Pope urges Sweden's Catholics to be modern day saints
(Vatican
Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Tuesday for Sweden’s Catholic community,
gathered in an open air stadium in the southern city of Malmo. The Mass,
marking the Solemnity of All Saints, followed a day of ecumenical celebrations
as the Pope and leaders of the Lutheran World Federation led an unprecedented
joint commemoration of the Reformation.
Philippa
Hitchen is in Malmo and sent this report on the Mass marking the concluding
event of the two day papal visit.
It’s
not often a Pope comes to Sweden, a country with only one diocese, where
Catholics number just one percent of the population. Pope John Paul was the
last pontiff to visit the country during his 1989 tour of the Scandinavian
nations which were the heartland of the Protestant Reformation.
But
it was to this small Catholic flock that Pope Francis dedicated his last day in
Sweden, urging them to follow in the footsteps of the saints. Despite grey
skies and a sharp autumn chill in the air, thousands of people travelled from
all over the country and beyond to give the Pope a warm welcome as he entered
the stadium at the start of the Mass, accompanied by the Bishop of Stockholm
Anders Arborelius.
In
his homily, delivered in Spanish with a Swedish translator, the Pope said
holiness is not seen so much in great deeds and extraordinary events, but
rather in daily fidelity to the demands of our Baptism.
One
characteristic of the saints, he said, is that they are genuinely happy people
– that’s why they are known as blessed. He recalled in particular the 14th
century Saint Bridget of Sweden, co-patron of Europe, and the 20th century
Saint Mary Elisabeth Hesselblad, a Swedish nurse whom he canonised in St
Peter’s Square earlier this year. Both of them, he stressed, prayed and worked
to create bonds of unity and fellowship between Christians, enabling us to
jointly commemorate the fifth centenary of the Reformation today.
The
example of the saints, Pope Francis said, can encourage us to respond to
current challenges with fresh spiritual energy. He concluded with a suggested
list of modern Beatitudes to inspire Christians today, including blessed are
those who show closeness to the abandoned and marginalised, blessed are those
who protect and care for our common home and blessed are those who pray and
work for full communion between Christians. Amen.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét