“I give a warm welcome to the Arabic-speaking pilgrims, particularly those from Lebanon, Jordan, and the Middle East!”, said Pope Francis during the General Audience of May 17, 2017.
This morning’s General Audience was held at 9:30 in St. Peter’s Square, where the Holy Father Francis met with groups of pilgrims and faithful from Italy and from all over the world.
The Pope spoke in Italian, translated immediately into Arabic by one of his collaborators in the Roman Curia: “Mary Magdalene brought the hope of the Resurrection to the disciples, so that they too could bring this Good News to the whole world.”
“Mary of Magdala,” Francis reminded, “teaches us to persevere in seeking the encounter with the Risen One; not to allow the bitterness of death and mourning to extinguish in us the desire to meet Jesus; and let your encounter transform our sadness into joy and turn us into his witnesses.”
“The encounter with the Risen Lord,” he pointed out, “rises and helps us to resurrect others from the dark tombs of unbelief.”
“May the Lord bless you all and protect you from evil!” he said.
