Final preparations are underway in Ajaccio, which on Sunday will embrace the Successor of Peter, the first Pope to visit the French island at the heart of the Mediterranean.
This Apostolic Journey takes place during Advent and on the eve of the opening of the Holy Year These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority. Cardinal Parolin: With his presence in Ajaccio, the Pope intends to remind us precisely of this call and responsibility, which the local Church—Bishop, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and all those involved at various levels of ecclesial life—will find ways to translate into concrete gestures and actions.
To me, it seems that practical choices should be inspired by those three fundamental attitudes mentioned by Saint Paul, which are characteristic of the life and testimony of Christians in the world: acting with sobriety, justice, and piety. Q: The Pope will close the conference on popular religiosity in the Mediterranean, attended by bishops from various nations. It is a unique opportunity for dialogue and unity. What fruits do you expect from this meeting, which involves a faith rooted in tradition yet open to evangelization?
And how important popular devotion is to him! These two guiding principles are the foundation of the conference, and it is on these two points that it aims to bear fruit. Let me recall—regarding popular devotion—what the Holy Father writes in the chapter on proclaiming the Gospel in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium nos. He tells us that popular piety is a powerful force for evangelization, hiding a deep faith expressed more symbolically than rationally but still with profound theological content.
Ultimately, Pope Francis invites us to see in a mother praying the rosary for her sick child, in processions and pilgrimages, in spontaneous prayers to the saints or the crucifix, in the devotion to the Madonna at a shrine Q: At the end of his visit, the Pope is expected to meet with French President Macron at the airport. What issues do you think might come up during their conversation, considering the perspective of building bridges and fraternity during such a complex and conflictual historical moment?
