Pope Francis urges Rome to be
city of fraternity, peace
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| Pope Francis with the mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi in Campidoglio square, Rome, Italy on 26 March 2019 (ANSA) |
Pope Francis celebrates the 150th anniversary of the
declaration of the city of Rome as the capital of Italy as “providential”, and
invites residents to make the Eternal City a place of solidarity and peace.
By Devin Watkins
The nascent Kingdom of Italy declared Rome as its capital on
3 February 1871, soon after the city fell to the Italian forces led by Giuseppe
Garibaldi.
This spelled an end to papal control over Rome and the papal
states.
Pope Francis called the proclamation of Rome as Italy’s
capital “a providential event, which led to polemics and problems at the time.
But it changed Rome, Italy, and the Church herself: a new story began.”
Providence guiding history
His remark came in a message to the opening ceremony for the
150th anniversary of the declaration of “Roma Capitale”, read
out by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
The event was held on Monday evening at the Opera Theater,
in the presence of Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella and other dignitaries.
In his message, Pope Francis quoted Pope St Paul VI –
written while still Cardinal Montini – on the subject.
“It seemed like a catastrophe, and for the pontifical
dominion over territory it was […]. But Providence – as we now see well – had
disposed things differently, almost dramatically orchestrating events.”
Sharing joys and trials
Pope Francis went on to say Rome has changed and grown much
over the course of a century and a half, and the Church has “shared in the joys
and trials of Romans.”
He mentioned three historical events that illustrate how the
Church and Rome have influenced each other.
The first was the 9-month Nazi occupation of the city in
1943 and 1944, during which over a thousand Roman Jews were sent to
concentration camps to die.
The Pope said the Church offered refuge to many in danger of
falling into their hands. This, he said, led to the fall of “ancient barriers
and painful distances” between the Jewish and Catholic communities. “From those
difficult times we learn above all the lesson of the undying fraternity between
the Catholic Church and the Jewish community,” said the Pope.
Rome a home for all
He also recalled the Second Vatican Council – held between
1962 and 1965 – during which Rome “shone as a universal, Catholic, and
ecumenical place” as it welcomed hundreds of Council Fathers, ecumenical
observers, and experts.
The third event Pope Francis mentioned was a conference held
in February 1974 by the Diocese regarding the “evils afflicting Rome”.
Participants in that meeting sought to help the Church
listen to the poor and the peripheries.
The lesson, said Pope Francis, is that “the city must be a
home for all.”
Peace through fraternity
The Pope encouraged Rome’s residents and politicians to see
their city through the eyes of those who arrive seeking a better life. “Rome is
a great resource for humanity. Rome is a city of unique beauty.” And the city, he
said, must be renewed both “in openness to the world and in the inclusion of
all.”
Finally, Pope Francis said the Eternal City “will promote
unity and peace in the world, in the measure she is able to become a fraternal
city.”
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