Visit of the Holy Father Francis in the Anglican Communion in the Church "All Saints '' of Rome

I wish to thank you for your gracious invitation to celebrate this parish anniversary with you. More than two hundred years have passed since the first public Anglican liturgy was held in Rome for a group of Inglese residents in this part of the city. A great deal has changed in Rome and in the world since then. In the course of These two centuries, much has changed Also between Anglicans and Catholics, who in the past viewed each other with suspicion and hostility. Today, with gratitude to God, we Recognize one another as we truly are: brothers and sisters in Christ, through our common baptism. As friends and pilgrims we wish to walk the path together, to follow our Lord Jesus Christ together.

You have invited me to bless the new icon of Christ the Saviour. Christ looks at us, and his gaze upon us is one of salvation, of love and compassion. It is the same merciful gaze Which pierced the hearts of the Apostles, who left the past behind and Began a journey of new life, in order to follow and proclaim the Lord. In this sacred image, as Jesus looks upon us, he Also Seems to call out to us, to make an appeal to us: "Are you ready to leave everything from your past for me? Do you want to make known my love, my mercy? "

His gaze of divine mercy is the source of the whole Christian ministry. The Apostle Paul says this to us, through His words to the Corinthians Which We have just heard. He writes: "Having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart" (2 Cor 4: 1). Our ministry flows forth from the mercy of God, Which sustains our ministry and Prevents it losing its vigor.

Saint Paul did not always have an easy relationship with the community at Corinth, as His letters show. Also there was a painful visit to this community, with heated words Exchanged in writing. But this passage Paul shows Overcoming past differences. By living His ministry in the light of mercy received, he does not give up in the face of divisions, but devotes himself to reconciliation. When we, the community of baptized Christians, find ourselves Confronted with disagreements and turn towards the merciful face of Christ to overcome it, it is reassuring to know That we are doing as Saint Paul did in one of the very first Christian communities.

How does Saint Paul grapple with this task, where does he begin? With humility, Which is not only a beautiful virtue, but a question of identity. Paul sees himself as a servant, not proclaiming himself but Christ Jesus the Lord (v. 5). And he carries out this service, this ministry according to Functional the mercy shown him (v. 1): not on the basis of His ability, nor by relying on His own strength, but by trusting That God is watching over him and sustaining His weakness with mercy. Becoming humble means drawing attention away from oneself, Recognizing one's dependence on God as a beggar of mercy: this is the starting point So THAT God may work in us. A past president of the World Council of Churches Christian evangelization described as "a beggar telling another beggar where he can find bread." I believe Saint Paul would approve. He grasped the repute he was "fed by mercy" and That His priority was to share His bread with others: the joy of being loved by the Lord, and of loving him.

This is our most precious good, our treasure, and it is in this context That Paul Introduces one of His most famous images, one we can all apply to ourselves: "we have this treasure in earthen vessels" (v. 7). We are but earthen vessels, yet we keep within US the greatest treasure in the world. The Corinthians Knew Well that it was foolish to preserve something precious in earthen vessels, Which were inexpensive but cracked easily. Keeping something valuable in them meant running the risk of losing it. Paul, a graced sinner, humbly Recognized That he was fragile, just like an earthen vessel. But he experienced and Knew That it was there PRECISELY That human misery opens itself to God's merciful action; the Lord performs wonders. That is how the "extraordinary power" works of God (v. 7).

Trusting in this humble power, Paul serves the Gospel. Speaking of some of His Adversaries in Corinth, he calls them "super apostles" (2 Cor 24:11), perhaps, and with a certain irony, Because They had him Criticized For His weaknesses even as they Considered Themselves observant, even perfect. Paul, on the other hand, teaches That only in Realizing we are weak earthen vessels, sinners always in need of mercy, the treasure of God can be poured into us and through us upon others. Otherwise, we will Merely be full of our treasures, Which are corrupted and spoiled in seemingly beautiful vessels. If we Recognize our weakness and ask for forgiveness, then the healing mercy of God will shine in us and will be visible To Those outside; others will notice in some way, through us, the gentle beauty of Christ's face.

At a certain point, perhaps in the most difficult moment with the community in Corinth, the Apostle Paul canceled a visit he had planned to make there, Also the foregoing offerings he would have received from them (2 Cor 1: 15-24). Though Tensions Existed in Their fellowship, These did not have the final word. The relationship was restored and Paul received the offering for the care of the Church in Jerusalem. The Christians in Corinth once again took up Their Work, together with the other communities Which Paul visited, to sustain Those in need. This is a powerful sign of communion Renewed. The Work That your community is carrying out together with other Inglese-speaking communities here in Rome can be viewed in this light. True, solid communion grows and is built up When people work together for Those in need. Through a united witness to charity, the merciful face of Jesus is made visible in our city.

