Pope: Welcome pilgrims in this Jubilee Year
(Vatican Radio) Three
thousand pilgrimage operators and rectors of shrines gathered in the Paul VI
hall on Thursday to hear Pope Francis speak about the beauty and devotion of
those who go on pilgrimages and visit shines, especially in this Jubilee Year
of Mercy.
The Pope told these Jubilee
participants that making pilgrimages to shrines is one of the most eloquent
expressions of the faith of God's people, and is a form of evangelization which
needs to be increasingly promoted and valued.
At Marian shrines and at
shrines to the Saints, the Holy Father said, there is a profound spirituality,
with each person bringing a special wish from their heart and a special prayer.
But Pope Francis also noted
that, it would be a mistake to assume that those who go on a group pilgrimage
do not live out the experience in a personal way.
In fact, continued the Pope,
pilgrims carry their own history, faith, lights and shadows of their own lives
and when they enter a sanctuary they immediately feel at home, welcomed,
understood and supported.
The Holy Father went on to
say that the pilgrims who come to a sanctuary are often tired, hungry, thirsty
physically but also spiritually.
Welcome pilgrims
Those that go on a pilgrimage
and who reach their destination, Pope Francis explained, should feel at home,
loved and looked on with eyes of mercy. Anyone, he said, young or old, rich or
poor, sick or troubled, the curious tourist, can receive a welcome
because in each one there is a heart that seeks God.
Sacrament of
Reconciliation
Stressing the importance of
the Sacrament of Reconciliation, especially in this Jubilee Year, the Pope
underlined that those who approach the confessional do so because they are
repentant of their sins. God, he added, does not condemn, but welcomes and hugs
them, like the father of the prodigal son.
The Holy Father also stressed
that priests who carry out a ministry in sanctuaries must have a heart of
mercy; their attitude must be that of a father.
In conclusion, Pope Francis
prayed people would celebrate this Jubilee of Mercy as one big
pilgrimage.
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