Pope Francis "...we all have the "mobile phone" of Jesus, and we can all "connect" with Jesus, and there "there is always a connection"
Pastoral Visit of Pope Francis to the Roman Parish of San Giulio
Meeting with sick and elderly
Woman:
We would like to thank you for your visit, a privilege, and we welcome your visit with us with great gratitude as a gift from the Lord. We must thank her because, in all these years, she took us lovingly by the hand and brought us to Jesus. Bless us, Father, we are sure that this meeting will be fruitful for all of us. We will always pray for you, we assure you of our continuous prayer because we love you so much!
Man:
Good evening, Your Holiness, I found the inspiration for this poem in St. Peter's Square when, together with thousands of faithful, we waited to meet you, the new Pope. So tell that moment. It is written in Roman dialect, we hope that it does not create problems for you. Do so:
"Er smoke appears for the fifth time, let's hope this is the right time! Then I hear a scream, people have noticed: er smoke is white! And the echo resonates. Immediately in the square the comments are born: "Soon, question, feel who elected, that emotion makes me dance their teeth!" "But stay calm, don't make the little stick." Then, as if by magic, thousands of Christians are aiming you curiously at the window: here, look out! Let's beat his hands as he puts his feet on the balcony! She introduces herself and says: "Bonasera, sorry if I come from far away. I know Francesco, I know Pope from tonight. " People think: "How is it, captain?" That unusual, cordial "bonasera" removes all doubts from the perplexed people. 'This is a friend - he thinks - less badly, it also resembles Christ enormously: with that humble, sensible aspect, which at the sight of him, is steeped in words, de dije na prayer that he prayed, and silence was orare my flies away. What have I been doing since? I'm so excited, I find myself written earlier when the pen traced on the Pope! Am I wrong, will I have the right? I feel excited about this event, so I really did taste of it that so many of them have understood it, and finally we have the right Pope! Hurray for the Pope! "
Pope Francis
Thank you, thank you very much! In the greeting the lady said that you were happy because Pietro came today. It is true the Pope is the successor of Peter, but this morning, one made me - a thirty year old boy more or less - he told me: "But it is true what our grandmother told us, that the Pope as Peter's successor has Peter's phone number and calls him? " It's the first time I've heard it! It is funny! No, I don't have Pietro's cell phone, but I try to do what Jesus asked Peter to "confirm": to confirm the brothers in faith, in hope, in charity. And tell you that, yes, there is old age, there are diseases, there are so many problems, but there is Jesus. And Jesus never disappoints, never! "But, Lord, I am suffering ...". And Jesus says: "I too know what suffering is". All the complaints we can make to Jesus, He transforms them into prayer and presents them to the Father, because He passed through all these things before us. Don't forget Jesus. Yes, long live the Pope, long live Peter, but Jesus, Jesus! The other things without Jesus do not serve, they do not go forward. And how to find Jesus? He listens to us, He sees us, He loves us. Simply speak with our words, and even complain: "Oh yes, but Lord, it's too much, it's too much, it's too much ...". Yes, say it, he understands. But do not forget: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. I do not have the mobile phone of Peter, but we all have the "mobile phone" of Jesus, and we can all "connect" with Jesus, and there "there is always a connection", always, always! He always listens to us, because He is like that, close to us.
Thank you, thank you for your welcome and your prayers. And pray for me, don't forget. Now I will pray for you.
Now let's pray to Our Lady together.
BLESSING
Meeting with Children
GIRL:
Welcome, Your Holiness, we hope that our greetings, the joy and the emotion we feel when we see you reach you ...
BOY:
In this structure that has been our church for three years a fundamental part of the Christian journey is gathered, beginning with the children in the last few years baptized, continuing with the children and young people who are preparing for Communion and Confirmation, up to the teenagers, to young people and their accompanying catechists. Since we heard from our parish priest Father Dario that you would preside over the Rite of Dedication of the Church of San Giulio we prepared to welcome you at best and, as you can well imagine, many of us would have liked to ask you questions.
GIRL:
Eleonora and Carlotta will do it on behalf of everyone.
ELEONORA:
Have you ever fed the poor in person?
Pope Francis
Yes, I have done it, several times, it is something that all Christians must do, to feed the poor in person. All of us in a moment of life we were like the poor, we didn't know how to eat, it was the mother who nursed us, made us grow, fed us ... We too. Others do not have to eat even when they are grown-ups, children like you, for example, they do not have to eat because their father does not have a job, and then they go hungry in that house. All of us should always do this gesture of feeding others as God feeds us. Thank you.
QUESTION:
Holy Father, good evening. I am Carlotta, I am 20 years old and I am one of the leaders of adolescents. In these months we have reflected with the boys on the relationship with God and doubts have arisen along the way. As Jesus said: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", We too, when life puts us to the test, ask the same question. How can we entrust ourselves unreservedly to Him? Did you also doubt during your journey? If so, how did he find faith again?
