Pope Francis has made a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica to pray before the relics of Saints Pio of Pietrelcina and Leopold Mandic.
According to l’Avvenire, the Holy Father stopped over to the Vatican Basilica Saturday evening and the joined the numerous faithful in paying homage to the great Capuchin confessors.
Francis also joined the faithful in reciting the rosary, and about a half hour later, he read aloud the text of a prayer written by Archpriest of the Vatican Basilica, Cardinal Angelo Comastri.
Before leaving St. Peter’s, Pope Francis greeted some of the faithful gathered and some from the religious community of San Giovanni Rotondo.
The Italian channel RaiNews24 captured images of the Pontiff in prayer before the great confessors.
The text of the recited prayer by Cardinal Comastri has been published below.
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PRAYER TO THE HOLY FATHER PIO:
Father Pio,
you lived in the century of pride:
and you were humble.
Father Pio,
you passed between us in the era of wealth
dreamt, played and adored:
and you remained poor.
Father Pio,
next to you, no one heard the Voice:
and you were speaking with God;
next to you, no one was seeing the Light:
and you were seeing God.
Father Pio,
while we were running out of breath,
you remained on your knees
and you were seeing the ‘Love of God nailed to a wood,
wounded in the hands, feet and heart:
forever!
Father Pio,
help us to cry before the Cross,
help us believe in front of Love,
Help us to hear Mass as left by God,
help us to seek forgiveness as an embrace of peace,
help us to be Christians with wounds
that go into the faithful and silent blood of charity:
as the wounds of God! Amen.
