SULMONA, Italy, JULY 4, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today before praying the midday Angelus.
The Holy Father led the Angelus after finishing Mass during his one-day trip to the Abruzzi region of Italy.
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Dear brothers and sisters!
At the end of this solemn celebration, at the customary time on Sunday, I invite you to recite the Angelus prayer together. To the Virgin Mary, whom you venerate with particular devotion in the sanctuary of the Madonna della Libera, I entrust this Church of Sulmona-Valva: the bishop, the priests and all the people of God. May this Church, united and joyous, walk the way of faith, hope and charity together. Faithful to the legacy of St. Pietro Celestino, may she always know how to combine evangelical radicality and mercy so that all those who seek God may find him.
In Mary, Virgin of silence and listening, St. Peter del Morrone found the perfect model of obedience to the divine will, in a simple and humble life, committed to seeking out the essential, always able to thank the Lord, recognizing everything as a gift of his goodness.
We too, who live in a time of great comfort and possibility, are called to appreciate a sober way of life, to keep our minds and hearts more free to be able to share our goods with our brothers.
May Mary Most Holy, who animated the first community of Jesus’ disciples with her maternal presence, also help the Church of today to bear credible witness to the Gospel.
[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]
