Pope Francis in the Philippines: His Speeches and Homilies

Transcripción

Pope Francis in the
Philippines: His Speeches and
Homilies
January 15 – 19, 2015
Contents
Pope Francis's First Address in Philippines ...............................................................2
Pope Francis's Homily during the Manila Cathedral Mass .......................................5
Pope Francis's Message to Families at the MOA Arena............................................8
Pope Francis's Homily, Holy Mass in Tacloban ......................................................13
Pope Francis's Undelivered Homily, Holy Mass at Tacloban airport .....................17
Undelivered Speech: Pope Thanks Yolanda Volunteers .........................................19
Pope Francis's Message, Youth Encounter, UST ....................................................22
Pope Francis's Undelivered Speech, UST Youth Encounter ...................................29
Pope Francis's Homily, Mass at Luneta ...................................................................32
PRAYER FOR THE POPE .....................................................................................34
Pope Francis's First Address in Philippines
(philstar.com) | Updated January 16, 2015 - 11:41am
Pope Francis approaches the Manila Cathedral on Friday, welcomed by thousands of well-wishers who have
camped out for the night. The pope was to celebate Mass with the clergy and the religious in the historic church
in Manila. RP Ocampo
The text below is Pope Francis' address before President Benigno Aquino III, the diplomatic corps and
government officials at the Malacañan Palace on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank you, Mr President, for your kind welcome and for your words of greeting in the name of the
authorities and people of the Philippines, and the distinguished members of the Diplomatic Corps. I am
most grateful for your invitation to visit the Philippines. My visit is above all pastoral. It comes as the
Church in this country is preparing to celebrate the fifth centenary of the first proclamation of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ on these shores.
The Christian message has had an immense influence on Filipino culture. It is my hope that this important
anniversary will point to its continuing fruitfulness and its potential to inspire a society worthy of the
goodness, dignity and aspirations of the Filipino people.
In a particular way, this visit is meant to express my closeness to our brothers and sisters who endured the
suffering, loss and devastation caused by Typhoon Yolanda.
Together with many people throughout the world, I have admired the heroic strength, faith and resilience
demonstrated by so many Filipinos in the face of this natural disaster, and so many others. Those virtues,
rooted not least in the hope and solidarity instilled by Christian faith, gave rise to an outpouring of
goodness and generosity, especially on the part of so many of the young. In that moment of national
crisis, countless people came to the aid of their neighbors in need. At great sacrifice, they gave of their
time and resources, creating networks of mutual help and working for the common good.
This example of solidarity in the work of rebuilding teaches us an important lesson. Like a family, every
society draws on its deepest resources in order to face new challenges. Today the Philippines, together
with many other countries in Asia, faces the challenge of building on solid foundations a modern society
– a society respectful of authentic human values, protective of our Godgiven human dignity and rights,
and ready to confront new and complex political and ethical questions.
As many voices in your nation have pointed out, it is now, more than ever, necessary that political leaders
be outstanding for honesty, integrity and commitment to the common good. In this way they will help
preserve the rich human and natural resources with which God has blessed this country. Thus will they be
able to marshall the moral resources needed to face the demands of the present, and to pass on to coming
generations a society of authentic justice, solidarity and peace. Essential to the attainment of these
national goals is the moral imperative of ensuring social justice and respect for human dignity.
The great biblical tradition enjoins on all peoples the duty to hear the voice of the poor. It bids us break
the bonds of injustice and oppression which give rise to glaring, and indeed scandalous, social
inequalities. Reforming the social structures which perpetuate poverty and the exclusion of the poor first
requires a conversion of mind and heart. The Bishops of the Philippines have asked that this year be set
aside as the "Year of the Poor."
I hope that this prophetic summons will challenge everyone, at all levels of society, to reject every form
of corruption which diverts resources from the poor, and to make concerted efforts to ensure the inclusion
of every man and woman and child in the life of the community.
A fundamental role in the renewal of society is played, of course, by the family and especially by young
people. A highlight of my visit will be my meetings with families and with young people here in Manila.
Families have an indispensable mission in society. It is in the family that children are trained in sound
values, high ideals and genuine concern for others. But like all God’s gifts, the family can also be
disfigured and destroyed. It needs our support.
