(Vatican Radio) In what has now become a tradition begun by Pope Francis himself three years ago, the Holy Father shared lunch with a group of priests on Holy Thursday 2 April, following the Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica. The bishop of Rome met nine parish priests of the diocese and the superior of one religious community at the home of Archbishop Angelo Becciu, Substitute Secretary of State, and spent about an hour and a half with them.
“How’s the tiredness going?” the Pope asked the priests, alluding to the theme of his homily at the Chrism mass just before their meeting.
Fr. Antonio Fois of the Rome parish of Saints Aquila and Priscilla, told one Italian news agency that the Pope asked him and the other priests present to share with him some of the good things they are doing in their pastoral work. The Pope was particularly interested in hearing about how the priests prepared young people for Confirmation and matrimony and about their work with the elderly and youth.
“He repeated to us that pastoral activities are tiring – that’s natural,” Fr. Antonio said. “Being pastors is tiring but tiredness repays you; the joy of being at the service of the Gospel repays you.”
Pope Francis, said Fr. Antoinio, also spoke about the importance of priestly formation and discernment and the need to “choose pastors well.”
Fr. Antonio added that for this reason, their lunch with the Pope was “very restful: we were together as brothers, as parish priests. We spoke about our communities and he listened to us and we could see he was taking in our experiences… it was a dialogue just as between father and sons and this very much moved us.”
“It was wonderful,” said Fr. Antoinio, “to feel loved by your own bishop – this too repays any tiredness.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) In what has now become a tradition begun by Pope Francis himself three years ago, the Holy Father shared lunch with a group of priests on Holy Thursday 2 April, following the Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica. The bishop of Rome met nine parish priests of the diocese and the superior of…
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(Vatican Radio) In what has now become a tradition begun by Pope Francis himself three years ago, the Holy Father shared lunch with a group of priests on Holy Thursday 2 April, following the Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica. The bishop of Rome met nine parish priests of the diocese and the superior of…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday evening celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at Rome’s Rebibbia prison. The Mass was also attended by inmates at a nearby women’s detention centre. During the Mass Pope Francis washed the feet of 6 men and 6 women, including one mother holding her small child in her lap.
During his off-the-cuff homily, Pope Francis focused on the passage of the Gospel reading which said “He loved His own in the world, and He loved them until the end.”
“He loves us without limits, until the end,” Pope Francis said. “He never tires of loving….He loves all of us, so that he would even give his own life for us.”
Pope Francis pointed at individual inmates and said, Jesus gave his life “for you, for you, for you, for me…for everyone, first name and last name. His love is like this…so personal.”
The Holy Father told them God “never tires of loving, as he never tires of embracing us.”
Quoting Isaiah, Pope Francis said: “God’s love has no limits – ‘Even if a mom forgets her child, I won’t forget you.’ That’s God’s love for us.”
During the Rite of the Washing of the Feet, several of the inmates cried as the Pope washed their feet. One woman detainee from Africa was holding her young child, and the Pope washed his feet, too.
Earlier in his homily, the Pope has said in the time of Jesus, washing feet was the work of a slave.
“Jesus is so loving, that he became a slave to serve us, to heal us, to cleanse us,” said Pope Francis.
“I also need to be cleansed by the Lord,” he said. “And for this, pray during this Mass, so that the Lord also washes my sins and stains, too, so that I become more slave-like in the service of people as Jesus did.”
(Charles Collins)
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday evening celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at Rome’s Rebibbia prison. The Mass was also attended by inmates at a nearby women’s detention centre. During the Mass Pope Francis washed the feet of 6 men and 6 women, including one mother holding her small child in her lap.…
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