Today at San Pietro, Cardinal Pietro Parolin celebrated a mass in memory of Pope Francis and in honor of the Jubilee of adolescents. “According to the competent authorities, there are approximately 200,000 faithful in the square,” the Vatican Press Office announced.
For the Jubilee of adolescents, the influx, still ongoing, exceeds expectations. This information comes from the Police Headquarters, which emphasizes that thanks to the collaboration of civil protection, no critical issues have been reported. The security measures for the event are being coordinated by the security management center.
“The Easter joy, which sustains us in times of trial and sadness, is something you can almost touch in this square today; you can see it especially in your faces, dear young people who have come from all over the world to celebrate the Jubilee,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin said, applauded by the crowd of faithful.
“You come from many parts: from all the Dioceses of Italy, from Europe, from the United States to Latin America, from Africa to Asia, from the United Arab Emirates … with you, the whole world is truly present! – he observed, still amid applause – I extend a special greeting to you, which I also extend to the bishops who have accompanied you, to the priests, to the catechists, with the desire to make you feel the embrace of the Church and the affection of Pope Francis, who would have liked to meet you, look you in the eyes, walk among you to greet you.” “Facing the many challenges you are called to face – for example, the challenge of technology and artificial intelligence that characterizes our era in a particular way – never forget to nourish your life with the true hope that has the face of Jesus Christ. Nothing will be too big or too demanding with Him! With Him, you will never be alone or abandoned to yourselves, even in the toughest moments!” added the cardinal, former Secretary of State.
“The initial image that the Gospel offers us this Sunday can also represent the state of mind of all of us, the Church, and the whole world. The Shepherd that the Lord has given to His people, Pope Francis, has ended his earthly life and left us. The pain for his passing, the sense of sadness that overwhelms us, the turmoil we feel in our hearts, the feeling of being lost: we are experiencing all of this, like the sorrowful apostles for the death of the Lord.” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, former Secretary of State, used a comparison with the Gospel narrative to describe the grief for the death of Pope Francis in the second mass of the novenas in memory of the deceased Pontiff, celebrated this morning in St. Peter’s Square, also on the occasion of the Jubilee of Adolescents.
“Yet, the Gospel tells us that precisely in these moments of darkness, the Lord comes to us with the light of resurrection, to illuminate our hearts – he added -. Pope Francis reminded us of this from the moment of his election and repeated it often, placing the joy of the Gospel at the center of his pontificate.”
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