We know how difficult it is for our democracies today to preserve and defend such basic human values as
respect for the inviolable dignity of each human person, respect for the rights of conscience and religious
freedom, and respect for the inalienable right to life, beginning with that of the unborn and extending to
that of the elderly and infirm. For this reason, families and local communities must be encouraged and
assisted in their efforts to transmit to our young the values and the vision which can help bring about a
culture of integrity – one which honors goodness, truthfulness, fidelity and solidarity as the firm
foundation and the moral glue which holds society together.
Mr President, distinguished authorities, dear friends:
As I begin my visit to this country, I cannot fail to mention the Philippines’ important role in fostering
understanding and cooperation among the countries of Asia. I would also mention the oftneglected yet
real contribution of Filipinos of the diaspora to the life and welfare of the societies in which they live. It is
precisely in the light of the rich cultural and religious heritage of which your country is proud that I leave
you with a challenge and a word of prayerful encouragement. May the deepest spiritual values of the
Filipino people continue to find expression in your efforts to provide your fellow citizens with an integral
human development. In this way, each person will be able to fulfill his or her potential, and thus
contribute wisely and well to the future of this country.
I am confident that the praiseworthy efforts to promote dialogue and cooperation between the followers of
the different religions will prove fruitful in the pursuit of this noble goal. In a particular way, I express my
trust that the progress made in bringing peace to the south of the country will result in just solutions in
accord with the nation’s founding principles and respectful of the inalienable rights of all, including the
indigenous peoples and religious minorities.
Upon all of you, and upon all the men, women and children of this beloved nation, I cordially invoke
God’s abundant blessings.
As delivered by the Pope: WATCH THE VIDEO BY CLICKING THE LINK WHILE PRESSING
CONTROL (FOR WINDOWS):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En_jXmpHEFQ&index=1&list=PLxIGRNqt1BBgcBOUSe9UhZc0O
fi6wpACM
Pope Francis's Homily during the Manila Cathedral Mass
(philstar.com) | Updated January 16, 2015 - 1:14pm
“Do you love me?… Tend my sheep” (Jn 21:15-17). Jesus’ words to Peter in today’s Gospel are the first
words I speak to you, dear brother bishops and priests, men and women religious, and young
seminarians. These words remind us of something essential. All pastoral ministry is born of love. All
consecrated life is a sign of Christ’s reconciling love. Like Saint Therese, in the variety of our vocations,
each of us is called, in some way, to be love in the heart of the Church.
I greet all of you with great affection. And I ask you to bring my affection to all your elderly and infirm
brothers and sisters, and to all those who cannot join us today. As the Church in the Philippines looks to
the fifth centenary of its evangelization, we feel gratitude for the legacy left by so many bishops, priests
and religious of past generations. They labored not only to preach the Gospel and build up the Church in
this country, but also to forge a society inspired by the Gospel message of charity, forgiveness and
solidarity in the service of the common good. Today you carry on that work of love. Like them, you are
called to build bridges, to pasture Christ’s flock, and to prepare fresh paths for the Gospel in Asia at the
dawn of a new age.
“The love of Christ impels us” (2 Cor 5:14). In today’s first reading Saint Paul tells us that the love we
are called to proclaim is a reconciling love, flowing from the heart of the crucified Savior. We are called
to be “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor 5:20). Ours is a ministry of reconciliation. We proclaim the Good
News of God’s infinite love, mercy and compassion. We proclaim the joy of the Gospel. For the Gospel
is the promise of God’s grace, which alone can bring wholeness and healing to our broken world. It can
inspire the building of a truly just and redeemed social order.
To be an ambassador for Christ means above all to invite everyone to a renewed personal encounter with
the Lord Jesus (Evangelii Gaudium, 3). This invitation must be at the core of your commemoration of the
evangelization of the Philippines. But the Gospel is also a summons to conversion, to an examination of
our consciences, as individuals and as a people. As the Bishops of the Philippines have rightly taught, the
Church in the Philippines is called to acknowledge and combat the causes of the deeply rooted inequality
and injustice which mar the face of Filipino society, plainly contradicting the teaching of Christ. The
Gospel calls individual Christians to live lives of honesty, integrity and concern for the common
good. But it also calls Christian communities to create “circles of integrity”, networks of solidarity which
can expand to embrace and transform society by their prophetic witness.