Pope Francis
Thank you. Everyone, all men, all women, all children at a certain moment have doubts, it is part of life to doubt. And to doubt is also a little to test God: if it is true that He is faithful, if it is true that He listens to us ... Our doubts come, for example, when there is a disease in the family, or when it is lacking father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, brother ... "Lord, why?" The doubts always come. At that moment we must bet on one thing: on the faithfulness of Jesus. Jesus is faithful, he is the only totally faithful. We are faithful to friends, but sometimes we are not faithful to each other. Jesus instead always. It is a fidelity that never disappoints, before or after the Lord makes himself heard. Don't be afraid of doubts, don't be afraid to doubt. I doubt, but this doubt I can share it with others, discuss and so grow. Do not be afraid. You, as the person responsible for the confirmations, teach them to doubt well, because if they do not learn to doubt, some Romans will say of Confirmation: the "sacrament of farewell". After Confirmation, best wishes and see each other ... And they leave, because they don't know how to handle doubts. Instead if you, as a person responsible, teach them to doubt well and to seek strong answers, true to the doubts, you prepare them so that Confirmation is not the sacrament of farewell, but the Sacrament of strength, which the Holy Spirit gives us. I don't know if I answered ..., or you want me to say something more ...
CARLOTTA:
With the boys we asked ourselves if you too, who is the greatest representative of the faith, if in your life it has ever happened to you to have strong doubts that really put you to the test and how you managed to get out of it.
Pope Francis
I had so many doubts, many, many. In front of the calamities, but also to the things that had happened to me, in my life. How I managed to get out ... I think I didn't go out alone, you can never get out of doubt by yourself. It takes the company of someone to help you move forward, so it's important to always be in a group, together, with friends ... You can never be alone. It also helps us to talk about doubts with parents or friends or with a catechist ... but always talk to another. And then talk about doubts with Jesus. Sometimes I heard someone say, "I don't talk to Jesus because he ruined my life. I am angry with Jesus ... ". But even getting angry with Jesus can be a way of praying; is to say to Jesus: "Look at this thing, it makes me angry ...". Jesus likes to see the truth of our heart. Don't pretend in front of Jesus. Before Jesus you always have to say things as you hear them. "I have this doubt, I don't believe it ... I have this, this other ...". To talk like this, this is a beautiful prayer, and He is so patient, waiting for us.
BOY:
Your Holiness, now Greta and Maria Chiara would like to give you some drawings made by the children of the Elementary School of Piazza Forlanini, who are marrying a charitable project called "Eccediamo", which consists in giving advanced snacks to the most needy.
DELIVERY OF GIFTS
MARY AND BLESSED RECEIVING
Pope Francis
Thank you, thank you very much! In the greeting the lady said that you were happy because Pietro came today. It is true the Pope is the successor of Peter, but this morning, one made me - a thirty year old boy more or less - he told me: "But it is true what our grandmother told us, that the Pope as Peter's successor has Peter's phone number and calls him? " It's the first time I've heard it! It is funny! No, I don't have Pietro's cell phone, but I try to do what Jesus asked Peter to "confirm": to confirm the brothers in faith, in hope, in charity. And tell you that, yes, there is old age, there are diseases, there are so many problems, but there is Jesus. And Jesus never disappoints, never! "But, Lord, I am suffering ...". And Jesus says: "I too know what suffering is". All the complaints we can make to Jesus, He transforms them into prayer and presents them to the Father, because He passed through all these things before us. Don't forget Jesus. Yes, long live the Pope, long live Peter, but Jesus, Jesus! The other things without Jesus do not serve, they do not go forward. And how to find Jesus? He listens to us, He sees us, He loves us. Simply speak with our words, and even complain: "Oh yes, but Lord, it's too much, it's too much, it's too much ...". Yes, say it, he understands. But do not forget: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. I do not have the mobile phone of Peter, but we all have the "mobile phone" of Jesus, and we can all "connect" with Jesus, and there "there is always a field", always, always! He always listens to us, because He is like that, close to us.
Thank you, thank you for your welcome and your prayers. And pray for me, don't forget. Now I will pray for you.
Now let's pray to Our Lady together.
BLESSING
Thanks for the welcome.
POPE FRANCIS:
And pray for me! But I saw something strange there ... Can you make the sign of the cross well? Let me see ... "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit", and someone does so [imitates the sign of the evil cross]. Let's do it well together! "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". And so you have to do it. Bye thank you!
Meeting with the group of the living Nativity
Woman:
Holy Father, we are honored to welcome you and meet you on this very important day, which we consider to be a renewal of our parish both in the walls and above all in the spirit. In particular we represent the reality of the living Nativity, of the parish of San Giulio: "Come, adoremus". In front of her, she sees a small group of people representing the whole community who participated in the creation of the crib in a totalizing, complete and living way. There were also many children, many young people, about 400 people including extras and staff. We have a story as brief as it is intense and important. In the last three years, a simple neighborhood parish has been able to create the living crib for the entire city of Rome and its visitors with its own strength and with the grace of God.
