Today, Pope Francis received in audience Organizers and Collaborators of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
Here is a ZENIT translation of the Pope’s address:
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Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning.
I rejoice to receive you after the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee, to express to you my personal gratitude for the great work carried out during this Holy Year.
I greet and thank particularly the tireless Monsignor Rino Fisichella. I entrusted to him and to his collaborators of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, the management of the Jubilee, which was a dense Year, full of initiatives in the whole Church, where the fruits of God’s mercy could be seen and touched with the hand. At the beginning, mine was a simple intuition; as always, the Lord surprises us and goes beyond our expectations, and so that desire became a reality that could be celebrated with so much faith and joy in the Christian communities spread around the world. The open Door of Mercy in all the Cathedrals and Shrines made it possible for the faithful to find no obstacle to experience the love of God. Something truly extraordinary happened, which now must to be inserted in everyday life, to make mercy become a permanent commitment and lifestyle for believers.
All of you, in different ways, made it possible for this event of grace to be celebrated in an orderly and safe manner, with a great influx of pilgrims in order to have the profound spiritual value emerge, which the Jubilee represents. My grateful thought goes first of all to the Lord Minister of the Interior, who as the one responsible for security, guaranteed to pilgrims, not only in Rome but in all the national territory, to live this Jubilee with due security and tranquillity. Together with him I thank the Chief of Police and the Police Commissioner of Rome who, in unison with the Vatican Gendarmerie, demonstrated how much mutual collaboration can really offer a security service guaranteed to all. I thank the members of the Under-Secretary of the Presidency of the Council. I cannot forget the Corps of the Swiss Guard and all the Vatican Institutions, in particular the Governorate and Saint Peter’s Basilica for their great sense of dedication. In addition, a grateful thought goes for the effort made by the Leaders of the Lazio Region, with the President, above all for the meticulous planning of the health structures. To the Technical Secretariat, presided over by the Prefect of Rome, which gathered the different administrative instances, among which the Municipality of Rome, goes the applause for having made possible an effective unfolding of all the Jubilee events.
Lastly, a thought of earnest gratitude goes to the numerous Volunteers who came from different parts of the world and to all those who collaborated with their daily work, often silent and discreet, to make this Extraordinary Jubilee a true event of grace.
“If you wish to obtain mercy, you yourself must be merciful” (Augustine, Discourse 259,3). May these words of Saint Augustine be a comfort to you all. With your commitment not only did you offer a competent contribution, but you rendered a true service of mercy to millions of pilgrims who came to Rome. May this effort of yours be recompensed by the experience of mercy that the Lord will not have you want. Thank you.
[Original text: Italian] [Translation by ZENIT]