As ambassadors for Christ, we, bishops, priests and religious, ought to be the first to welcome his
reconciling grace into our hearts. Saint Paul makes clear what this means. It means rejecting worldly
perspectives and seeing all things anew in the light of Christ. It means being the first to examine our
consciences, to acknowledge our failings and sins, and to embrace the path of constant conversion. How
can we proclaim the newness and liberating power of the Cross to others, if we ourselves refuse to allow
the word of God to shake our complacency, our fear of change, our petty compromises with the ways of
this world, our “spiritual worldliness” (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 93)?
For us priests and consecrated persons, conversion to the newness of the Gospel entails a daily encounter
with the Lord in prayer. The saints teach us that this is the source of all apostolic zeal! For religious,
living the newness of the Gospel also means finding ever anew in community life and community
apostolates the incentive for an ever closer union with the Lord in perfect charity. For all of us, it means
living lives that reflect the poverty of Christ, whose entire life was focused on doing the will of the Father
and serving others. The great danger to this, of course, is a certain materialism which can creep into our
lives and compromise the witness we offer. Only by becoming poor ourselves, by stripping away our
complacency, will we be able to identify with the least of our brothers and sisters. We will see things in a
new light and thus respond with honesty and integrity to the challenge of proclaiming the radicalism of
the Gospel in a society which has grown comfortable with social exclusion, polarization and scandalous
inequality.
Here I would like to address a special word to the young priests, religious and seminarians among us. I
ask you to share the joy and enthusiasm of your love for Christ and the Church with everyone, but
especially with your peers. Be present to young people who may be confused and despondent, yet
continue to see the Church as their friend on the journey and a source of hope. Be present to those who,
living in the midst of a society burdened by poverty and corruption, are broken in spirit, tempted to give
up, to leave school and to live on the streets. Proclaim the beauty and truth of the Christian message to a
society which is tempted by confusing presentations of sexuality, marriage and the family. As you know,
these realities are increasingly under attack from powerful forces which threaten to disfigure God’s plan
for creation and betray the very values which have inspired and shaped all that is best in your culture.
Filipino culture has, in fact, been shaped by the imagination of faith. Filipinos everywhere are known for
their love of God, their fervent piety and their warm devotion to Our Lady and her rosary. This great
heritage contains a powerful missionary potential. It is the way in which your people has inculturated the
Gospel and continues to embrace its message (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 122). In your efforts to prepare for
the fifth centenary, build on this solid foundation.
Christ died for all so that, having died in him, we might live no longer for ourselves but for him (cf. 2 Cor
5:15). Dear brother bishops, priests and religious: I ask Mary, Mother of the Church, to obtain for all of
you an outpouring of zeal, so that you may spend yourselves in selfless service to our brothers and
sisters. In this way, may the reconciling love of Christ penetrate ever more fully into the fabric of
Filipino society and, through you, to the farthest reaches of the world.
CONTROL (FOR WINDOWS):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnsBcJoLPE0&list=PLxIGRNqt1BBgcBOUSe9UhZc0Ofi6wpACM
&index=2
Pope Francis's Message to Families at the MOA Arena
(philstar.com) | Updated January 17, 2015 - 10:02am
Pope Francis gives his speech during a meeting with families at the Mall of Asia arena in Manila, Philippines,
Friday, Jan. 16, 2015. Walking into a packed 20,000-seat arena, Francis greeted and blessed the people who
lined his long way to the stage. Pope Francis is on a five-day apostolic visit in this predominantly Catholic
nation in Asia. AP/Osservatore Romano, Pool
Below is the full text from Vatican Radio of Pope Francis' message at the Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines
where he had an audience with thousands of Filipino families. The text includes the pope's off-the-cuff remarks
in Spanish, which were translated to English.
Dear Families,
Dear Friends in Christ,
I am grateful for your presence here this evening and for the witness of your love for Jesus and his
Church. I thank Bishop Reyes, Chairman of the Bishops’ Commission on Family and Life, for his words
of welcome on your behalf. And, in a special way, I thank those who have presented testimonies and
have shared their life of faith with us.
The Scriptures seldom speak of Saint Joseph, but when they do, we often find him resting, as an angel
reveals God’s will to him in his dreams. In the Gospel passage we have just heard, we find Joseph resting
not once, but twice. This evening I would like to rest in the Lord with all of you, and to reflect with you
on the gift of the family.
