At 9:20am this morning (2:20am EDT), the Holy Father, Pope Francis departed from the International airport in Sofia aboard a State Flight A319 aircraft destined for Plovdiv.
Upon his arrival at the Graf Ignatievo Air Base, at 9:40am local time (2:40am EDT), the Pope travelled by car to the Church of the Sacred Heart in Rakovsky for the celebration of Holy Mass with the celebration of First Holy Communion. Before his arrival at the church, the Holy Father changed automobiles and, after greeting the Mayor of the city and his family members, climbed aboard the popemobile.
After having completed a tour aboard the popemobile among the faithful, at 11:00am local time (4:00am EDT), Pope Francis presided over the Eucharistic celebration inside the church of the Sacred Heart in Rakovsky, during which he administered the Sacrament of First Communion to 245 children who were in attendance. This is the first time that the Holy Father has personally celebrated First Communion with children during an Apostolic voyage.
At the conclusion of the Mass, His Excellency, Gheorghi Ivanov Jovčev, Bishop of Sofia and Plovdiv, offered a greeting to the Holy Father. Then, before the final blessing, the Pope offered a few additional words to the approximately 700 faithful who were present inside the church and to approximately 10,000 others who were present in the surrounding area outside the church.
Immediately afterwards, the Holy Father walked to the Franciscan Convent located near the church for lunch with the Bishops of Bulgaria. Before leaving the Convent and travelling by car to the church of Saint Michael the Archangel for a meeting with the Catholic community, the Pope presented a gift to the 11 Sisters who live at that convent and greeted the sick who are assisted by the Sisters in the courtyard outside the convent.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Christos vozkrese!
I am pleased to greet the young boys and girls who will receive their First Communion and their parents, relatives and friends. To all of you, I offer the beautiful greeting exchanged in your country at Easter time: Christos voskrese! This greeting is the expression of our joy as Christians, as disciples of Jesus. We rejoice because for love of us, Jesus gave his life on the cross and destroyed sin. He rose again and made us adopted sons and daughters of God the Father. We are joyful because he is alive and present among us, today and always.
Dear boys and girls, you have come here from every corner of this Land of Roses to take part in a wonderful celebration. I am sure you will never forget this day: your first encounter with Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist. One of you might ask me: How can we meet Jesus? He lived a long time ago, but then he died and was laid in the tomb! It is true: Jesus carried out an immense act of love to save human beings of all times. He remained in the tomb for three days, but we know – the Apostles and many other witnesses who saw him alive have assured us – that God, his Father and ours, raised him up. Now Jesus is alive and is here with us. That is why we can encounter him today in the Eucharist. We do not see him with our physical eyes, but we do see him with the eyes of faith.
I am looking at you, dressed in your white robes. What a meaningful and beautiful sign. You are dressed for a celebration! First Communion is, above all, a celebration. We celebrate Jesus, who wants to remain always by our side. He will always be with us. This celebration was made possible also thanks to our parents and grandparents, our families and our communities, who have helped us to grow in the faith.
You have travelled a long way to come here to Rakovski. Your priests and catechists, who have accompanied you in your preparation for this day, have also accompanied you on the road that today leads you to meet Jesus and to receive him in your hearts.
As we heard in today’s Gospel (cf Jn 6:1-15), Jesus one day miraculously multiplied five loaves and two fish, satisfying the hunger of the crowd that followed him and listened to him. Did you notice how the miracle began? It started with one child who offered all he had: five loaves and two fish (cf Jn 6:9). Like that child, you too have helped a miracle to take place today. The miracle by which all of us older people have recalled our own first meeting with Jesus in the Eucharist, and are filled with gratitude for that day.
Today you have made it possible for us to relive that joy and to celebrate Jesus, present in the Bread of Life. Some miracles can only take place if we have a heart like yours: a heart capable of sharing, dreaming, feeling gratitude, trusting and respecting other people. Making your First Communion shows that you want to be closer to Jesus every day, to grow in friendship with him and to lead other people to share in the joy he wants us to feel. The Lord needs you, because he wants to work the miracle of bringing his joy to many of your friends and family members.
Dear boys and girls, I am happy to share this great moment with you and help you meet Jesus. For you, this is a day to be celebrated in a spirit of friendship, a spirit of joy and fraternity. In a spirit also of communion among yourselves and with the whole Church, which, especially in the Eucharist, expresses the communion that makes all of us brothers and sisters. This is our identity card: God is our Father, Jesus is our brother, the Church is our family. All of us are brothers and sisters, and our law is love.
I ask you always to pray with the same enthusiasm and joy that you feel today. Remember that this is the sacrament of your first Communion, but not your last Communion! Today remember too that Jesus is always there, waiting for you. I hope that today will be the beginning of many Communions, so that your hearts may always, like today, be festive, full of joy and, above all else, gratitude.
At this point, the Holy Father began a dialogue with the children, through the services of an interpreter:
Pope Francis
Dear boys and girls, welcome! I’m happy to see you here making your First Communion. I’ll ask you a question: Are you happy to make your First Communion?
Children
Yes!
Pope Francis
Are you sure?
