Readings:
36
A Sunday at the end of August to be framed and archived in the annals of history: L’Aquila has jumped to the honors of the national and international news, protagonist of spirituality, elegance and community. After 728 years, the Perdonanza welcomed the Holy Father who, visibly suffering, did not withdraw from the morning’s program. The private helicopter landing had to skid to another location due to intense fog. But Francis is capable of chasing away the clouds and making the sky light up! He arrived aboard a white Fiat 500, seated next to the driver, and waved to the celebrating faithful in a crowded Piazza Duomo. Cardinal Petrocchi, the president of the Marsilio Region, the prefect of L’Aquila Cinzia Teresa Torraco and the mayor Pierluigi Biondi welcomed him. Among the faithful there was also Bruno Vespa, visibly moved: “For me, who are from L’Aquila, very close to the Basilica of S. Maria di Collemaggio, seeing the Pope on the occasion of the Perdonanza was a very strong emotion. A beautiful emotion to see him cross the Holy Door “. Pope francesco visited L’Aquila and he met the relatives of the victims of the earthquake of 6 April underlining the great ability of this people to get up: “You, people of L’Aquila, have shown a resilient character. Rooted in your Christian and civic tradition, it made it possible to withstand the impact of the earthquake and to immediately start the courageous and patient work of reconstruction. C.‘it was all to be rebuilt: the houses, the schools, the churches. But, as you well know, this is done together with the spiritual, cultural and social reconstruction of the civic and ecclesial communities. Personal and collective rebirth is a gift of Grace and is also the fruit of the commitment of each and everyone. You have suffered a lot from the earthquake, and as a people you are trying to get up and get back on your feet. But who has suffered must be able to treasure his own suffering, he must understand that in the darkness experienced he was also given the gift of understanding the pain of others. You can guard the gift of mercy because you know what it means to lose everything, to see what has been built collapse, to leave what was dearest to you, to feel the tearing of the absence of the one you loved. You can keep mercy because you have experienced misery. Now everyone’s commitment is needed, a far-sighted commitment because we are working for the children, for the grandchildren, for the future ”. Emotion and applause in Piazza Duomo at the words of Pope Francis, who concluded his speech by saying “Jemo ‘nnanzi”. Holy Mass began shortly after 10:00: during the Angelus Bergoglio she invokes “Our Lady so that she may obtain forgiveness and peace for the whole world. Let us pray for the Ukrainian people and for all the peoples suffering from wars. May the God of peace revive the human and Christian sense of piety and mercy in the hearts of those in charge of nations ”. And then the most important moment: the Pope, in a wheelchair, arrived in front of the Holy Door in L’Aquila, the first Pontiff in history, to officiate the rite of opening the Holy Door, knocking three times, with the branch of olive tree of Gethsemane, on the door of the portal on the left side of the basilica. The solemn rite of Forgiveness is the perpetual plenary indulgence that Celestine V, on the very evening of his coronation as pontiff, granted to all the faithful of Christ. Before ascending to the papal throne, Pietro Angeleri, this was his secular name, had spent many years of a hermit’s life, especially in a cave on Mount Morrone, above Sulmona, receiving the nickname of Pietro del Morrone from his devotees. . With the rite of the opening of the Holy Door, Pope Francis began the 728th Celestinian Forgiveness, the plenary indulgence that Pope Celestine V granted to those who repent and confessed go to the place of worship from Vespers of 28 August to those of the day. after.
“Open the doors of justice to me”
“I want to enter and give thanks to the Lord”.
“This is the door of the Lord”
“Through it the righteous enter”
“I will enter your house, Lord”
“I will bow down in adoration of your holy temple.”
L’Aquila: Francesco arrives sweeping the clouds from the sky