It is important to dream in the family. All mothers and fathers dream of their sons and daughters in the
womb for 9 months. They dream of how they will be. It isn’t possible to have a family without such
dreams. When you lose this capacity to dream you lose the capacity to love, the capacity to love is lost. I
recommend that at night when you examine your consciences, ask yourself if you dreamed of the future
of your sons and daughters. Did you dream of your husband or wife? Did you dream today of your
parents, your grandparents who carried forward the family to me? It is so important to dream and
especially to dream in the family. Please don’t lose the ability to dream in this way. How many solutions
are found to family problems if we take time to reflect, if we think of a husband or wife, and we dream
about the good qualities they have. Don’t ever lose the memory of when you were boyfriend or girlfriend.
That is very important.
Joseph’s rest revealed God’s will to him. In this moment of rest in the Lord, as we pause from our many
daily obligations and activities, God is also speaking to us. He speaks to us in the reading we have just
heard, in our prayer and witness, and in the quiet of our hearts. Let us reflect on what the Lord is saying
to us, especially in this evening’s Gospel. There are three aspects of this passage which I would ask you
to consider: resting in the Lord, rising with Jesus and Mary, and being a prophetic voice.
Resting in the Lord. Rest is so necessary for the health of our minds and bodies, and often so difficult to
achieve due to the many demands placed on us. But rest is also essential for our spiritual health, so that
we can hear God’s voice and understand what he asks of us. Joseph was chosen by God to be the foster
father of Jesus and the husband of Mary. As Christians, you too are called, like Joseph, to make a home
for Jesus. You make a home for him in your hearts, your families, your parishes and your communities.
To hear and accept God’s call, to make a home for Jesus, you must be able to rest in the Lord. You must
make time each day for prayer. But you may say to me: Holy Father, I want to pray, but there is so much
work to do! I must care for my children; I have chores in the home; I am too tired even to sleep
well. This may be true, but if we do not pray, we will not know the most important thing of all: God’s
will for us. And for all our activity, our busy-ness, without prayer we will accomplish very little.
Resting in prayer is especially important for families. It is in the family that we first learn how to pray.
And don’t forget when the family prays together, it remains together. This is important. There we come
to know God, to grow into men and women of faith, to see ourselves as members of God’s greater family,
the Church. In the family we learn how to love, to forgive, to be generous and open, not closed and
selfish. We learn to move beyond our own needs, to encounter others and share our lives with
them. That is why it is so important to pray as a family! That is why families are so important in God’s
plan for the Church!
I would like to tell you something very personal. I like St Joseph very much. He is a strong man of
silence. On my desk I have a statue of St Joseph sleeping. While sleeping he looks after the Church. Yes,
he can do it! We know that. When I have a problem or a difficulty, I write on a piece of paper and I put it
under his statue so he can dream about it. This means please pray to St Joseph for this problem.
Pope Francis shows the posture of the statue of St. Joseph sleeping that he keeps on his desk during a
meeting with families in the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, Friday, Jan. 16, 2015. AP/Alessandra
Tarantino
Next, rising with Jesus and Mary. Those precious moments of repose, of resting with the Lord in prayer,
are moments we might wish to prolong. But like Saint Joseph, once we have heard God’s voice, we must
rise from our slumber; we must get up and act (cf. Rom 13:11). Faith does not remove us from the world,
but draws us more deeply into it. Each of us, in fact, has a special role in preparing for the coming of
God’s kingdom in our world.
Just as the gift of the Holy Family was entrusted to Saint Joseph, so the gift of the family and its place in
God’s plan is entrusted to us so we can carry it forward. To each one of you and us because I too am the
son of a family.
The angel of the Lord revealed to Joseph the dangers which threatened Jesus and Mary, forcing them to
flee to Egypt and then to settle in Nazareth. So too, in our time, God calls upon us to recognize the
dangers threatening our own families and to protect them from harm. We must be attentive to the new
ideological colonization.
Beware of the new ideological colonization that tries to destroy the family. It’s not born of the dream that
we have from God and prayer – it comes from outside and that’s why I call it a colonization. Let us not
lose the freedom to take forward the mission God has given us, the mission of the family. And just as our
peoples were able to say in the past “No” to the period of colonization, as families we have to be very
wise and strong to say “No” to any attempted ideological colonization that could destroy the family. And
to ask the intercession of St Joseph to know when to say “Yes” and when to say “No”….
