Vatican City, 28 September 2015 (VIS) –
Following Holy Mass at Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Pope travelled
by car to the airport in Philadelphia where he embarked on his return
flight to Rome. He was welcomed at the airport by five hundred
people, mostly members of the Organising Committee and volunteers and
benefactors of the World Meeting of Families, as well as the vice
president of the United States, Joe Biden. The Holy Father expressed
his gratitude to them and to the families who had shared their
witness during the Meeting.
“It is not so easy to speak openly of
one’s life journey! But their honesty and humility before the Lord
and each of us showed the beauty of family life in all its richness
and diversity. I pray that our days of prayer and reflection on the
importance of the family for a healthy society will inspire families
to continue to strive for holiness and to see the Church as their
constant companion, whatever the challenges they may face”.
The Pope thanked all those who had
prepared for his stay in the archdioceses of Washington, New York and
Philadelphia. “It was particularly moving for me to canonise St.
Junipero Serra, who reminds us all of our call to be missionary
disciples, and I was also very moved to stand with my brothers and
sisters of other religions at Ground Zero, that place which speaks so
powerfully of the mystery of evil. Yet we know with certainty that
evil never has the last word, and that, in God’s merciful plan,
love and peace triumph over all”.
He asked the vice president, Joe Biden,
to renew his gratitude to President Obama and to the Members of
Congress, together with the assurance of his prayers for the American
people. “This land has been blessed with tremendous gifts and
opportunities”, he remarked. “I pray that you may all be good and
generous stewards of the human and material resources entrusted to
you”.
“I thank the Lord that I was able to
witness the faith of God’s people in this country, as manifested in
our moments of prayer together and evidenced in so many works of
charity. Jesus says in the Scriptures: 'Truly, I say to you, as you
did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me'.
Your care for me and your generous welcome are a sign of your love
for Jesus and your faithfulness to Him. So too is your care for the
poor, the sick, the homeless and the immigrant, your defence of life
at every stage, and your concern for family life. In all of this, you
recognise that Jesus is in your midst and that your care for one
another is care for Jesus Himself.
“As I leave, I ask all of you,
especially the volunteers and benefactors who assisted with the World
Meeting of Families: do not let your enthusiasm for Jesus, His
Church, our families, and the broader family of society run dry. May
our days together bear fruit that will last, generosity and care for
others that will endure. Just as we have received so much from God
–gifts freely given us, and not of our own making – so let us
freely give to others in return”.
“Dear friends, I embrace all of you
in the Lord and I entrust you to the maternal care of Mary
Immaculate, Patroness of the United States. I will pray for you and
your families, and I ask you, please, to pray for me. May God bless
you all. God bless America!” concluded Francis.
At 8 p.m. local time (2 a.m., 28
September in Rome), the aircraft carrying the Holy Father departed
from Rome, where it landed this morning at 9.58 a.m. On the way back
to the Vatican he paused at the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray
before the image of the Salus Populi Romani and to thank the Virgin
for the fruits of this apostolic trip.
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