Pope at General Audience: leaven
of Jesus to Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius
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| Pope Francis at the General Audience of 11 September in the Vatican |
Pope Francis reflected on his just-concluded Apostolic
Journey to Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius, saying as a pilgrim of peace
and hope, he tried to bring the leaven of Jesus to the people of the three
countries.
By Robin Gomes
In his catechesis during Wednesday’s General Audience in the
Vatican, Pope Francis recalled the various events of his memorable to
Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius, 4-10 September.
“I thank God who has allowed me to complete this journey as
a pilgrim of peace and hope,” the Pope said, adding, “Christ is the hope of the
world, and His Gospel is the most powerful leaven of brotherhood, freedom,
justice and peace for all peoples.” He said that with his visit, in
the footsteps of the holy evangelizers, he tried “to bring this leaven, the
leaven of Jesus, to the people of Mozambique, Madagascar and
Mauritius”.
Mozambique
The Pope said he went to “sow seeds of hope, peace and
reconciliation” in Mozambique, “a land that has suffered so much in the recent
past because of a protracted armed conflict, and that last spring was hit by
two devastating cyclones. The local Church, he said, "continues
to accompany the peace process, which took a step forward on 1 August with a
new Agreement between the parties". In this regard, the Pope particularly
thanked the Community of Sant'Egidio, a lay Catholic group, which, he said
worked very hard in this peace process.
The Pope encouraged the authorities of the country on the
path of peace, “urging them to work together for the common good”. “And I
encouraged the young people, who have gathered from different religious
backgrounds, to build the country, overcoming resignation and anxiety,
spreading social friendship and building on the traditions of the
elderly.”
In his encounter with Mozambican bishops, priests and
consecrated persons in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Maputo,
the Pope said he proposed to them the “way of Nazareth, the way of the generous
"yes" to God, in the grateful memory of her call”.
A strong sign of this evangelical presence, he said, is the
Hospital of Zimpeto, on the outskirts of Maputo, that the Community of Sant'Egidio
helped build. He said the important thing there was that everyone works for the
sick who belong to various religious faiths. The director of the hospital is a
Muslim woman specialized in AIDS and all work together as brothers for the
sick.
The culminating Mass in Mozambique in a stadium was a joyous
event with songs and dances, despite the rain. And the message of the Lord that
echoed loud at the Mass was, "Love your enemies" (Lk 6:27), which the
Pope said, is the “seed of the true revolution, that of love, which
extinguishes violence and generates brotherhood”.
Madagascar
In Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, the Pope found a
country rich in beauty and natural resources but marked by much
poverty.
Animated by their traditional spirit of solidarity, the
Malagasy people, the Pope said, can overcome adversity and build a future of
development by combining respect for the environment and social justice.
“As a prophetic sign in this direction,” the Holy Father
said he visited Akamaso, the "City of Friendship", where they try to
combine work, dignity, care for the poor and education for children, in the
spirit of the Gospel. There, at the granite quarry, the Pope prayed for the
workers.
The Pope also met the contemplative nuns of different
congregations in the Carmelite monastery, to underscore the fact that without
faith and prayer one cannot build a city worthy of man.
In his encounter with bishops of the country, they renewed
their commitment to be "sowers of peace and hope", in caring for God's
people, especially the poor, and their priests. Together with the bishops, the
Pope venerated the Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo, the first Malagasy woman to
be elevated to the altars. In also joined an evening vigil with young people,
full of testimonies, songs and dances.
In Antananarivo, the Pope celebrated Sunday Mass in the vast
"Diocesan Field" with a large crowd, and later met Madagascar’s
priests, consecrated women and men and the seminarians calling it “an encounter
as a sign of praise to God”.
Mauritius
Monday was dedicated to Mauritius, a well-known tourist
destination, which the Pope chose to visit as a “place of integration between
different ethnic groups and cultures”. The Pope noted a strong inter-religious
dialogue and friendship between the various faith communities. An example of
this is that when he entered the bishop’s house, he found a beautiful bouquet
for him sent by the Great Imam as a sign of brotherhood.
The Holy Mass in Mauritius was celebrated in memory of
Blessed Jacques-Désiré Laval, known as the "apostle of Mauritian
unity". “The Gospel of the Beatitudes, the identity card of Christ's
disciples, in that context,” the Pope said, “is an antidote to the temptation
to selfish and discriminatory well-being. It is also the leaven of true happiness,
imbued with mercy, justice and peace.
The Pope said he was struck by the work of evangelization by
the bishops for the poor. In his meeting with the country’s authorities, the
Pope appreciated their commitment to harmonize differences as a common enterprise
and encouraged them to continue in their efforts to welcome people even today
and maintain and develop their democratic life.
The Pope said that before and after every foreign apostolic
visit, he always goes to Our Lady in the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome,
praying that she accompany him on his journey like a Mother, telling him what
to do and say. “With Our Lady, I am safe,” he said.
In conclusion, Pope Francis urged those present to thank God
and ask Him that the seeds sown in this apostolic journey may bring abundant
fruit for the peoples of Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius.
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