Children
Yes!
Pope Francis
Why are you happy? Because Jesus is coming! Let’s all say together: “I am happy because Jesus is coming”.
Children
I am happy because Jesus is coming!
Pope Francis
To all of you gathered here to receive Jesus – I’ll ask a question – Are you all the same family?
Children
Yes!
Pope Francis
What is our family called?
Children
The Church.
Pope Francis
Our family name is: Christian.
Children
Yes!
Pope Francis
What is our family name?
Children
Christian.
Pope Francis
Good! In my homily I said something that I want you always to remember. I spoke about the “identity card” of a Christian, and I said: “This is our identity card: God is our Father, Jesus is our brother, the Church is our family. All of us are brothers and sisters, and our law is love”. Now let’s repeat it together. I will say it again, the interpreter will say it, and we will all repeat it together. God is our Father.
Children
God is our Father.
Pope Francis
Jesus is our brother.
Children
Jesus is our brother.
Pope Francis
The Church is our Mother and our family.
Children
The Church is our Mother and our family.
Pope Francis
We are enemies …
Children
We are…
Pope Francis
Is that true? Are we enemies?
Children
No!
Pope Francis
We are friends! We are friends, all of us! We are brothers and sisters.
Children
We are brothers and sisters.
Pope Francis
Our law is love. Everybody!
Children
Our law is love!
Pope Francis
Now Jesus will speak to each one of us. Today, you will pray to Jesus for your family, parents and grandparents, catechists, priests and friends. Will you pray to Jesus for all these people?
Children
Yes!
Pope Francis
Very good! Now we continue with the Mass and prepare ourselves to receive Jesus.
Before the recitation of the Lamb of God, the Holy Father offered these words:
Dear boys and girls, now you are about to receive Jesus. There is no need to be distracted, thinking of other things. Think only of Jesus. Come to the altar to receive Jesus in silence. Be silent in your heart and consider that this is the first time that Jesus comes to you. Later, he will come many other times. Think of your parents, catechists, grandparents and friends. If you have quarrelled with someone, forgive him or her from your heart before coming forward. In silence, let us draw near to Jesus.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Before concluding this celebration, I would like to thank all of you, beginning with my brother Bishops present, the priests, the religious men and women, and the many families. I heartily thank everyone involved in its preparation and organization, and those who were unable to take part but joined us in prayer, especially the ill and the elderly.
I take this occasion to express my deep gratitude to the Authorities of the country and to all those who in any way cooperated to ensure the happy outcome of my visit.
Original text in Italian
Texte en français
Upon his arrival at the Graf Ignatievo Air Base, at 9:40am local time (2:40am EDT), the Pope travelled by car to the Church of the Sacred Heart in Rakovsky for the celebration of Holy Mass with the celebration of First Holy Communion. Before his arrival at the church, the Holy Father changed automobiles and, after greeting the Mayor of the city and his family members, climbed aboard the popemobile.
After having completed a tour aboard the popemobile among the faithful, at 11:00am local time (4:00am EDT), Pope Francis presided over the Eucharistic celebration inside the church of the Sacred Heart in Rakovsky, during which he administered the Sacrament of First Communion to 245 children who were in attendance. This is the first time that the Holy Father has personally celebrated First Communion with children during an Apostolic voyage.
At the conclusion of the Mass, His Excellency, Gheorghi Ivanov Jovčev, Bishop of Sofia and Plovdiv, offered a greeting to the Holy Father. Then, before the final blessing, the Pope offered a few additional words to the approximately 700 faithful who were present inside the church and to approximately 10,000 others who were present in the surrounding area outside the church.
Immediately afterwards, the Holy Father walked to the Franciscan Convent located near the church for lunch with the Bishops of Bulgaria. Before leaving the Convent and travelling by car to the church of Saint Michael the Archangel for a meeting with the Catholic community, the Pope presented a gift to the 11 Sisters who live at that convent and greeted the sick who are assisted by the Sisters in the courtyard outside the convent.
Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
during the Eucharistic Celebration
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Christos vozkrese!
I am pleased to greet the young boys and girls who will receive their First Communion and their parents, relatives and friends. To all of you, I offer the beautiful greeting exchanged in your country at Easter time: Christos voskrese! This greeting is the expression of our joy as Christians, as disciples of Jesus. We rejoice because for love of us, Jesus gave his life on the cross and destroyed sin. He rose again and made us adopted sons and daughters of God the Father. We are joyful because he is alive and present among us, today and always.
Dear boys and girls, you have come here from every corner of this Land of Roses to take part in a wonderful celebration. I am sure you will never forget this day: your first encounter with Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist. One of you might ask me: How can we meet Jesus? He lived a long time ago, but then he died and was laid in the tomb! It is true: Jesus carried out an immense act of love to save human beings of all times. He remained in the tomb for three days, but we know – the Apostles and many other witnesses who saw him alive have assured us – that God, his Father and ours, raised him up. Now Jesus is alive and is here with us. That is why we can encounter him today in the Eucharist. We do not see him with our physical eyes, but we do see him with the eyes of faith.
