Pope Francis says "those who trust in God are never abandoned, even in times of trial, such as those of persecution"
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE CZECH NATIONAL JUBILEE PILGRIMAGE
[March 29, 2025]
____________________
Dear brothers in the Episcopate,
dear priests, nuns and religious,
dear sisters and brothers in the Lord!
I would have liked to be with you in person to share this moment of faith and communion, but, because of my convalescence, I join you spiritually, thanking you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers.
I address my affectionate greeting to you who have come to Rome from the Czech Republic to make the national pilgrimage in this Jubilee Year. I greet with gratitude the President of the Episcopal Conference, Msgr. Jan Graubner, all the Bishops present, the priests, the consecrated and the lay faithful. Your journey is a concrete sign of the desire to renew your faith, to confirm your bond with the Successor of Peter and to joyfully profess your adherence to the Lord who always walks with us, supports us in trials and calls us to be witnesses of his peace and his love. He is faithful to his promises, therefore hope never disappoints! (cf. Rom 5:5; Bull Spes non confundit).
Your journey of faith is part of the rich Christian tradition of your land, illuminated by the testimony of Saints Adalbert, Cyril and Methodius and many others. They brought the light of the Gospel with courage and patience, even in places where it seemed impossible. Their example teaches us that the Christian mission is not based on visible results, but on faithfulness to God. We too are called to proclaim the Gospel with confidence, without fearing difficulties and obstacles. Saint Paul reminds us: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth" (1 Cor 3:6). Our task is to sow and water with love and perseverance, without becoming discouraged.
God asks us to offer the little that we are and that we have. Let us think of those five loaves and two fish: in the hands of Jesus they became abundant nourishment for a multitude (see Mt 14:13-21). The same happens with our commitment to faith: if we entrust it to the Lord with a generous heart, He will multiply it and make it bear fruit in ways that we cannot even imagine. For this reason, we must never lose faith. God works even when we do not immediately see the effects. The history of your saints teaches us this: let us think of the perseverance of John of Nepomuk and of so many other witnesses to the faith of your land. Their lives show us that those who trust in God are never abandoned, even in times of trial, such as those of persecution.
Let us walk together, pastors and people, on this beautiful path of faith. Let us support one another and become, with our lives, witnesses of peace and hope in a world that needs it so much, including in Europe. Our faith is not only for us, but is a gift to be shared with joy.
I entrust your pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope, so that you may be strengthened in faith, hope and charity. I bless all of you and your people from my heart. And I ask you, please, to pray for me.
From the Vatican, March 26, 2025
FRANCIS
TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE CZECH NATIONAL JUBILEE PILGRIMAGE
[March 29, 2025]
____________________
Dear brothers in the Episcopate,
dear priests, nuns and religious,
dear sisters and brothers in the Lord!
I would have liked to be with you in person to share this moment of faith and communion, but, because of my convalescence, I join you spiritually, thanking you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers.
I address my affectionate greeting to you who have come to Rome from the Czech Republic to make the national pilgrimage in this Jubilee Year. I greet with gratitude the President of the Episcopal Conference, Msgr. Jan Graubner, all the Bishops present, the priests, the consecrated and the lay faithful. Your journey is a concrete sign of the desire to renew your faith, to confirm your bond with the Successor of Peter and to joyfully profess your adherence to the Lord who always walks with us, supports us in trials and calls us to be witnesses of his peace and his love. He is faithful to his promises, therefore hope never disappoints! (cf. Rom 5:5; Bull Spes non confundit).
Your journey of faith is part of the rich Christian tradition of your land, illuminated by the testimony of Saints Adalbert, Cyril and Methodius and many others. They brought the light of the Gospel with courage and patience, even in places where it seemed impossible. Their example teaches us that the Christian mission is not based on visible results, but on faithfulness to God. We too are called to proclaim the Gospel with confidence, without fearing difficulties and obstacles. Saint Paul reminds us: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth" (1 Cor 3:6). Our task is to sow and water with love and perseverance, without becoming discouraged.
God asks us to offer the little that we are and that we have. Let us think of those five loaves and two fish: in the hands of Jesus they became abundant nourishment for a multitude (see Mt 14:13-21). The same happens with our commitment to faith: if we entrust it to the Lord with a generous heart, He will multiply it and make it bear fruit in ways that we cannot even imagine. For this reason, we must never lose faith. God works even when we do not immediately see the effects. The history of your saints teaches us this: let us think of the perseverance of John of Nepomuk and of so many other witnesses to the faith of your land. Their lives show us that those who trust in God are never abandoned, even in times of trial, such as those of persecution.
Let us walk together, pastors and people, on this beautiful path of faith. Let us support one another and become, with our lives, witnesses of peace and hope in a world that needs it so much, including in Europe. Our faith is not only for us, but is a gift to be shared with joy.
I entrust your pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope, so that you may be strengthened in faith, hope and charity. I bless all of you and your people from my heart. And I ask you, please, to pray for me.
From the Vatican, March 26, 2025
FRANCIS
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