Pope Leo XIV meeting with members of the Jubilee Pilgrimage of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (@Vatican Media)
Pope to Ukrainian Greek Catholics: 'Your faith is being
put to the test'
Pope Leo XIV acknowledges that the faith of Ukrainian Greek
Catholics is being put to a severe test, "amid this senseless war,"
but stresses that the Lord will have the final word and life will triumph over
death.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
Even if your faith is being put to the test, trust in God,
Pope Leo XIV told Ukrainian Greek Catholics on Saturday in the Vatican.
The Pope began saying he extends a heartfelt greeting to the
dear faithful of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, who have come to the tomb
of the Apostle Peter on the occasion of the Jubilee Year, and greeting, in
particular, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halyč,
the bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful.
Welcoming the delegation, Pope Leo said, "I wish to
express my closeness to the martyred Ukraine—to the children, the youth, the
elderly, and especially to the families who mourn their loved ones,"
adding, "I share in your sorrow for the prisoners and for the victims of
this senseless war."
Keep eyes on Christ
The Holy Father also reassured that he entrusts to the Lord
their intentions, your daily struggles and tragedies, and above all, their
longing for peace and serenity, noting, "I encourage you to walk
together—pastors and faithful—keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus, our
salvation."
"Your pilgrimage," he said, "is a sign of the
desire to renew the faith, to strengthen the bond and communion with the Bishop
of Rome, and to bear witness to the hope that does not disappoint, because it
is born from the love of Christ poured into our hearts through the Holy
Spirit," highlighting, "The Jubilee calls us to become pilgrims of
that hope throughout our lives, despite the adversities of the present
moment."
Many questions for the Lord
"The faith of your people," Pope Leo recognized,
"is now being put to a severe test." "Many of you, since the war
began," he acknowledged, "have surely asked yourselves: Lord, why all
this? Where are you? What must we do to save our families, our homes, and our
homeland?"
Faced with this dramatic scenario, Pope Leo stressed that,
"Believing does not mean already having all the answers, but trusting that
God is with us and grants us His grace, that He will have the final word, and
that life will triumph over death.
Learning from the Virgin Mary
The Pope urged them to draw strength and courage from the
Blessed Mother.
"The Virgin Mary, so beloved by the Ukrainian people,
who with her humble and courageous 'yes,'” he said, "opened the door to
the world’s redemption, assures us that our own “yes,” simple and sincere, can
also become an instrument in God’s hands for accomplishing something
great."
"Saying “yes” today," he said, "can
open new horizons of faith, of hope, and of peace, especially for all those who
are suffering."
Hope that the Lord will wipe away every tear
The Pope urged them to share that faith with their loved
ones, fellow countrymen and women, and all those the Lord places in your path,
reminding that the Jubilee calls all faithful to become pilgrims of hope
throughout our lives, despite the adversities of the present moment.
Their journey to Rome, with the passage through the Holy
Doors and the stops at the tombs of the Apostles and Martyrs, he also
suggested, is a symbol of this daily path, oriented toward eternity,
"where the Lord will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more
death, nor mourning, nor crying, nor pain."
Pope Leo concluded by praying that the Virgin Mary, Mother
of Hope, guide and protect them, and imparting his heartfelt Apostolic Blessing
to their families, Church, and people.
The Holy Father also greeted and blessed some mothers of
soldiers who had fallen at the front who were participating in the pilgrimage.
Pope Leo XIV blesses
mothers of fallen Ukrainian solders. (@Vatican Media)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét