After the very crowded Mass celebrated in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Pope Francis lunched with eight representatives of the indigenous community of Chiapas, Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, told Vatican Radio.
He explained that it was “a usual lunch meeting,” that takes place now and then on the occasion of the World Youth Day or visits to areas where there are poor and refugees.
Seated at the table with the Holy Father were “eight indigenous that represented the different components of the community,” explained the Vatican spokesman. “There was an indigenous priest, very simple, a fascinating person in his simplicity of life and of expression, dressed in his indigenous attire: he had no particular clerical distinction; then there was a representative of the deacons with his wife; a nun, a representative of young people, a catechist — all, however, of the local indigenous communities. And the Pope conversed with them, with a very simple conversation.”
Shortly before, the Pontiff went to the Cathedral of San Cristobal de las Casas, where Samuel Ruiz had been bishop for 40 years, and where he is buried. There, reported Father Lombardi, “he met with very many sick: there were a thousand people.”
Then, the Holy Father “went to Samuel Ruiz’s tomb and paused for prayer – briefly, but he paused for prayer – and then he continued his itinerary of consoling and meeting people present in the Cathedral.”
“It was an extremely simple and extremely natural and spontaneous thing,” observed the Jesuit spokesman, “remembering this person who was of great importance for his diocese, and who also initiated different aspects of the diocese’s pastoral care that, with several touch-ups and improvements, are still functioning.”
Asked about the presence of relatives of the disappeared at the Mass of Ciudad Juarez, the Director of the Vatican Press Office explained that at the celebration – which will be last of the papal trip – there will be very many people “who are connected, in different ways, to the various problems of violence in Mexico.”
“We know that 27,000 people disappeared in recent years: I have no information that the Pope will do something very particular for one group or another. He intends to show his closeness, his presence to all: the Pope prays for all and is close to all,” he said.
