Pope Francis asked for the intercession of the Holy Spirit in order for the leaders of the nations to open the gates of peace, and he also commemorated the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv in St. Peter's Square on Pentecost Sunday, when the church celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
In his midday speech accompanying the prayer to the Queen of Heaven, the head of the Catholic Church called it the task of the Holy Spirit to restore harmony in opposing situations and conflicts "in hearts, families, society and the whole world" , MTI reports. The Pope asked for the intervention of the Holy Spirit to strengthen communion and brotherhood between the different Christian churches, and for the Holy Spirit to give courage to the leaders of the nations to dialogue, which could lead to the end of wars.
"There are a lot of wars, let's think about Ukraine, above all the city of Kharkiv, which suffered an attack two days ago. Think of the Holy Land, Palestine and Israel. May the Holy Spirit lead the leaders of the nations and all of us to open the gates of peace"
- said Pope Francis.
In the homily of the celebratory mass presented in the morning in St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope said, may the Holy Spirit give us strength to "not give up" the desire for peace.
"Let's continue to talk about peace for those who want war, forgiveness for those who seek revenge, acceptance and solidarity for those who barricade doors and erect barriers, life for those who choose death, respect for those who like to humiliate (others) , of loyalty to one who rejects all ties, confusing freedom with superficial, vague and empty individualism"
said the Pope in his homily.
The head of the church added that the listed values must be represented in such a way that we do not allow ourselves to be intimidated by difficulties, mockery, and possible resistance, which "just as in the past, are not lacking today."
The Pope believed that "we are in great need of hope, we need the prospect of peace, brotherhood, justice, and solidarity. This is the only viable path in life, there is no other," he insisted. He noted that hope is not simply optimism. He compared hope to a shore anchor, to which a person can get out of the water by holding on to a rope attached to the anchor.
In a message to his own church, the Pope stated that the Gospel must be proclaimed in today's world in such a way that "we go beyond not only geographical borders, but also ethnic and religious barriers, for a truly universal mission" . Pope Francis emphasized that everyone should be accepted:
"let's not forget this: everyone, everyone, everyone".
Organist Áron Dóbisz performed in St. Peter's Basilica, and on Saturday he presented a free festive concert in St. Paul's Basilica outside the city walls and in the Gesu Church in the city center. At noon on Pentecost Sunday, thousands of red rose petals were thrown down through the opening in the ceiling of the Roman Pantheon by firefighters as a symbol of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Whit Monday is not considered a red-letter holiday in Italy: it was abolished in 1949 to avoid the congestion of too many spring holidays.
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