Man:
Our original aim of collecting offers for the reconstruction of the roof of our church has become over time a gift for our fellow citizens and faithful who in every representation of the nativity scene decided to share with us the true meaning of Christmas, living the mystery and emotions of the nativity and the family. In fact, from the first performances made in the areas adjacent to our church and oratory we arrived in the heart of the city of Rome, at the beautiful archaeological site of Porta Asinaria, in front of the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, with the support and patronage of the vicariate and the municipality of Rome. We are direct witnesses of a beautiful story of sharing, brotherhood and solidarity, sacrifice for the common good. A tangible example of patience, faith, but above all of Christian joy. The images that the monitor is reproducing are a vivid reminder of the experiences we have experienced over the past three years.
Man:
Holy Father, what we want to offer you today and share is the love that becomes fruitful. It is the profuse commitment of the community of San Giulio of which we represent a small part, simple people of a parish, who have put together their energies, their passions, skills and talents, succeeding in a business that to his it seemed impossible, and Father Dario can tell him. It seemed really impossible! What we have achieved would not have been feasible without the active participation of friends from the Piubega community, represented here by our friends and brothers. The community of Piubega, a town in the Mantua area where our parish priest, Father Dario Frattini, exercised [the ministry] before arriving in our parish, has thirty years of experience in the construction and representation of the living nativity scene. Today we like to think that the new church and that new roof is there also thanks to the hard work, the services and the emotions that the community of San Giulio has offered in the realization of what to all of us seems to be a true, small, great miracle. The living crib of Rome. Thank you very much for the opportunity you gave us, for being here with us. Thanks a lot!
Pope Francis
Man:
St. Joseph? There is no ... The parish priest!
Pope Francis
Man:
My daughter made Maria.
Pope Francis
You did Mary, how nice! And the Child Jesus who made it? Is there not? ... All right. I would like to ask another question but I will do it later, first I will tell you something that happened last year, no, the other year, 2017. For Christmas time, in a very secular European country, very secular - every religious symbol in public offices is forbidden, nothing, there is neither a Christian symbol nor a Jewish symbol nor a Muslim symbol, no, all secular - it could not be done, but the mayor of that small city thought that the crib is beyond, a symbol beyond religion, it is also a cultural symbol, it calls everyone back ... He thought so and made a beautiful crib at the entrance to the office where he worked, the mayor. And happy people, because people don't follow these stupid things to think that since it's a secular country you can't make the crib. But the news came to the prefect of the region of that country, who got angry because what the mayor had done went against the secular state. He picks up the phone, calls the mayor and says: "How did you let the pastor ..." - "No, I did it!" - "But how?" - "Yes, but people are happy. Now that we don't remove it ... "-" Yes, you have to take it off! ", Says the prefect to the mayor. And the mayor replies: "Ah, too bad, because I wanted to pay homage to you too and I put your picture". And the prefect says: "How much time is still missing?" - "Two weeks, little ..." - "Okay, as a favor, yes". He had heard of the photograph and liked it. "But send me a picture later" - "Yes yes". Thus went the crib. But the photo didn't arrive, and he recalled: "And the photo? "-" Yes, I sent it ". The next day and recalls: "I received the photo but I do not see my photo, where did you put it?" - "Yes, it is there, it is there ..." - "But among the people?" - "Yes" - "I'll watch". He does not find it and recalls and says: "But I do not see myself there, tell me, which way?" - "In the left corner" - "But there is nothing there" - "Yes, it's your photo" - "Who is it?" - "It's the donkey!" This is historical, it is historical, it is not a fantasy, it happened in 2017. And I ask you: who made the donkey now? Who made the donkey? ... [RISATE]
Thanks for that. I did not know about this living crib, but today, while I had some time, I took some books that arrived to see it, they had arrived this week, and there was a small book called "Crib, the living Gospel ", Made by the bishop of Chieti, where there was the history of the Neapolitan crib: it is not clear, I do not understand anything, but it is beautiful. By chance I find this now, you ... "The crib is - I liked the title - the living Gospel". Think that St. Francis evangelized even with this: seeing Jesus, imitating Jesus, imitating the Madonna, imitating Joseph, imitating the simplicity of the shepherds, not imitating Herod! ... Go ahead! Thank you thank you.
GIRLS:
Dear Pope Francis, Chiara and Giulia we call ourselves, and today our experience tells you about it. Thanks to mom and dad, we lived a period in antiquity. Hearing people wish us good wishes, made us all so happy, identifying ourselves with the trades we remembered as it was yesterday. Looking at the lighted candle houses we took long walks. Every day we were present to open the doors. From children to the elderly, everyone was clapping their hands. We want to make the living nativity scene again, with the hope that you will come and find us!
Pope Francis
CHILD:
Dear Pope Francis, I am Giorgia and I am almost 9 years old. This year I will have my first Communion. Thanks to family catechesis I learned that communion means sharing with you the joy and love that I feel in my little heart.
Pope Francis
BLESSING
Pope Francis
FULL TEXT Source and Image Share: Vatican.va - Unofficial Translation
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