The pressures on family life today are many. Here in the Philippines, countless families are still suffering
from the effects of natural disasters. The economic situation has caused families to be separated by
migration and the search for employment, and financial problems strain many households. While all too
many people live in dire poverty, others are caught up in materialism and lifestyles which are destructive
of family life and the most basic demands of Christian morality. The family is also threatened by
growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage, by relativism, by the
culture of the ephemeral, by a lack of openness to life.
I think of Blessed Paul VI in the moment of that challenge of population growth, he had the strength to
defend openness to life. He knew the difficulties families experience and that’s why in his encyclical
(Humanae Vitae) he expressed compassion for specific cases and he taught professors to be particularly
compassionate for particular cases. And he went further, he looked at the people on the earth and he saw
that lack (of children) and the problem it could cause families in the future. Paul VI was courageous, a
good pastor and he warned his sheep about the wolves that were approaching. And from the heavens he
blesses us today.
Our world needs good and strong families to overcome these threats! The Philippines needs holy and
loving families to protect the beauty and truth of the family in God’s plan and to be a support and
example for other families. Every threat to the family is a threat to society itself. The future of humanity,
as Saint John Paul II often said, passes through the family (cf. Familiaris Consortio, 85). So protect your
families! See in them your country’s greatest treasure and nourish them always by prayer and the grace
of the sacraments. Families will always have their trials, but may you never add to them! Instead, be
living examples of love, forgiveness and care. Be sanctuaries of respect for life, proclaiming the
sacredness of every human life from conception to natural death. What a gift this would be to society, if
every Christian family lived fully its noble vocation! So rise with Jesus and Mary, and set out on the path
the Lord traces for each of you.
Finally, the Gospel we have heard reminds us of our Christian duty to be prophetic voices in the midst of
our communities. Joseph listened to the angel of the Lord and responded to God’s call to care for Jesus
and Mary. In this way he played his part in God’s plan, and became a blessing not only for the Holy
Family, but a blessing for all of humanity. With Mary, Joseph served as a model for the boy Jesus as he
grew in wisdom, age and grace (cf. Lk 2:52). When families bring children into the world, train them in
faith and sound values, and teach them to contribute to society, they become a blessing in our
world. God’s love becomes present and active by the way we love and by the good works that we
do. We extend Christ’s kingdom in this world. And in doing this, we prove faithful to the prophetic
mission which we have received in baptism.
During this year which your bishops have set aside as the Year of the Poor, I would ask you, as families,
to be especially mindful of our call to be missionary disciples of Jesus. This means being ready to go
beyond your homes and to care for our brothers and sisters who are most in need. I ask you especially to
show concern for those who do not have a family of their own, in particular those who are elderly and
children without parents. Never let them feel isolated, alone and abandoned, but help them to know that
God has not forgotten them.
I was very moved after the Mass today when I visited that shelter for children with no parents. How many
people in the Church work so that that house is a home, family? This is what it means to take forward,
prophetically, the meaning of family. You may be poor yourselves in material ways, but you have an
abundance of gifts to offer when you offer Christ and the community of his Church. Do not hide your
faith, do not hide Jesus, but carry him into the world and offer the witness of your family life!
Dear friends in Christ, know that I pray for you always! I pray that the Lord may continue to deepen your
love for him, and that this love may manifest itself in your love for one another and for the Church. Pray
often and take the fruits of your prayer into the world, that all may know Jesus Christ and his merciful
love. Please pray also for me, for I truly need your prayers and will depend on them always!
CONTROL (FOR WINDOWS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tGhOyNsSc&index=3&list=PLxIGRNqt1BBgcBOUSe9UhZc0Ofi6wpACM
Pope Francis's Homily, Holy Mass in Tacloban
Published 10:46 AM, Jan 17, 2015
Updated 2:16 PM, Jan 18, 2015
Below is the full text – in both English and Spanish – of Pope Francis' impromptu homily, as delivered
during the Holy Mass at the Tacloban airport, Saturday, January 17.
I prefer today to speak in Spanish. I have a translator, a good translator. May I do it? [crowd responds
‘yes’] Thank you very much.
As delivered by the Pope's translator, Msgr Mark Gerard Miles.
