POPE CELEBRATES PENTECOST WITH MASSIVE RALLY AND MASS
(June 5, 2006): Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday celebrated the feast of Pentecost with
a colourful solemn Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter's Square, marking the universality
of the Catholic Church. The open air Mass commemorating the descent of the Holy
Spirit on Christ’s disciples and the Virgin Mary, was characterized by prayers in
Spanish, German, Russian and Polish while Mexicans, Africans of Burkina Faso, Chinese,
Italians and Samoans led the offertory procession. The crowd of more than 40,000
people filling the sun-splashed square waved American, Brazilian, Canadian, Bavarian,
German, Ukrainian, Russian and Polish flags. Many of those present had taken part
in the previous day’s massive Pentecost vigil service in the same square with the
Pope. Pope Benedict’s homily during the Mass of Pentecost emphasized the gift
of the Holy Spirit that frees people from confusion and leads them to communion beyond
boundaries of race, culture, space and time. He said that “The pride and egoism of
man always create divisions and build walls of indifference, of hate and of violence.
The Holy Spirit, on the contrary, makes hearts capable of understanding the languages
of all, because it re-establishes the bridge of authentic communion between Earth
and Heaven.” To tackle its mission in the world, the Pope said, the Church must receive
the Spirit by “staying together” and by praying. Effective missionary work calls
for careful planning and intelligent implementation through concrete commitment on
our part, but above all, the Pope said, it is the Lord’s Spirit that is the true protagonist
of the Church. At the midday Regina Caeli prayer at the end of the Mass, the
Pope lent support to the June 4th Cancer Survivors’ Day, saying: “I give
assurance of my prayers and express appreciation for the support of sick people and
for solidarity in facing difficult moments together – sick people, relatives, and
volunteers”. Cancer Survivors Day is observed throughout the world on the first
Sunday in June, to demonstrate that life after a cancer diagnosis can be a reality.
The previous day, Saturday, Pope Benedict celebrated the vigil of Pentecost with
one of the largest crowds of his pontificate and urged young people to shun drugs
and "false freedoms". An estimated 400,000 people belonging to some 100 international
Church movements and groups thronged St. Peter’s Square and surrounding streets and
areas bring traffic to a standstill. It was the largest crowd around the Vatican
since April 2005, the month that included the death of Pope John Paul, his funeral
and Pope Benedict's election and inaugural mass. In his homily ending the rally,
Pope Benedict urged participants, most of them young, to avoid "false freedoms that
destroy the environment and man". Condemning abortion, he urged them to defend the
unborn and seek true meaning in life. “When one tries to be the master of life,
it becomes more empty, poorer; one easily winds up seeking refuge in drugs, in the
great illusion ..." he added.