I am looking at you, dressed in your white robes. What a meaningful and beautiful sign. You are dressed for a celebration! First Communion is, above all, a celebration. We celebrate Jesus, who wants to remain always by our side. He will always be with us. This celebration was made possible also thanks to our parents and grandparents, our families and our communities, who have helped us to grow in the faith.
You have travelled a long way to come here to Rakovski. Your priests and catechists, who have accompanied you in your preparation for this day, have also accompanied you on the road that today leads you to meet Jesus and to receive him in your hearts.
As we heard in today’s Gospel (cf Jn 6:1-15), Jesus one day miraculously multiplied five loaves and two fish, satisfying the hunger of the crowd that followed him and listened to him. Did you notice how the miracle began? It started with one child who offered all he had: five loaves and two fish (cf Jn 6:9). Like that child, you too have helped a miracle to take place today. The miracle by which all of us older people have recalled our own first meeting with Jesus in the Eucharist, and are filled with gratitude for that day.
Today you have made it possible for us to relive that joy and to celebrate Jesus, present in the Bread of Life. Some miracles can only take place if we have a heart like yours: a heart capable of sharing, dreaming, feeling gratitude, trusting and respecting other people. Making your First Communion shows that you want to be closer to Jesus every day, to grow in friendship with him and to lead other people to share in the joy he wants us to feel. The Lord needs you, because he wants to work the miracle of bringing his joy to many of your friends and family members.
Dear boys and girls, I am happy to share this great moment with you and help you meet Jesus. For you, this is a day to be celebrated in a spirit of friendship, a spirit of joy and fraternity. In a spirit also of communion among yourselves and with the whole Church, which, especially in the Eucharist, expresses the communion that makes all of us brothers and sisters. This is our identity card: God is our Father, Jesus is our brother, the Church is our family. All of us are brothers and sisters, and our law is love.
I ask you always to pray with the same enthusiasm and joy that you feel today. Remember that this is the sacrament of your first Communion, but not your last Communion! Today remember too that Jesus is always there, waiting for you. I hope that today will be the beginning of many Communions, so that your hearts may always, like today, be festive, full of joy and, above all else, gratitude.
At this point, the Holy Father began a dialogue with the children, through the services of an interpreter:
Dialogue of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
with the children at the conclusion of the Homily
Pope Francis
Dear boys and girls, welcome! I’m happy to see you here making your First Communion. I’ll ask you a question: Are you happy to make your First Communion?
Children
Yes!
Pope Francis
Are you sure?
Children
Yes!
Pope Francis
Why are you happy? Because Jesus is coming! Let’s all say together: “I am happy because Jesus is coming”.
Children
I am happy because Jesus is coming!
Pope Francis
To all of you gathered here to receive Jesus – I’ll ask a question – Are you all the same family?
Children
Yes!
Pope Francis
What is our family called?
Children
The Church.
Pope Francis
Our family name is: Christian.
Children
Yes!
Pope Francis
What is our family name?
Children
Christian.
Pope Francis
Good! In my homily I said something that I want you always to remember. I spoke about the “identity card” of a Christian, and I said: “This is our identity card: God is our Father, Jesus is our brother, the Church is our family. All of us are brothers and sisters, and our law is love”. Now let’s repeat it together. I will say it again, the interpreter will say it, and we will all repeat it together. God is our Father.
Children
God is our Father.
Pope Francis
Jesus is our brother.
Children
Jesus is our brother.
Pope Francis
The Church is our Mother and our family.
Children
The Church is our Mother and our family.
Pope Francis
We are enemies …
Children
We are…
Pope Francis
Is that true? Are we enemies?
Children
No!
Pope Francis
We are friends! We are friends, all of us! We are brothers and sisters.
Children
We are brothers and sisters.
Pope Francis
Our law is love. Everybody!
Children
Our law is love!
Pope Francis
Now Jesus will speak to each one of us. Today, you will pray to Jesus for your family, parents and grandparents, catechists, priests and friends. Will you pray to Jesus for all these people?
Children
Yes!
Pope Francis
Very good! Now we continue with the Mass and prepare ourselves to receive Jesus.
Before the recitation of the Lamb of God, the Holy Father offered these words:
Dear boys and girls, now you are about to receive Jesus. There is no need to be distracted, thinking of other things. Think only of Jesus. Come to the altar to receive Jesus in silence. Be silent in your heart and consider that this is the first time that Jesus comes to you. Later, he will come many other times. Think of your parents, catechists, grandparents and friends. If you have quarrelled with someone, forgive him or her from your heart before coming forward. In silence, let us draw near to Jesus.
Remarks of His Holiness, Pope Francis
at the conclusion of the Mass in Rakovski
Dear brothers and sisters,
Before concluding this celebration, I would like to thank all of you, beginning with my brother Bishops present, the priests, the religious men and women, and the many families. I heartily thank everyone involved in its preparation and organization, and those who were unable to take part but joined us in prayer, especially the ill and the elderly.
I take this occasion to express my deep gratitude to the Authorities of the country and to all those who in any way cooperated to ensure the happy outcome of my visit.
Original text in Italian
Texte en français
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