We have a high priest who is capable of sympathizing with our weaknesses. Jesus is like us. Jesus lived
like us and is the same us in every respect, except sin because he was not a sinner. But to be more like us
he assumed our condition and our sin. He made himself into sin. This is what St Paul tells us. And Jesus
always goes before us and when we pass an experience, a cross, he passed there before us. And if today
we find ourselves here 14 months afterwards, 14 months precisely after the Typhoon Yolanda hit, it is
because we have the security of knowing we will not weaken in our faith because Jesus has been here
before us.
In his Passion he assumed all our pain. Therefore he is capable of understanding us, as we heard in the
first reading.
I’d like to tell you something close to my heart. When I saw from Rome that catastrophe I had to be here.
And on those very days I decided to come here. I am here to be with you – a little bit late, but I’m here.
I have come to tell you that Jesus is Lord. And he never lets us down. Father – you might say to me – I
was let down because I have lost so many things, my house, my livelihood. It’s true if you say that and I
respect those sentiments. But Jesus is there, nailed to the cross, and from there he does not let us down.
He was consecrated as Lord on that throne and there he experienced all the calamities that we experience.
Jesus is Lord. And the Lord from the cross is there for you. In everything the same as us. That is why we
have a Lord who cries with us and walks with us in the most difficult moments of life.
So many of you have lost everything. I don’t know what to say to you. But the Lord does know what to
say to you. Some of you have lost part of your families. All I can do is keep silence and walk with you all
with my silent heart. Many of you have asked the Lord – why lord? And to each of you, to your heart,
Christ responds with his heart from the cross. I have no more words for you. Let us look to Christ. He is
the Lord. He understands us because he underwent all the trials that we, that you, have experienced.
And beside the cross was his Mother. We are like a little child in the moments when we have so much
pain and no longer understand anything. All we can do is grab hold of her hand firmly and say “Mommy”
– like a child does when it is afraid. It is perhaps the only words we can say in difficult times –
“Mommy”.
Let us respect a moment of silence together and look to Christ on the cross. He understands us because he
endured everything. Let us look to our Mother and, like a little child, let us hold onto her mantle and with
a true heart say – “Mother”. In silence, tell your Mother what you feel in your heart. Let us know that we
have a Mother, Mary, and a great Brother, Jesus. We are not alone. We also have many brothers who in
this moment of catastrophe came to help. And we too, because of this, we feel more like brothers and
sisters because we helped each other.
This is what comes from my heart. Forgive me if I have no other words to express myself. Please know
that Jesus never lets you down. Know that the tenderness of Mary never lets you down. And holding onto
her mantle and with the power that cones from Jesus’ love on the cross, let us move forward and walk
together as brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Thank you very much.
As delivered by the Pope: WATCH THE VIDEO BY CLICKING THE LINK WHILE
PRESSING CONTROL (FOR WINDOWS): http://www.rappler.com/specials/pope-francisph/81106-full-text-pope-francis-homily-tacloban
En la primera lectura escuchamos que se dice que tenemos un gran sacerdote que es capaz. Jesús es
como nosotros. Jesús vivió como nosotros. Es igual a nosotros en todo. En todo menos en el pecado,
porque él no era pecador. Pero para ser más igual a nosotros se vistió, asumió nuestros pecados. ¡Se
hizo pecado! Y eso lo dice Pablo que lo conocía muy bien. Y Jesús va delante nuestro siempre y cuando
nosotros pasamos por alguna cruz, el ya pasó primero. Y si hoy todos nosotros nos reunimos aquí 14
meses después que paso el Tifón Yolanda, es porque tenemos la seguridad de que no nos vamos a frustrar
en la fe, porque Jesús pasó primero. En su pasión él asumió todos nuestros dolores, y –permítanme esta
confidencia- cuando yo vi desde Roma esta catástrofe, sentí que tenía que estar aquí. Esos días decidí
hacer el viaje aquí. Quise venir para estar con ustedes, un poco tarde me dirán, es verdad, pero estoy
(aplausos). Estoy para decirles que Jesús es el Señor; que Jesús no defrauda (aplausos). Padre, me puede
decir uno de ustedes, a mi me dafraudó porque perdi mi casa, perdí lo que tenía, estoy enfermo. Es
verdad eso que me decís y yo respeto tus sentimientos, pero lo veo ahí clavado y desde ahí no nos
defrauda.
