need for authenticity and to offer you an alternative environment to the one that pains you every day, where you can rediscover the taste of prayer, union with God, the taste of silence that brings the heart to the depths of your being and of holiness. So many times I have heard some young people say: Yes, I trust God, but not the Church - But why? - Because I'm a mangiapreti. Ah, you are a scapegoat, then approach the priest and say: I do not trust you for this, for this and for this reason. Come closer! Also approach the Bishop, and say to him: I do not trust this Church, for this and for this reason. You are brave youth! But you have a desire to hear the answer. Maybe that day the priest will have a bad liver and he will drive you away, but it will only be for that time, he will always tell you something. Listen! Listen! And you, priests, have patience, constructive patience to listen to the young, because there are always seeds of the future in the restlessness of youth. And you have to take them, and help the young to move forward. It takes dialogue.
The third element that I want to point out is that of the Eucharistic Church community. From there, from the Eucharist we draw the love of Christ in order to take him to the streets of the world, to go with him to meet our brothers and sisters. With Jesus, with Him - this is the secret - we can consecrate all reality to God, make sure that his Face is imprinted on their faces, his love fills the voids of love that you encounter. As for participation in Holy Mass, especially on Sunday, it is important not to be obsessed with numbers: I urge you to experience the bliss of smallness, of being a mustard seed, a small flock, a sprinkle of yeast, a tenacious flame, small pebbles of salt. How many times have I heard: Ah, father, I pray, but I do not go to Mass, I will not go - But why? Because the sermon bores me, it lasts forty minutes!. No, forty minutes should be the time for the entire Mass. But the preaching more than eight minutes is too much.
The Eucharist and the ministerial priesthood are inseparable: the priest is the man of the Eucharist. I offer a special thought to priests, good brothers, and I urge them to gather around the Bishop and among themselves to bring the Lord to all. Dear priests, how necessary it is to patiently build the joy of the presbyteral family, loving each other and supporting one another! It is nice to work together, considering other confreres to be superior to yourselves (cf Phil 2: 3). In the midst of God's people entrusted to you, you are called to be the first to overcome the barriers, the prejudices that divide; the first to pause in humble contemplation before the difficult history of this earth, with the wise pastoral charity which is a gift of the Spirit; the first to indicate paths through which people can go towards open spaces of redemption and true freedom. Consoled by God, you can be comforters, wipe away tears, heal wounds, rebuild lives, broken lives that entrust themselves to your ministry (cf Acts 5: 14-16). To you priests, I allow myself to give you a recipe, I do not know if it will be useful: how do I end the day? Do I need to take pills to sleep? Then something did not go well. But if I finish the day tired, tired, things are fine. This is an important point.
Dear brothers and sisters, it would be nice to be together a little longer! I feel the warmth of your faith and the hopes you bring in your heart, but I am expected in Palermo, where we will remember the grateful martyr priest Pino Puglisi. I heard that, twenty-five years ago, just a month before his death, he spent a few days here in Piazza Armerina. He had come to meet the seminarians, his students at the major seminary in Palermo. It was a prophetic visit, I think! A challenge, not only to the priests, but to all the faithful of this diocese: for the love of Jesus, serve the brothers to the end! I entrust you all to the Virgin Mary, whom you venerate as Our Lady of Victories. In silence, now pray quietly to her: Hail Mary .... She supports you in spiritual combat and directs you decisively towards the victory of the Resurrection. I bless you all with all my heart and I ask you to please pray for me. Have a good day everyone!
Now, I will bless you, so let us prepare our hearts. Everyone, think about the people you love, so that this blessing will descend on all those who are loved. Think about your friends. And also think about your enemies, about people who I do not love, and those who don't necessarily love us. Open your hearts to everyone, so that this blessing can reach them.
(Blessing)
When he had arrived at the Cosimo di Palma airport in Sigonella, he left once again, this time aboard a helicopter bound for Piazza Armerina.
Upon his arrival, at the San Ippolito sports field, the Holy Father was welcomed by the Bishop of Piazza Armerina, His Excellency, Rosario Gisana; the Prefect of Enna, Doctor Maria Antonietta Cerniglia; and the city's Mayor, Doctor Nino Cammarata.
His Holiness then travelled by car to Piazza Europa where he met with the faithful.
Following a few words of greeting offered by His Excellency, Rosario Gisana, the Pope shared his speech with the faithful who were present. After his speech, he greeted some of the faithful.
Then, he travelled by car to the San Ippolito sports field where he bid farewell to the Authorities who had greeted him earlier in the day.
