Pope’s Sunday visit to Tuscany

(May 14, 2012) Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday visited two Italian towns in Tuscany region and called upon every Catholic to play a full part in renewing today’s culture. “Be ferment in society, be present as Christians, be active and coherent,” said the Pope during a morning Mass in the small Tuscan town of Arezzo. “The whole Church,” he said, “is sent out into the world to preach the Gospel and salvation. But it is always God’s initiative; he calls us to different ministries, so that each one plays his proper role for the common good.” Pope Benedict made a day-long visit to the Arezzo and Sansepolcro. He was also to visit the Chapel of the Wounds in La Verna, where St. Francis of Assisi received the stigmata in the year 1224, but the trip was cancelled due to bad weather. During the mass in Arezzo, the Holy Father suggested that an invitation to live God’s love towards all people should see a new Christian culture embody “distinctive values” including “solidarity, attention to the weak, respect for the dignity of all.” This is particularly manifested, he said, in the “defence of human life, from its beginning to its natural end” and “the defence of the family, through laws that are just and protect the weakest elements.” With Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti in the congregation at the Mass, the Pope offered the “shining witness of St. Francis” of Assisi as a guide to how Christians should cope with the current economic downturn in Italy and beyond. “Since the remotest times, attention to others has moved the Church to show concrete signs of solidarity with those in need, sharing resources, promoting simpler lifestyles, going against an ephemeral culture which has disappointed many and determined a profound spiritual crisis,” he said. At the conclusion of Mass the Pope recited the Eastertide ‘Regina Coeli’ Marian prayer and prayed that each pilgrim would continue serving God and man according to the teaching of Jesus. He urged Christians not to give in to the temptation of discouragement, saying the Mother of the Church always wants to comfort her children at times of great difficulty and suffering. Later in the day the Pope went to Sansepolcro where visited the famous crucifix known as the Holy Face, before returning to the Vatican Sunday evening.