Él fue consagrado Señor en ese trono y ahí pasó por todas las calamidades que nosotros tenemos. ¡Jesús
es el Señor! y es Señor desde la cruz, ahí reinó. Por eso él es capaz de entendernos, como escuchamos en
la primera lectura: Se hizo en todo igual a nosotros. Por eso tenemos un Señor que es capaz de llorar con
nosotros; que es capaz de acompañarnos en los momentos más difíciles de la vida. Tantos de ustedes han
perdido todo. Yo no sé qué decirles. ¡Él sí sabe qué decirles! Tantos de ustedes han perdido parte de la
familia. Solamente guardo silencio, los acompaño con mi corazón en silencio…
Tantos de ustedes se han preguntado mirando a Cristo: ¿por qué Señor? Y el Señor responde al corazón
de cada uno, desde su corazón. Yo no tengo otras palabras que decirles. Miremos a Cristo, él es el Señor
y él nos comprende porque pasó por todas las pruebas que nos sobrevienen a nosotros.
Y junto a él en la cruz estaba la madre. Nosotros somos como ese chico que está ahí abajo, que en los
momentos de dolor, de pena; en los momentos que no entendemos nada, en los momentos que queremos
revelarnos, solamente nos viene estirar la mano y agarrarnos de su pollera y decirle: “¡Mamá!”. Como
un chico que cuando tiene miedo dice: “¡Mamá!”. Es quizás la única palabra que puede expresar lo que
sentimos en los momentos oscuros: ¡madre!, ¡mamá!.
Hagamos juntos un momento de silencio, miremos al Señor, él puede comprendernos porque pasó por
todas estas cosas. Y miremos a nuestra Madre y como el chico que está abajo agarrémonos de la pollera
y con el corazón digámosle “Madre”. En silencio hagamos esta oración, cada uno dígale lo que siente…
No estamos solos, tenemos una madre, tenemos a Jesús nuestro hermano mayor. No estamos solos. Y
también tenemos muchos hermanos que, en el momento de catástrofe, vinieron a ayudarnos. Y también
nosotros nos sentimos más hermanos ayudándonos, que nos hemos ayudado unos a otros.
Esto es lo único que me sale decirles. Perdónenme si no tengo otras palabras. Pero tengan la seguridad
de que Jesús no defrauda; tengan la seguridad que el amor y la ternura de nuestra madre no defrauda. Y
agarrados a ella como hijos y con la fuerza que nos da Jesús nuestro hermano sigamos adelante. Y como
hermanos caminemos.
Después de la comunión, en la mañana del sábado 17 de enero, el Sucesor de Pedro rezó en voz alta:
Acabamos de celebrar la pasión, la muerte y la resurrección de Cristo. Jesús nos precedió en este camino
y nos acompaña en cada momento que nos reunimos a orar y celebrar. Gracias Señor por estar hoy con
nosotros. Gracias Señor por compartir nuestros dolores. Gracias Señor por darnos esperanza. Gracias
Señor por tu gran misericordia. Gracias Señor porque quisiste ser como uno de nosotros. Gracias Señor
porque siempre estas cercano a nosotros, aún en los momentos de cruz. Gracias Señor por darnos la
esperanza. Señor ¡que no nos roben la esperanza! Gracias Señor porque en el momento más oscuro de tu
vida, en la cruz, te acordaste de nosotros y nos dejaste una madre, tu madre.
Gracias Señor por no dejarnos huérfanos.
Spanish transcription courtesy of Radio Vaticana/Guillermo Ortiz. – Rappler.com
Pope Francis's Undelivered Homily, Holy Mass at Tacloban airport
Below is the full text of Pope Francis' prepared homily for the Holy Mass at the Tacloban airport,
Saturday, January 17. However, the pontiff decided to deliver an impromptu homily in Spanish.
Published 4:42 PM, Jan 17, 2015
What words of consolation we have just heard! Once again, we have been told that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God, our Savior, our high priest who brings us mercy, grace and help in all our needs (cf. Heb 4:1416). He heals our wounds, he forgives our sins, and he calls us, as he did Saint Matthew (cf. Mk 2:14), to
be his disciples. Let us praise him for his love, his mercy and his compassion. Let us praise our great
God!