At 10:15am (4:15am EDT), His Holiness left Piazza Armerina and flew to Palermo aboard a helicopter.
Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis
for the meeting with the faithful
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
I am happy to be here among you. The sun in Sicily is wonderful! It's great! Thank you for your warm welcome! I thank His Excellency, Rosario Gisana, the Mayor and the other Authorities, as well as all those who have worked to prepare for this visit.
Your Bishop has just recalled the choice that the Church of Piazza Armerina is making with joyful hope, amid the various problems that limit the serenity of this territory. There are more than a few sores that are afflicting you. They have a name: social and cultural underdevelopment; exploitation of workers and a lack of dignified employment for young people; migration of whole family units; usury; alcoholism and other addictions; gambling; and fraying of family ties. And in the face of so much suffering, the ecclesial community may at times appear disoriented and tired; sometimes, thank God, it is lively and prophetic, while seeking new ways of proclaiming and offering mercy above all to those brothers and sisters who have fallen into disaffection, mistrust, into the crisis of faith. It's true: it is not easy to live their faith among so many problems. It's not easy, I understand it.
To consider the wounds of society and of the Church is not a denigrating and pessimistic endeavour. If we want to give substance to our faith, we must learn to recognize the wounds of the Lord in these human sufferings. Look at them, touch them (cf John 20:27). To touch the wounds of the Lord in our wounds, in the wounds of our society, our families, our people, our friends. Touch the sores of the Lord there. And this means for us Christians to take the history and the flesh of Christ as a place of salvation and liberation. I urge you, therefore, to commit yourselves to the new evangelization of this Sicilian territory, starting with its crosses and sufferings. As you celebrate the bicentenary of your Diocese, an exciting mission awaits you, to revive the face of a Synodal Church and the Word; a Church of missionary charity; a eucharistic Church community.
The perspective of a synodal Church and of the Word requires the courage of listening to each other, but above all listening to the Word of the Lord. Please do not put anything before the essential focus of Christian communion, which is the Word of God, but make it your own especially through lectio divina, a wonderful moment of meeting heart to heart with Jesus, of resting at the feet of the divine Master. The Word of God and synodal communion are the hands of those who live among hopes and disappointments and invoke a merciful Church, ever more faithful to the Gospel and open to the reception of those who feel defeated in body and spirit, those who are relegated to the margins. To carry out this mission, we must always refer to the spirit of the first Christian community which, enlivened by the fire of Pentecost, courageously witnessed to the Risen Jesus. Enter with confidence, dear brothers and sisters, into the time of discernment and fruitful choices that are useful for your happiness and for harmonious development. To go forward in this, you must grow accustomed to the Word of God: read the Gospel, every day, a small part of the Gospel. It does not take more than five minutes. Maybe carry a little bible in your pocket, in your handbag ... Take it, look, and read. And so, every day, like water falling drop by drop, the Gospel will enter our hearts and make us more disciples of Jesus, strengthened and better able to go out, to face all the problems of our city, our society, our Church. Do it, do it. I ask the Bishop to facilitate the possibility of having a small Gospel for all those who ask for it, to take the bible with them, wherever they go. Reading the Word of God will make you strong.
To be a Church of missionary charity, attention must be paid to the service of charity which is required by concrete circumstances. Priests, deacons, consecrated persons and lay faithful are called to feel evangelical compassion - this word is clear, it is what Jesus felt: evangelical compassion - for the many evils that were tempting the people, encouraging others to become itinerant apostles of mercy in imitation of God who is tenderness and wants to lead us to constant and renewing presence (Gaudete et exsultate, 134). With simplicity you must go through the alleys, the crossroads, the squares and the places of working life, and bring to everyone the good news that a coexistence is right between us, pleasant and lovable, and that life is not an obscure curse to be borne fatalistically, but trusting in the goodness of God and in the love of our brothers and sisters.
It is important that we foster evangelical love, solidarity and fraternal solicitude in parishes and communities, avoiding the worldly temptation of quiet living, of spending it well, without worrying about the needs of others. I encourage you to continue in your ecclesial service which is expressed in concrete works: Caritas listening centres, canteens and shelters for the most unfortunate of our brothers and sisters, structures to host refugees and houses of love for the elderly, who are often lonely and discouraged. Please do not leave the elderly alone! Our grandparents. They are our identity, they are our roots, and we do not want to be an uprooted people! Our roots are found in the elderly. Come on! Take care of the elderly, the old. Taking care of grandparents. And make sure that young people talk to their grandparents, so they will take root. Do not forget that Christian charity is not content to assist; it does not grow tired in philanthropy - charity is two different things: Christian charity and philanthropy - but it pushes the disciple and the whole community to seek out the causes of inconveniences and try to remove them, as much as possible, living together with our needy brothers and sisters, integrating them into our work.
