- Carol Glatz, Vatican City, CNS
"To live eternally, it is not necessary to cheat death, but to serve life. That is to say, to care for the existence of others in the time we share. This is the supreme law, which is above every social norm," Pope Leo XIV said yesterday in the Angelus in front of thousands of people at Castel Gandolfo.
"Imitating the example of Jesus, the Savior of the world, we too are called to bring consolation and hope, especially to those who are experiencing discouragement and disappointment," added Leo XIV.
The human longing for eternal life
Pope Leo arrived in the small town on the hilltop south of Rome on July 6 for a brief vacation until July 20. He celebrated Mass in the church of St. Thomas of Villanova yesterday, July 13, and then recited the noon prayer from the steps in front of the papal villa under a sky that swung between dark clouds and bright bursts of sunshine.
In his reflection before the prayer, Pope Leo spoke about the human longing for eternal life, that is, "for salvation, for an existence free from failure, evil and death."
"What the heart of man hopes for is described as a good that is "inherited". It is not a matter of conquering it by force, nor of imploring it as servants, nor of obtaining it by contract. Eternal life, which God alone can give, is transmitted to man in inheritance as from father to son."
Doing God's will
"That is why Jesus tells us that, to receive God's gift, we must do his will," the Pope said, which is to love "the Lord your God with all your heart" and "your neighbor as yourself."
"God's will is the law of life that the Father himself was the first to follow, loving us unconditionally in his Son Jesus," Pope Leo said.
Jesus "shows us the meaning of authentic love for God and for others," he said. "It is a love that is generous, not possessive; a love that forgives without question; a love that reaches out and never abandons others."
"In Christ, God became a neighbor to each and every man and woman. That is why each of us can and must become a neighbor to everyone we meet," he said.
By opening our hearts to God's will, he said, "we will become artisans of peace all the days of our lives".
Numerous groups in the square
After greeting the many groups present in the square, including members of the pastoral community of Santísimo Agustín de Tarano from Colegio S. Augustin in Chiclayo, Peru, the Pope shook hands with several special guests who were standing by the wooden barricades between the entrance of the villa and the square.
It was the first Angelus address at the summer villa of Pope Leo, who returned to the tradition of taking a summer break at the villa of Castel Gandolfo.
Pope Francis, on the other hand, had spent his summers residing in the Vatican and had addressed only one Angelus from the papal villa on July 14, 2013.
Instead of giving the blessing from the villa's balcony, like his predecessors, Pope Francis had addressed the crowd at street level from the villa's open front door. The Pope Leo did the same.
"Dear brothers and sisters, I am pleased to be with you here in Castel Gandolfo," Pope Leo said to great applause. He greeted those present and thanked "everyone for your warm welcome."
After the Angelus: praying for those affected by the war
During the summer months, numerous initiatives are carried out with children and young people, and I would like to thank the educators and animators who dedicate themselves to this service, the Pope said. In this context, he recalled "the important initiative of the 'Giffoni Film festival', which brings together young people from all over the world and which this year will be dedicated to the theme 'Becoming Human'".
"Brothers and sisters," the Pope appealed, "let us not forget to pray for peace and for all those who, because of violence and war, find themselves in a situation of suffering and need."
Beatification of a Marist Brother in Barcelona
Yesterday, in Barcelona, was beatified Licarione May (whose given name was Francesco Beniamino), a friar of the Institute of the Marist Brothers of the Schools, killed in 1909 for hatred of the faith, the Pope said.
"In the midst of hostile circumstances, he lived his educational and pastoral mission with dedication and courage. May the heroic witness of this martyr be an encouragement to all, particularly to those who work in the education of young people."
Jesus did not ignore the needy, and neither did Christians.
Prior to the Angelus, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in the small church of St. Thomas of Villanova, just across the main square of the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo.
In its homily the Pope focused on the day's Gospel reading from the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Good Samaritan met the wounded man who had been walking along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, Pope Leo said.
Today, that road is "traveled by all those people who are dispossessed, robbed and plundered, victims of tyrannical political systems, of an economy that forces them into poverty and of wars that kill their dreams and their very lives," he added.
To follow Christ is to learn to have a heart that is touched
"What do we do: do we look around and walk, or do we open our hearts to others, like the Samaritan? Are we sometimes content simply to do our duty, or to consider as our neighbors only those who are part of our group, who think like us, who share our same nationality or religion?" asked Pope Leo.
"To believe in and follow a loving and compassionate Christ is to allow him to enter one's heart and take on one's own feelings," Leo XIV explained. "It means learning to have a heart that is moved, eyes that see and do not look away, hands that help others and soothe their wounds, shoulders that bear the burden of those in need."
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This chronicle is a translation of the original information that you can find here. here.