As Catholics and Anglicans, we are humbly grateful That, after centuries of mutual mistrust, we are now incendio Recognize That fruitful the grace of Christ is at work anche in others. We thank the Lord That among Christians the desire has grown for greater closeness, Which is manifested in our praying together and in our common witness to the Gospel, above all in our various forms of service. At times, progress on our journey towards full communion may Seem slow and uncertain, but today we can be ENCOURAGED by our gathering. For the first time, a Bishop of Rome is visiting your community. It is a grace And Also in responsibility: the responsibility of Strengthening our ties, to the praise of Christ, in the service of the Gospel and of this city.

Let us Encourage one another to become ever blackberries faithful disciples of Jesus, always blackberries liberated from our Respective Prejudices from the past and ever blackberries desirous to pray for and with others. A good sign of this desire is the "twinning" taking place today between your parish of All Saints and All Saints Catholic parish. May the saints of every Christian confession, fully united in the Jerusalem above, open for us here below-the-way to all the possible paths of a fraternal and shared Christian journey. Where we are united in the name of Jesus, he is there (cf. Mt 18:20), and turning His merciful gaze towards us, he calls us to devote ourselves fully in the cause of unity and love. May the face of God shine upon you, your families and this entire community!

Question: During our liturgies, many people come into our church and wonder why "it seems a Catholic church!". Many Catholics have heard of King Henry VIII, but are unaware of Anglican traditions and ecumenical progress of this half-century. What would you like to tell them about the relationship between Catholics and Anglicans today?

Pope's answer: True, the relationship between Catholics and Anglicans today is good, we love each other like brothers! It is true that in history there are bad things everywhere, and "tear a" piece of history and take it like a ' "icon" of [our] relationship is not right. A historical fact is to be read in the hermeneutics of the time, not with another hermeneutics. And now reports are good, I said. They went well, from the primate visiting Michael Ramsey, and even more ... But even in the saints, we have a common tradition of the saints that your pastor wanted to emphasize. And never, ever the two Churches, the two traditions have denied the saints, the Christians who have lived the Christian witness to that point. And this is important. But there have also been reports of brotherhood in bad times, in difficult times, where they were so mixed up political power, economic, religious, where there was one rule "cuius regio eius religio" but in those days there were some relationships.

I have known in Argentina an old Jesuit, elder, I was young he was old, his father Guillermo Furlong Cardiff, born in the city of Rosario, the English family; and he was an altar boy as a kid - he's Catholic, Catholic English family - he was an altar boy in Rosario in the funeral of Queen Victoria, in the Anglican church. Even back then there was this report. And the relations between Catholics and Anglicans are reports - do not know if historically you can say so, but it is a figure that will help us to think - two steps forward, half step back, two steps forward, half step back ... It 's so. They are human. And we must continue in this.

There is another thing that has kept the strong connection between our religious traditions: there are monks and monasteries. And the monks, both Catholic and Anglican, is a great spiritual force of our traditions.

It reports, as I would say, are improved even more, and I like it, this is good. "But we do not do all the same things ...". But we walk together, we go together. For now it's okay. Every day has its concerns. I do not know, this is to say to me. Thank you.

Question: His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, has warned about the risk, in ecumenical dialogue, to give priority to social action collaboration rather than follow the path more demanding theological agreement. Apparently, she seems to prefer the opposite, ie "walk and work" together to achieve the goal of Christian unity. True?

Pope's answer: I do not know the context in which Pope Benedict has said this, I do not know, so it is a bit 'hard for me, I'm embarrassed to answer ... He wanted to say this or not ... Perhaps it may have been in a conversation with the theologians ... But I'm not sure. Both these things are important. This certainly. Which of the two has the priority? ... And on the other hand there is the famous line of the Patriarch Athenagoras - which is true, because I asked the question to Patriarch Bartholomew and told me: "That's true" -, when he said to Blessed Pope Paul VI: "we make unity between us, and all theologians put them on an island because they think!". It was a joke, but I was, historically true, because I doubted but Patriarch Bartholomew told me that it is true. But what is the core of this, because I believe that what Pope Benedict said is true: you must look for the theological dialogue to also look for the roots ..., on the Sacraments ... on so many things on which we do not yet agree .. . But this can not be done in the laboratory: you have to make walking along the road. We are on the way and on the way we do these discussions. Theologians do them. But in the meantime we help us, us, with each other, in our need, in our lives, we help spiritually also. For example in twinning it was the fact of studying Scripture together, and help each other in the service of charity, in the service of the poor, in hospitals, wars ... It 's so important, so important that. One can not help ecumenical dialogue still. No. The ecumenical dialogue is done on the way, because the ecumenical dialogue is a journey, and the theological things are discussed on the way. I think this does not betray the mind of Pope Benedict, even the reality of the ecumenical dialogue. So I understand it. If I knew the context in which it was said that expression, perhaps I would say otherwise, but that's what I feel like saying.

Question: The All Saints church began with a group of British faithful, but it is now an international congregation with people from different countries. In some regions of Africa, Asia or the Pacific, ecumenical relations between the churches are better and more creative than here in Europe. What can we learn from the example of the Southern churches in the world?

