After greeting thousands of people present in St. Peter's Square in the Popemobile and blessing numerous babies, Pope Leo showed in the Audience their sorrow and prayers for the victims of the natural catastrophe in Sudan.
He also reminded the Pope St. Gregory the Greattoday's liturgical memorial, to the next saints Pier Giorgio Frassati y Carlo Acutiswho will be canonized on Sunday. And he asked, addressing especially the Polish-speaking pilgrims, that "September be a month of prayer for the children and young people who return to school and for those who care for their education."
Let us ask for them, he said, "through the intercession of the Blessed, soon to be saints, Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, the gift of a deep faith in their journey of maturation. I bless you from my heart.
Tragedy of Darfur
Pope Leo XIV has offered his prayers for the deceased following days of heavy rains that triggered a landslide in a remote area of Sudan. And he has prayed for all those involved in the ongoing search and rescue operations.
"His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was deeply saddened to learn of the the devastation caused by the landslide in the village of Tarasin, in the central Darfur region of Sudan, and assures all those affected by this disaster of his spiritual closeness," said a telegram from Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, to Bishop Yunan Tombe Trille Kuku Andali of El Obeid.
Pope Leo today appealed "to those responsible and to the international community to ensure humanitarian corridors and a coordinated response" to stop the humanitarian catastrophe.
At least 1,000 dead
Late on Sept. 1, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Army, a rebel group that controls the area, reported yesterday that the entire village of Tarasin had been buried by the Aug. 31 landslide and that up to 1,000 people were dead, according to OSV. The group claimed that only one person had survived, The Associated Press reported.
The BBC later quoted the UN deputy humanitarian coordinator for Sudan as saying that at least 370 people had died in the landslide in the village, located in the remote Marrah Mountains in western Sudan.
Antoine Gérard, a UN official, told the BBC that because the area was so remote and rugged, it was difficult to know the extent of the damage or the exact number of casualties.
Crucifixion. "I thirst."
In his catechesis, the Pope resumed the cycle of the Jubilee Year, 'Jesus Christ Our Hope', and centered his meditation on the theme 'The Crucifixion. I thirst' (Jn 19:28)".
The thirst of the crucified is not just a physiological question, it is the profound expression of a desire: "Jesus thirsts for love, relationship and communion," he said. "He is not ashamed of having assumed our fragile humanity. He who has given everything, does not hesitate to show himself in need".
Two reflections on power
Further on, he has referred to power on at least two occasions.
On the one hand, he reflected on the gesture of Jesus. "This gesture is an eloquent sign that man is not fulfilled by the force of power, that he is not enough to save himself, but that he is in need of others, that he must learn to open himself trustingly to others. For our love to be authentic, we must not only give it, but receive it. Jesus teaches us to give, but also to receive love".
He also added: "This is the Christian paradox: God saves not by doing, but by allowing himself to be done. Not by overcoming evil with force, but by accepting to the end the weakness of love".
"On the cross, Jesus teaches us that man is not fulfilled in power, but in trusting openness to others, even when they are hostile and enemies. Salvation is not in autonomy, but in humbly recognizing one's own need and knowing how to express it freely".
Pilgrims from many countries
In his words to the French-speaking pilgrims, he especially greeted those from "Senegal, accompanied by their bishop, Bishop Paul Abel Mbamba, and those from Luxembourg and France".
The Pope paid special attention to the list of pilgrims and visitors from English-speaking countries, in whole or in part, who participated in today's audience. In particular the groups from "England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Austria, Denmark, Malta, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Cameroon, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam and the United States of America".
He reminded Spanish-speaking people of "St. Gregory the Great. Let us ask the Lord that in our pilgrimage through this world, through the intercession of this holy Pope, we may be able to recognize with humility our need for God's love and that of our brothers and sisters.
"Let us not forget that only He, the Infinite One, can quench our thirst for the infinite," he reminded those who speak German. As usual, there were also words for the Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic, Polish and, of course, Italian speakers.
