Dear brothers and sisters,

At the beginning of this gathering, I would first of all like to express my gratitude to God for the life and ministry of the Most Reverend Richard Daniel Alarcón Urrutia, Archbishop of Cusco, who worked so hard to make this journey possible and whom I had hoped to meet upon my arrival here. Together with all my brother bishops, I assure you of my prayers for his eternal rest, asking our Lord Jesus Christ to grant him the reward of the righteous, and to all those who mourn his death, the consolation that comes from our faith in the risen Lord.

The beauty of this place that welcomes us this morning is undeniable. Saqsaywaman rises toward the Andean sky like a stone altar, where the ancients climbed in search of the divine. However, our Christian faith has allowed us to understand that in reality, it is God who descends in search of his sons and daughters. God enters a willing heart, asking for a courageous and simple “yes,” like that of the Virgin Mary, who changed the course of history forever.

Indeed, we began our liturgy with the antiphon: “Hail, Holy Mother, who gave birth to the King who rules heaven and earth for ever” (Roman Missal, Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I, In Ordinary Time 1, Entrance Antiphon). The Gospel we have just heard reminds us of Mary’s joy in saying “yes” to the angel to become the Mother of God and to bring Jesus into the world.

Both texts invite us to consider the Virgin Mary as the one who leads us to an encounter with Christ. She awaited him as the Messiah within the setting of a devout family where her parents taught her to pray, to meditate on the word of God and to live according to the law of the Most High. Thus, being attentive to God, she was prepared for the encounter with the Lord, and was able to recognize his voice in the message of the angel, his envoy, and to accept the challenge of a unique mission for the salvation of humanity.

The Lord came to speak to her in her home in Nazareth, in an everyday setting and alongside her loved ones, in an atmosphere full of symbols she knew well, in her own language and through the signs of her culture. This is how God acts. He seeks out the most appropriate ways and moments to draw near to us, so that we may all encounter him, understand his words, be converted, and be saved. Over the course of the millennia, this mystery has been renewed in the most diverse contexts, yet always with the Almighty’s same willingness to make himself small for us, to speak to us and embrace us. One of the most beautiful ways this has happened is through popular piety.

In it, the memory of ancestors, the faith of families, love for Jesus Christ, trust in his Blessed Mother and veneration of the saints are expressed through music, dance, images and many other expressions typical of the history and identity of peoples. A religious festival, a pilgrimage or a procession, therefore, are not merely cultural expressions. Behind every image, song, promise and sign there is a community of hearts seeking God and a friendly voice that responds from heaven and draws near.

It is, therefore, a matter of living out the traditional practices as opportunities for encounter and for proclaiming the Lord, first and foremost in parishes, confraternities and movements. As those who have been evangelized, we are to reach out to the world and are sent to proclaim the risen Christ, ready to bear witness to the joy of knowing the Gospel and living it out in love for God and neighbor. For this reason, Pope Francis defined popular piety as “a true expression of the spontaneous missionary activity of the people of God” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 122), and “the manifestation of a theological life nourished by the working of the Holy Spirit who has been poured into our hearts (cf. Rom 5:5)” (ibid., 125).

However, I would like to focus on another aspect of the Gospel account we have just heard, and that is the communal context in which the mystery of the Annunciation takes place. As we have mentioned, Mary matures in faith by living in a community, and after the Annunciation, she continues to share daily life with her brothers and sisters. Her encounter with God does not isolate her or distance her from others. On the contrary, it makes her the guardian of a gift that grows within her for the good of all, including her fellow citizens and all of humanity. Faith does not separate; rather, it unites us to God and to one another.

This is an important point, especially in an age like ours, which is marked by divisions, wounds, mistrust and situations that make it difficult for men and women to recognize one another as members of the same family, sons and daughters of the same Father.

In this context, religious traditions can be of great help, serving as places where people can come together in the light of faith and love. A procession can make people with different views walk together. A pilgrimage can reunite entire families. A celebration can bring a community together. A patron saint’s festival can become an opportunity to reconcile, ask for forgiveness and start anew. This is a sign that can extend far beyond the boundaries of a small town or region, helping to spread a culture of coexistence, mutual care and peace throughout the world.

That is why I invite you to make these festivals a school of fraternity and charity, where you work, pray, and have fun together — and also care for those in need — so that everyone can be joyful and united before God.

Popular traditions, with their symbols and dynamics, imbued with values of Christian communion and solidarity, are an invaluable treasure trove of good teachings, especially for the younger generations. In this regard, it is important for young people to participate in these activities and for their contributions to be welcomed and valued through listening, cooperation, and, when necessary, adaptation to the times. The future of these traditions lies not only in preserving what has been handed down, but also in passing it on in a living way. Each generation receives a legacy and has the responsibility to pass it on enriched and renewed, without fear of opening new paths and using new tools. Rather, it is important to preserve the essence of formation, for example, by introducing young people to and deepening their understanding of the history of salvation and the lives of the saints, explaining to them the Christian meaning of festive occasions, sharing the word of God with them and teaching them to celebrate the faith in the Church (cf. Francis, Homily at Holy Mass on the Day of the Confraternities and of Popular Piety, 5 May 2013). The goal is to transmit, through traditions, a living experience of the Christian life, which constantly grows and is renewed around the altar, where the Eucharist is the center and source of existence (cf. Lumen Gentium, 11).

On this journey, Mary holds a special place. Popular devotion in Peru is also profoundly Marian. Indeed, this is evident in the Vatican Gardens, where last year I blessed the mosaic depicting the various titles under which Mary accompanies this people, shares in their joys and sorrows and teaches them to hope.

Likewise, this is beautifully expressed in the hymn Hanacpachap, by the missionary Pérez Bocanegra, which praises and invokes the Virgin through poetic metaphors that are both theologically profound and concrete, closely tied to Andean culture and life. This hymn, together with the masterpiece at the Church of Saint Peter the Apostle of Andahuaylillas, and other examples of creative and thoughtful evangelization, shows us how every devotion finds its meaning when it brings everyone together around Jesus and, following in his footsteps, leads them to heaven. That is why I would like to entrust a path of renewal for popular devotion to the Virgin Mary, Queen of Bethlehem, Mother and Protector of Cusco.

In a few moments, united in spirit, we will entrust this path to Our Lady and present the Golden Rose, asking her to keep us in her heart, to grant peace to this land, to give strength to those who suffer and to bestow upon all of us the grace to walk together in the love of her Son. Amen.