Vatican
City, 23 July 2013 (VIS) – At 3.40 p.m. yesterday (twenty minutes
ahead of schedule) the aeroplane carrying the Pope landed at the
carioca airport of Galeao where he was received by the president of
the Republic of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, accompanied by the governor
of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Cabral Filho and the mayor of Rio de
Janeiro, Eduardo Paes. The Pope was also greeted by Archbishop Orani
Joao Tempesta of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, and Cardinal
Raymundo Damasceno Assis, archbishop of Aparecida and president of
the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil. It was a warm and
informal welcome, without formal addresses, which were given later at
the official welcome ceremony at Guanabara Palace.
The
Holy Father travelled the eight kilometres from the airport to the
presidential palace in a utility vehicle with the back window open to
greet the crowd who thronged the route. During some parts of the
journey the vehicle was forced to stop since there were no security
cordons to hold back the crowd. Upon nearing the cathedral the
vehicle was exchanged for the unarmoured Popemobile which will be
used during the visit, and the route was unexpectedly changed to
enable the Pope to greet the crowds who had awaited him for hours.
Upon
arrival at Guanabara Palace, Francis greeted the senior state and
diplomatic representative and, after listening to the anthems of
Brazil and Vatican City State, he gave his first address as Pope in
the American continent.
He
began, “In his loving providence, God wished that the first
international trip of my pontificate should take me back to my
beloved Latin America, specifically to Brazil … I have learned
that, to gain access to the Brazilian people, it is necessary to pass
through its great heart; so let me knock gently at this door. I ask
permission to come in and spend this week with you. I have neither
silver nor gold, but I bring with me the most precious thing given to
me: Jesus Christ! I have come in his name, to feed the flame of
fraternal love that burns in every heart; and I wish my greeting to
reach one and all: The peace of Christ be with you!”
The
Pope went on to cordially greet the president for her warm welcome
and said to the bishops that, by his visit to Brazil, he wished to
“pursue the pastoral mission proper to the Bishop of Rome of
confirming my brothers in their faith in Christ, of encouraging them
to give an account of the reasons for the hope which comes from him,
and of inspiring them to offer everyone the inexhaustible riches of
his love”.
However,
he continued, “the principal reason for my visit to Brazil goes
beyond its borders. I have actually come for World Youth Day. I am
here to meet young people coming from all over the world, drawn to
the open arms of Christ the Redeemer. … These young people are from
every continent, they speak many languages, they bring with them
different cultures, and yet they also find in Christ the answer to
their highest aspirations, held in common, and they can satisfy the
hunger for a pure truth and an authentic love which binds them
together in spite of differences. … Christ has confidence in young
people and entrusts them with the very future of his mission, 'Go and
make disciples'. Go beyond the confines of what is humanly possible
and create a world of brothers and sisters! And young people have
confidence in Christ: they are not afraid to risk for him the only
life they have, because they know they will not be disappointed”.
He
emphasised that, in addressing the young, he is also speaking to
“their families, their local and national church communities, the
societies they come from, and the men and women upon whom this new
generation largely depends”. He recalled the saying, “'Our
children are the apple of our eyes'. How beautiful is this expression
of Brazilian wisdom, which applies to young people an image drawn
from our eyes, which are the window through which light enters into
us, granting us the miracle of sight! What would become of us if we
didn’t look after our eyes? How could we move forward? I hope
that, during this week, each one of us will ask ourselves this
thought-provoking question. … Young people are the window through
which the future enters the world, thus presenting us with great
challenges. Our generation will show that it can realize the promise
found in each young person when we know how to give them space; how
to create the material and spiritual conditions for their full
development; how to give them a solid basis on which to build their
lives”.
Pope
Francis concluded by asking everyone to “show consideration towards
each other and, if possible, the sympathy needed to establish
friendly dialogue”. He added, “The arms of the Pope now spread to
embrace all of Brazil in its human, cultural and religious complexity
and richness. From the Amazon Basin to the pampas, from the dry
regions to the Pantanal, from the villages to the great cities, no
one is excluded from the Pope’s affection”.
After
his address, Pope Francis met privately with the president and with
the governor and major of Rio de Janeiro. He then transferred to the
Sumare residence, which belongs to the archbishop of Rio de Janeiro,
where he will stay during his visit.
Today,
Tuesday, the Pope will spend the day resting and acclimatising, and
will resume activities tomorrow with a visit to the shrine of
Aparecida, 200 kilometres from the Brazilian capital.
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