(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.