Pope's answer: Thank you. It's true. The young Churches have a different vitality, because they are young. And they are looking for a way to express themselves differently. For example, a liturgy here in Rome, or do you think in London or Paris, it is not the same as a liturgy in your country, where the liturgical ceremony, Catholic as well, is expressed with a joy, with dance and its many different forms those young Churches. The young Churches have more creativity; and at the beginning here in Europe was the same: they were trying .... When you read, for example, in the Didache, as it was the Eucharist, the encounter among Christians, there was a great creativity. Then growing, growing Church is well established, it has grown at an adulthood. But the young churches have more vitality and also have the need to work together, a strong need. For example, I'm studying, my staff are investigating the possibility of a trip to South Sudan. Because? Because the bishops have come, the Anglican, the Presbyterian and Catholic, three of them told me: "Please come to South Sudan, only one day, but not to be alone, to be with Justin Welby," that is with the Archbishop of Canterbury. From them, the young Church, came up with this creativity. And we're thinking if you can do, if the situation is too bad over there ... But we have to do because they, the three together want peace, and they work together for peace ... There is a very interesting anecdote. When the Blessed Paul VI made the beatification of the martyrs of Uganda - young Church - among the martyrs - were catechists, all young people - some were Catholics and other Anglicans, and all were martyred by the king himself, in hatred of the faith and because they did not want to follow the proposals of the king dirty. And Paul VI found himself embarrassed because he said: "I have to beatify the ones and the others, they are martyrs the one and the other." But, at that time the Catholic Church, it was not so much can do that thing. There had just been the Council ... But this young Church today celebrates the one and the other together; Paul VI in his homily, in speech, in the Mass of beatification wanted to nominate catechists Anglican martyrs of the faith at the same level of Catholic catechists. This makes him a young Church. The young Churches have courage, because they are young; like all young people have more courage to us ... not so young!

And then, my experience. I was a close friend of the Anglicans in Buenos Aires, because the rear side of the Merced parish was communicating with the Anglican cathedral. I was a close friend of Bishop Gregory Venables, a close friend. But there is another experience: in northern Argentina are the Anglican missions with the Aborigines and the Catholic missions with the Aborigines, and the Anglican bishop and a Catholic bishop beyond work together, and teach. And when people can not go on Sunday to the Catholic celebration goes to the Anglican Church, and Anglicans go to the Catholic, because they do not want to spend Sunday without a celebration; and work together. And here the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith knows. And do charity together. And the two bishops are friends, and the two communities have been friends.

I think this is a wealth that our young Churches can bring to Europe and to the Churches that have a great tradition. And they give us the strength of a tradition very, very accurate and very thought out. It 's easier, it is true, ecumenism in the young Churches. It's true. But I think - and back to the second question - is perhaps the most solid theological research ecumenism in a more mature Church, most aged in the research, the study of history, theology, liturgy, as is the Church in Europe. And I think we would do well, for both churches: from here, from Europe to send some seminarians do pastoral experiences in the young Churches, you learn so much. They are, from the young churches, studying in Rome, at least Catholics, we know. But send them to see, to learn from the young churches would be a great wealth in the sense that you have said. It 's easier ecumenism there, it is easier, which is not to say superficial, no, it's not superficial. They do not negotiate the faith and identity. Quell'aborigeno tells you in northern Argentina: "I am an Anglican." But there's the bishop, there is the pastor, the Rev. there ... "I want to praise God on Sunday and go to the Catholic Cathedral", and vice versa. They are riches of the young Churches. I do not know, this is to say to me.

And I think we would do well, for both churches: from here, from Europe to send some seminarians do pastoral experiences in the young Churches, you learn so much. They are, from the young churches, studying in Rome, at least Catholics, we know. But send them to see, to learn from the young churches would be a great wealth in the sense that you have said. It 's easier ecumenism there, it is easier, which is not to say superficial, no, it's not superficial. They do not negotiate the faith and identity. Quell'aborigeno tells you in northern Argentina: "I am an Anglican." But there's the bishop, there is the pastor, the Rev. there ... "I want to praise God on Sunday and go to the Catholic Cathedral", and vice versa. They are riches of the young Churches. I do not know, this is to say to me.

Pope Francis: “Let us Encourage one another to become ever blackberries faithful disciples of Jesus, always blackberries liberated from our Respective Prejudices from the past and ever blackberries desirous to pray for and with others.”

I didn’t realize that Pope Francis thinks he is a blackberry. Learn something new every day!

Poor thing. Is he around the bend, by now. Seminary exchanges with protestants are next, and blackberries..... (Sigh)

"...much has changed Also between Anglicans and Catholics, who in the past viewed each other with suspicion and hostility." I am a convert from ECUSA to RC, and I view the Anglicans with "suspicion and hostility." It's one reason why I left.

Just kidding. Sort of.

Re #4 "...much has changed Also between Anglicans and Catholics, who in the past viewed each other with suspicion and hostility." I am a convert from ECUSA to RC, and I view the Anglicans with "suspicion and hostility." It's one reason why I left. Just kidding. Sort of. Rock on, Billy...

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