(ZENIT News / Rome, 04.05.2024).- On Friday afternoon, April 3, Pope Francis went to a Basilica close to Saint John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome, for a meeting with the priests of the area.
The Holy Father arrived at the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem), at No. 12 of the Square of the same name), at 4:00pm. There he met with some one hundred priests: the parish priests of the Central Sector of the Diocese of Rome; the vice-parish priests of the Sector; a group of Rectors of churches of the Historic Center, and several hospital Chaplains. The Pontiff was received by Monsignor Baldo Reina, Vice-Gerent of the Diocese of Rome; by Monsignor Francesco Pesce, Pastoral Coordinator of the Central Sector of the Diocese of Rome; and by Fr Alessandro Pugiotto, parish priest of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.
After a brief greeting by the Vice-Gerent and the recitation of a Psalm, there was time for conversation with the priests. The meeting lasted just over two hours. Then the Pope greeted all those present, one by one, before taking his leave to return to the Vatican.
Monsignor Reina described it as a “very cordial meeting. ”The Pope expressed all his paternity to the priests, but also his pastoral peculiarity. He was a Pastor who recounted his experiences, gave very useful advice regarding the pastoral situation in the City’s Center. All the priests were very happy. We thanked the Holy Father for the time he dedicated to us,” he said.
“It was a great joy for us, priests of the Sector, to be able to meet with the Bishop of our Diocese,” said Monsignor Pesce. “We intended to tell the Holy Father, borrowing words from ‘Amoris Laetitia,’ about the “wonderful complicity” of this portion of the Church of Rome, in which the entire world is represented, and which will be the door of the [forthcoming] Jubilee.” The excitement of this meeting was transformed immediately in gratitude and prayer for the Pope. It was a great moment of communion, a stretch of road travelled side by side, which gives us new impetus for our service, not only to Catholics of the Historic Center, but to all the world, which we meet here every day in the faces of tourists and pilgrims.” There aren’t many “residents in the Historic Center,” continued the Pastoral Coordinator, who is also the parish priest of Santa Maria ai Monti, “but the majority of Romans come here to work. And, although there are not many young people in our parishes, at night all Rome’s young people are in the Historic Center.”
We talked about the potential of the churches of the Historic Center, not about the problems,” said Fr Pugiotto, “with his sights set on the future, on the Jubilee, on the reception of pilgrims, on Rome’s welcome to those who come to work. . . “ — on the potential of the Center’s churches, which aren’t dead but alive. It was truly a lovely meeting, in which the Pope helped us a lot to look at the positive, the beautiful,” he concluded.
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