Brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

On the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, we contemplate the mystery of unity and communion with the Church of Rome, called to be the mother who cares for the journey of faith of Christians throughout the world.

The Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the seat of Peter’s successor, as we know, is not only a work of extraordinary historical, artistic and religious value, but it also represents the driving force of the faith entrusted to and preserved by the Apostles, and its transmission throughout history.  The greatness of this mystery also shines forth in the artistic splendor of the building, which in its central nave houses the twelve large statues of the Apostles, the first followers of Christ and witnesses of the Gospel.

This points to a spiritual perspective, which helps us to go beyond the external appearance, to understand that the mystery of the Church is much more than a simple place, a physical space, a building made of stones.  In reality, as the Gospel reminds us in the episode of Jesus’ purification of the Temple in Jerusalem (cf. Jn 2:13-22), the true sanctuary of God is Christ who died and rose again.  He is the only mediator of salvation, the only Redeemer, the One who, by uniting himself with our humanity and transforming us with his love, represents the door (cf. Jn 10:9) that opens wide for us and leads us to the Father.

United with him, we too are living stones of this spiritual edifice (cf. 1 Pet 2:4-5).  We are the Church of Christ, his body, his members called to spread his Gospel of mercy, consolation and peace throughout the world, through that spiritual worship that must shine forth above all in our witness of life.

Brothers and sisters, we must train our hearts to have this spiritual outlook.  So often, the frailties and mistakes of Christians, together with many clichés and prejudices, prevent us from grasping the richness of the mystery of the Church.  Her holiness, in fact, is not dependent upon our merits, but in the “gift of the Lord, never retracted,” that continues to choose “as the vessel of its presence, with a paradoxical love, the dirty hands of men” (J. Ratzinger, Introduction to Christianity, Brescia (2005), 331).

Let us walk then in the joy of being the holy People that God has chosen, and let us invoke Mary, Mother of the Church, to help us welcome Christ and accompany us with her intercession.

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After the Angelus:

Dear brothers and sisters,

I express my closeness to the people of the Philippines who have been hit by a violent typhoon: I pray for the deceased and their families, as well as for the injured and displaced.

Today, the Church in Italy celebrates Thanksgiving Day.  I join the Bishops in encouraging responsible care for the land, combating food waste, and adopting sustainable agricultural practices. Let us thank God for “our sister Mother Earth” (Saint Francis, Canticle of the Creatures) and for those who cultivate and protect her!

I warmly greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from Italy and many parts of the world, especially the young Polish Jesuits, the faithful from Warsaw and Gdansk in Poland, Newark and Kearny in the United States of America, Toledo and Galapagar in Spain, and London, as well as the choir of the Regensburger Domspatzen.

I greet the members of Catholic Action of the Archdiocese of Genoa and the parish groups of Cava Manara, Mede, Vibo Marina, Sant’Arcangelo di Potenza, Noto, Pozzallo and Avola, Cesenatico, Mercato San Severino, Crespano del Grappa and Noventa Padovana.  I greet the group Manfestazioni Storiche of Lazio and the volunteers of the Food Bank, who will be collecting food next Saturday, on the eve of World Day of the Poor.

I express my heartfelt appreciation for all those who, at every level, are committed to building peace in the various regions affected by war.  In these last few days, we have prayed for the dead and among these, unfortunately, are many who were killed in combat and bombings, even though they were civilians, children, elderly, or sick people.  If we truly want to honor their memory, we must stop the wars and put all of our efforts into negotiations.

I wish all of you a blessed Sunday.