Pope Francis Praises Charity in Rome and says "Pilgrims and tourists who come to Rome should "breathe" the air of Christian charity...."
.png)
The Holy Father expressed this gratitude on Monday morning in the Vatican to members of the St Peter’s Circle volunteer association, which for 155 years, has been supporting the Church’s charitable activities and helping those most in need. The Circle was founded in 1869, by a group of young Romans.
Greetings from the Holy Father
Dear brothers and sisters of the Circle of Saint Peter (Circolo San Pietro), good morning and welcome!
I always like meeting you because the audience with you is characterized by gratitude, which is the beautiful "taste" of life. When I welcome the Circolo San Pietro, I feel gratitude for the service you do to the poor of Rome. And I know that you do it in the name of the Pope, in the name of holy mother Church. And please, I greet your President who is ill. I wish a speedy recovery; say hello to him for me.
What you do on behalf of the Church is also documented by the volume you have created and which you have given me today: the collection of all the teachings of the Popes at the Circolo San Pietro, in the 155 years of its history. And so thank you also for this work, which is important for the memory of the roots. Roots are fundamental: without roots there is no life, there is no future. The floridity of the leaves is linked to the good health of the roots. Therefore, I commend this work and thank you.
But I also want to tell you: be careful not to "musealise" your history, not to "sterilize" your roots! Memory is an organ of the future, as long as the roots remain alive and well. This is why I encourage you to pass on your heritage of values and experiences to young people. We need young people who move forward. How nice to think of a grandfather from the Circolo San Pietro passing on his experience to his grandson! There are many here, this is nice. Think about how much richness of lived faith, of concrete charity, of love for the poor can pass through the example of an elderly person. And think about how much energy, how much creativity, how much momentum a young person can give.
I am reminded of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati – he will soon be a saint – who went to the homes of the poor in Turin to bring help. Pier Giorgio was from a wealthy, upper middle class family, but he did not grow up "in cotton wool", he did not get lost in the "good life", because in him there was the lifeblood of the Holy Spirit, there was love for Jesus and for his brothers.
One last thing I would like to share with you. Next year will be the Holy Year. Rome is full of construction sites; well, we need these too. But the "building site" that cannot be missed is that of charity! Pilgrims and tourists who come to Rome should "breathe" the air of Christian charity, which is not just assistance, it is care for dignity, it is closeness, it is lived sharing, without advertising, without spotlights. With your presence, with your closeness, compassion and tenderness, you too prepare the city for the Jubilee, taking care not of the streets or infrastructures, but of the hearts and flesh of the poor, who, as Saint Lawrence said, are the treasure of the Church.
Dear sisters and brothers, thank you for coming! I entrust you to the protection of the Salus Populi Romani and I bless all of you and your families. Please don't forget to pray for me, pray for me, of course! Thank you.
What you do on behalf of the Church is also documented by the volume you have created and which you have given me today: the collection of all the teachings of the Popes at the Circolo San Pietro, in the 155 years of its history. And so thank you also for this work, which is important for the memory of the roots. Roots are fundamental: without roots there is no life, there is no future. The floridity of the leaves is linked to the good health of the roots. Therefore, I commend this work and thank you.
But I also want to tell you: be careful not to "musealise" your history, not to "sterilize" your roots! Memory is an organ of the future, as long as the roots remain alive and well. This is why I encourage you to pass on your heritage of values and experiences to young people. We need young people who move forward. How nice to think of a grandfather from the Circolo San Pietro passing on his experience to his grandson! There are many here, this is nice. Think about how much richness of lived faith, of concrete charity, of love for the poor can pass through the example of an elderly person. And think about how much energy, how much creativity, how much momentum a young person can give.
I am reminded of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati – he will soon be a saint – who went to the homes of the poor in Turin to bring help. Pier Giorgio was from a wealthy, upper middle class family, but he did not grow up "in cotton wool", he did not get lost in the "good life", because in him there was the lifeblood of the Holy Spirit, there was love for Jesus and for his brothers.
One last thing I would like to share with you. Next year will be the Holy Year. Rome is full of construction sites; well, we need these too. But the "building site" that cannot be missed is that of charity! Pilgrims and tourists who come to Rome should "breathe" the air of Christian charity, which is not just assistance, it is care for dignity, it is closeness, it is lived sharing, without advertising, without spotlights. With your presence, with your closeness, compassion and tenderness, you too prepare the city for the Jubilee, taking care not of the streets or infrastructures, but of the hearts and flesh of the poor, who, as Saint Lawrence said, are the treasure of the Church.
Dear sisters and brothers, thank you for coming! I entrust you to the protection of the Salus Populi Romani and I bless all of you and your families. Please don't forget to pray for me, pray for me, of course! Thank you.
Comments