Another aspect of missionary charity is paying attention to young people and their problems. I see here many boys and girls, and many young people who colou the assembly with hope and joy. Dear friends, you young people, boys and girls, I greet you all and encourage you to be joyful architects of your destiny. Always look ahead, without forgetting your roots. Know that Jesus loves you: He is a sincere and faithful friend who will never abandon you; you can trust him! In moments of doubt - we all have had bad, doubtful moments - in times of difficulty, you can count on Jesus' help, especially to nourish your great ideals. And to the extent that everyone can, it is also good that you trust the Church, called to recognize your need for authenticity and to offer you an alternative environment to the one that pains you every day, where you can rediscover the taste of prayer, union with God, the taste of silence that brings the heart to the depths of your being and of holiness. So many times I have heard some young people say: Yes, I trust God, but not the Church - But why? - Because I'm a mangiapreti. Ah, you are a scapegoat, then approach the priest and say: I do not trust you for this, for this and for this reason. Come closer! Also approach the Bishop, and say to him: I do not trust this Church, for this and for this reason. You are brave youth! But you have a desire to hear the answer. Maybe that day the priest will have a bad liver and he will drive you away, but it will only be for that time, he will always tell you something. Listen! Listen! And you, priests, have patience, constructive patience to listen to the young, because there are always seeds of the future in the restlessness of youth. And you have to take them, and help the young to move forward. It takes dialogue.
The third element that I want to point out is that of the Eucharistic Church community. From there, from the Eucharist we draw the love of Christ in order to take him to the streets of the world, to go with him to meet our brothers and sisters. With Jesus, with Him - this is the secret - we can consecrate all reality to God, make sure that his Face is imprinted on their faces, his love fills the voids of love that you encounter. As for participation in Holy Mass, especially on Sunday, it is important not to be obsessed with numbers: I urge you to experience the bliss of smallness, of being a mustard seed, a small flock, a sprinkle of yeast, a tenacious flame, small pebbles of salt. How many times have I heard: Ah, father, I pray, but I do not go to Mass, I will not go - But why? Because the sermon bores me, it lasts forty minutes!. No, forty minutes should be the time for the entire Mass. But the preaching more than eight minutes is too much.
The Eucharist and the ministerial priesthood are inseparable: the priest is the man of the Eucharist. I offer a special thought to priests, good brothers, and I urge them to gather around the Bishop and among themselves to bring the Lord to all. Dear priests, how necessary it is to patiently build the joy of the presbyteral family, loving each other and supporting one another! It is nice to work together, considering other confreres to be superior to yourselves (cf Phil 2: 3). In the midst of God's people entrusted to you, you are called to be the first to overcome the barriers, the prejudices that divide; the first to pause in humble contemplation before the difficult history of this earth, with the wise pastoral charity which is a gift of the Spirit; the first to indicate paths through which people can go towards open spaces of redemption and true freedom. Consoled by God, you can be comforters, wipe away tears, heal wounds, rebuild lives, broken lives that entrust themselves to your ministry (cf Acts 5: 14-16). To you priests, I allow myself to give you a recipe, I do not know if it will be useful: how do I end the day? Do I need to take pills to sleep? Then something did not go well. But if I finish the day tired, tired, things are fine. This is an important point.
Dear brothers and sisters, it would be nice to be together a little longer! I feel the warmth of your faith and the hopes you bring in your heart, but I am expected in Palermo, where we will remember the grateful martyr priest Pino Puglisi. I heard that, twenty-five years ago, just a month before his death, he spent a few days here in Piazza Armerina. He had come to meet the seminarians, his students at the major seminary in Palermo. It was a prophetic visit, I think! A challenge, not only to the priests, but to all the faithful of this diocese: for the love of Jesus, serve the brothers to the end! I entrust you all to the Virgin Mary, whom you venerate as Our Lady of Victories. In silence, now pray quietly to her: Hail Mary .... She supports you in spiritual combat and directs you decisively towards the victory of the Resurrection. I bless you all with all my heart and I ask you to please pray for me. Have a good day everyone!
Now, I will bless you, so let us prepare our hearts. Everyone, think about the people you love, so that this blessing will descend on all those who are loved. Think about your friends. And also think about your enemies, about people who I do not love, and those who don't necessarily love us. Open your hearts to everyone, so that this blessing can reach them.
(Blessing)
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