Vatican City, 21 June 2014 (VIS) –
After his encounter with the detainees at Castrovillari, the Holy
Father transferred by helicopter to Cassano all'Jonio where he landed
at around 11 a.m., and was welcomed by the local authorities in the
“Pietro Toscano” sports field. From there, he went on to the
nearby “San Giuseppe Moscati” centre for the elderly, where he
spoke with residents. Finally, in the cathedral, he met with the
priests of the diocese and delivered the text of his address based on
two themes: the joy of the priesthood and the beauty of brotherhood.
“I wish to share with you the
ever-new surprise of having been called … by the Lord Jesus”, he
writes. “Called to follow Him, to stay with Him, to bring Him to
others. … When we are before the Tabernacle … Jesus' gaze renews
us. Effectively, it is not easy to stay there, before the Lord, as we
are always busy with so many things, with so many people … but at
times it is not easy also because Jesus' gaze unsettles us … and
challenges us. But this is good for us! In the silence of prayer,
Jesus enables us to see whether we are like good workers, or if we
have become rather like 'functionaries'; if we are open and generous
channels through which His love and His grace flow, or if instead we
place ourselves at the centre, and in the place of channels we become
'screens' which do not help in the encounter with the Lord, with the
light and strength of the Gospel”.
The beauty of fraternity is that of
“following the Lord … not one by one, but together, with our
great variety of gifts and personalities; indeed, it is precisely
this that enriches the priesthood: this variety in terms of
provenance, age, and talents. … It is all lived in communion, in
fraternity”. He adds, “and this too is not easy, it is not
immediate or to be taken for granted. Firstly because we priests,
too, are immersed in today's subjectivist culture, this culture that
exalts the 'I' to the point of idolatry. And then also due to a
certain pastoral individualism that is unfortunately widespread in
our dioceses. We must therefore react to this with the choice of
fraternity. I refer intentionally to 'choice'. It cannot simply be
something that is left to chance; … no, it is a choice, that
corresponds … to the gift that we have received but which must
always be welcomed and cultivated: communion in Christ I in the
priesthood, around the bishop. This communion needs to be experienced
by seeking concrete forms suitable to the times and the specific
situation of the territory, but always with an apostolic view, with a
missionary style, with fraternity and simplicity of life”.
Pope Francis adds a third theme: that
of staying with families and working for them. “It is a task that
the Lord asks of us especially in this time that is difficult both
for the family as an institution and for families affected by the
crisis. But it is precisely in difficult times that God makes us
aware of His vicinity, His grace and the prophetic strength of His
Word. And we are called upon to be witnesses and mediators of this
vicinity to families and this prophetic strength for the family”,
he concludes.
After leaving the cathedral, the Pope
proceeded to the bishop's residence followed by the seminary, where
he lunched with the poor assisted by the diocesan branch of Caritas
and the young people assisted at the Saman Mauro Rostagno
rehabilitation centre. After lunch, he transferred by car to the Casa
Serena where he met with elderly residents, and finally continued on
his trip to Sibari.
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