SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST

POPE FRANCIS

REGINA CÆLI

Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 4 June 2017

[Multimedia]

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today, on the feast of Pentecost, my Message is being published for the next World Mission Day, which is celebrated every year in the month of October. The theme is: ‘Mission at the heart of the Christian faith’. May the Holy Spirit support the mission of the Church throughout the world and strengthen all men and women missionaries of the Gospel. May the Spirit grant peace to the whole world, heal the wounds of war and terrorism, which, again last night, struck innocent civilians in London: let us pray for the victims and their families.

I greet all of you, pilgrims from Italy and from many parts of the world who have participated in this celebration. In particular, the groups of Catholic Charismatic Renewal, celebrating the 50th anniversary since its foundation, and also the brothers and sisters of other Christian confessions who join in our prayers. I greet the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians from Latin American countries.

I greet and thank the choir and the youth orchestra of Carpi who, in collaboration with the Sistine Chapel Choir, performed several hymns during this Holy Mass.

Let us now invoke the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary. May she obtain for us the grace to be robustly enlivened by the Holy Spirit, so as to bear witness to Christ with evangelical frankness