“Exactly 38 years ago, at about this time, in this square, there resounded these words to men and women throughout the world: ‘Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ.’”
During his Jubilee Audience this Saturday, as Pope Francis gave a special greeting to Polish pilgrims present on the Polish Pope’s feast day, he recalled these famous words said by his predecessor Saint Pope John Paul II. JPII made this unforgettable declaration on Oct. 22, 1978, during his first Mass as Pope, reported Vatican Radio.
Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II in 2011 and Pope Francis canonized him three years later, on the feast of Divine Mercy.
Addressing the Poles present, many of whom are also in Rome on a national pilgrimage to commemorate the 1050th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland, Pope Francis reflected on how Poland’s rich history and cultural inheritance filled John Paul II with courage, hope, and strength to “open wide the doors of Christ.”
“This invitation,” the Holy Father stressed, “was transformed by an unceasing proclamation of the Gospel of mercy for the world and for mankind, of which this Jubilee Year is a continuation”
The feast of St John Paul II, Francis also underscored, is especially relevant for young people, the suffering, and newlyweds.
He prayed that St. John Paul II’s consistent witness of faith can be a lesson for young people «in confronting the challenges of life,” be an invitation for the sick to “embrace with hope the cross of illness,” and for newly married couples to seek his intercession, so their new families may never be lacking in love.
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ZENIT’s Web page:
Full Text: https://zenit.org/articles/jubilee-audience-on-mercy-dialogue/
