Pictures and news of the Popes first 'Apostolic Voyage' Lampedusa are coming in. The island lies halfway between Sicily and Tunisia. He is celebrating a penitential Mass in Porta Europa the arrival point for those immigrants who survive the crossing from North Africa. He has placed a wreath in the sea in memory of those who did not survive the Mediterranean crossing. To emphasise the danger the Pope has an new ferula made from pieces of of a wrecked immigrant boat, the same apparently with the lectern but the temporary altar however is a gaily painted fishing little boat, with a lacey altar cloth, just to remind us it is Italy! The OT reading is the slaying of Abel and the Gospel the massacre of the Innocence. The Pope and his assistants sit whilst Holy Communion is distributed by priest and deacons and large number of Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. The music is truly excruciating, in a way that only Italian clergy, with a gang of youth can make it.
It is not the liturgy that the world media will focus on but the importance of the Pope 'going to the peripheries' and recognising the plight of refugees, shortly before the Pope's arrival a boat limped into the port carrying 160 Eritrean refugees.
Pope Benedict tried to get the Church's prayer to conform its faith 'lex credendi, lex orandi', Francis seems sadly oblivious to this but what I find exciting is his insistence on 'lex credendi lex vivendi' believing and living. Belief has consequences for our living which so often we forget. He reminds us of the moral consequences of faith, whether it is in conjunction with the Vatican Bank, or the destitute on city streets, the unborn, or here, immigrants on beaches of Lampedusa or their brothers dead in the sea.
God bless our Pope!
According to the BBC
The Pope criticised the 'attitude of indifference' to the plight of refugees. He called for a "reawakening of consciences" to counter the "indifference" shown to migrants."We have lost a sense of brotherly responsibility," he said, and "have forgotten how to cry" for migrants lost at sea.He denounced the traffickers who exploited migrants and took great risks with their lives. Francis, whose own ancestors immigrated to Argentina from Italy, has previously stood in sympathy with impoverished illegal migrants.I'll put up some more pictures when they become available. His very powerful sermon can be found here.
Pope Benedict tried to get the Church's prayer to conform its faith 'lex credendi, lex orandi', Francis seems sadly oblivious to this but what I find exciting is his insistence on 'lex credendi lex vivendi' believing and living. Belief has consequences for our living which so often we forget. He reminds us of the moral consequences of faith, whether it is in conjunction with the Vatican Bank, or the destitute on city streets, the unborn, or here, immigrants on beaches of Lampedusa or their brothers dead in the sea.
God bless our Pope!
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