ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
TO PILGRIMS FROM EL SALVADOR
Monday, 15 October 2018
Paul VI Audience Hall
Dear brothers and sisters:
Good morning and thank you
very much for being here. The canonization of Bishop Oscar Romero, a
distinguished pastor of the American continent, allows me to meet with all of
you who have come to Rome to venerate him and, at the same time, to express
your attachment and closeness to the Successor of Peter.
I greet in first of all my brothers
in the Episcopate, the bishops of El Salvador, who have come to Rome
accompanied by their priests and faithful. Saint Oscar Romero knew how to
incarnate with perfection the image of the good Shepherd who gives his life for
his sheep. Therefore, and even more so since his canonization, you can find in
him an “example and a stimulus” in the ministry entrusted to you. An example of
predilection for those most in need of God’s mercy and a stimulus to witness
Christ’s love and care for the Church, knowing how to coordinate the action of
each one of her members and collaborating with the other particular Churches
with collegial affection. May the Saint Bishop Romero help you to be for all
signs of that unity in the plurality that characterizes the holy People of God.
I also greet with special
affection the many priests and men and women religious present here. You, who
feel called to live a Christian commitment inspired by the style of the new
saint, become worthy of his teachings, being above all "servants of the
priestly people", in the vocation to which Jesus, the only and eternal
priest, has called. Saint Oscar Romero saw the priest placed in the middle of
two great abysses: that of the infinite mercy of God and that of the infinite
misery of men (see Homily during the priestly ordination, December 10, 1977).
Dear brothers, work tirelessly to give channel to that infinite longing of God
to forgive men who repent of their misery, and to open the hearts of their
brothers to the tenderness of God's love, also through the prophetic
denunciation of the evils of the world.
I would also like to extend
a cordial greeting to the numerous pilgrims who have come to Rome to
participate in this canonization, from El Salvador and other Latin American
countries. The message of Saint Oscar Romero is addressed to all without
exception. He repeated strongly that every Catholic must be a martyr, because
martyr means witness, that is, a witness of God’s message to men (see Homily on
the First Sunday of Advent, 27 November 1977). God wants to be present in our
lives, and calls us to announce His message of freedom to all humanity. Only in
Him can we be free: free from sin, from evil, from hatred in our hearts, free
to love and welcome the Lord and our brothers and sisters. A true freedom
already on earth, which through care for the real man awakens in every heart
the hope of salvation.
We are well aware that this
is not easy, which is why we need the support of prayer. We need to be united
with God and in communion with the Church. Saint Oscar tells us that without
God, and without the ministry of the Church, this is not possible. On one
occasion, he referred to confirmation as to the “sacrament of martyrs” (Homily,
5 December 1977). And without “that force of the Holy Spirit, which the early
Christians received from their bishops, from the Pope ... they would not have
stood the test of persecution; they would not have died for Christ” (ibid.).
Let us bring to our prayer
these prophetic words, asking God for His strength in the daily struggle so
that, if necessary, “we too are willing to give our lives for Christ” (ibid.).
From here I send my greeting
to all the Holy People of God who are on pilgrimage in El Salvador and who are
full of joy today at seeing one of their children in the honour of the altars.
Its people have a living faith expressed in different forms of popular
religiosity and that shapes their social and family life. However, the
difficulties and the scourge of division and war have not been lacking; violence
has been felt strongly in its recent history. A number of Salvadorans have had
to leave their land looking for a better future. The memory of Saint Oscar
Romero is an exceptional opportunity to send a message of peace and
reconciliation to all the peoples of Latin America. The people loved Archbishop Romero; the
People of God loved him. And do you know why? Because the People of God know
how to sniff out very well where there is holiness. And here among you, I would
have to thank so many people, all the people who accompanied him, who followed
him, who were close to him. But how do I do that? Therefore I chose a person, a
person who was very close to him, and accompanied him and followed him; a very
humble person from the people: Angelita Morales. In her I place the
representation of the People of God. I would ask Angelita if she can come up
[applause and songs as Mrs. Morales approaches].
Together with all of you,
joining with your joy, I ask Mary, Queen of Peace, to take tender care of El
Salvador, and our Lord to bless His people with the caress of His mercy. And,
please; —Did all of you pay entrance to come in here, or not? [They respond: “No!”] —Well, now you're going to have to pay, and the price is that you pray for me. We pray to the Virgin before
receiving the blessing. Hail Mary ... Saint Oscar Romero
[R: Pray for us], and may God Almighty bless you ...
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