I thank the Lord Jesus that we can be together this morning. I have come to be with you, in this city which
was ravaged by Typhoon Yolanda fourteen months ago. I bring to you the love of a father, the prayers of
the entire Church, the promise that you are not forgotten as you continue to rebuild. Here, the strongest
storm ever recorded on earth was overcome by the strongest force in the universe: God’s love. We are
here this morning to bear witness to that love, to its power to transform death and destruction into life and
community. Christ’s resurrection, which we celebrate at this Mass, is our hope and a reality which we
experience even now. We know that the resurrection comes only after the cross, the cross which you have
borne with faith, dignity and God-given strength.
We come together above all to pray for those who died, those who are still missing and those who were
injured. We lift up to God the souls of the dead, our mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, family, friends
and neighbors. We can be confident that, in coming into the presence of God, they have encountered
mercy and peace (cf. Heb 4:16). There remains much sadness because of their absence. For you who
knew and loved them – and love them still – the pain of losing them is real. But let us look with the eyes
of faith to the future. Our sadness is a seed which will one day bear fruit in the joy which our Lord has
promised to those who trust in his words: “Blessed are you who mourn, for you will be comforted” (cf.
Mt 5:4).
We have also come together this morning to give thanks to God for his help in time of need. God has been
your strength in these very difficult months. There has been great loss of life, suffering, and destruction.
Yet we are still able to gather and to thank him. We know that he cares for us, that in Jesus his Son, we
have a high priest who is able to sympathize with us (cf. Heb 4:15), who suffers with us. God’s compassion, his suffering with us, gives eternal meaning and value to our struggles. Your desire to thank him
for every grace and blessing, even when you have lost so much, is not only a triumph of the resilience and
strength of the Filipino people; it is also a sign of God’s goodness, his closeness, his tenderness, his
saving power.
We also give thanks to Almighty God for so much that has been done to help, to rebuild, to assist in these
months of unprecedented need. I think in the first place of those who welcomed and housed the great
number of displaced families, elderly, and youth. How hard it is to flee one’s home and livelihood! We
thank those who have taken care of the homeless, the orphaned and the destitute. Priests, and men and
women religious, gave as much as they could. To those of you who housed and fed people seeking safety,
in churches, convents, rectories, and who continue to assist those still struggling, I thank you. You are a
credit to the Church. You are the pride of your nation. I personally thank each one of you. For whatever
you did for the least of Christ’s brothers and sisters, you did for him (cf. Mt 25:41).
At this Mass we wish also to thank God for the good men and women who served as rescue and relief
workers. We thank him for the many people around the world who generously gave of their time, money
and goods. Countries, organizations and individuals across the globe put the needy first; it is an example
that should be followed. I ask government leaders, international agencies, benefactors and people of
goodwill not to give up. There is much that remains to be done. Though the headlines have changed, the
needs continue.
Today’s first reading, from the Letter to the Hebrews, urges us to hold fast in our confession, to persevere
in our faith, to draw near with confidence to the throne of God’s grace (cf. Heb 4:16). These words have a
special resonance in this place. Amid great suffering you never ceased to confess the victory of the cross,
the triumph of God’s love. You have seen the power of that love revealed in the generosity of so many
people and in so many small miracles of goodness. But you have also seen, in the profiteering, the looting
and the failed responses to this great human drama, so many tragic signs of the evil from which Christ
came to save us. Let us pray that this, too, will lead us to greater trust in the power of God’s grace to
overcome sin and selfishness. Let us pray in particular that it will make everyone more sensitive to the cry
of our brothers and sisters in need. Let us pray that it will lead to a rejection of all forms of injustice and
corruption which, by stealing from the poor, poison the very roots of society.
Dear brothers and sisters, throughout this ordeal you have felt the grace of God in a special way through
the presence and loving care of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help. She is our Mother.
May she help you to persevere in faith and hope, and to reach out to all in need. And with Saints Lorenzo
Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod and all the saints, may she continue to implore God’s mercy and loving
compassion for this country, and for all the beloved Filipino people. Amen. – Rappler.com
Undelivered Speech: Pope Thanks Yolanda Volunteers
Here is the full text, as prepared for delivery, of a speech Pope Francis was supposed to deliver at the
Palo Cathedral during his visit there
Rappler.com
THE POPE’S APOLOGY FOR LEAVING TACLOBAN EARLY: WATCH THE VIDEO BY
CLICKING THE LINK WHILE PRESSING CONTROL (FOR WINDOWS):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lnTzak0IJY&list=PLxIGRNqt1BBgcBOUSe9UhZc0Ofi6wpACM&
index=5
MANILA, Philippines – "I'm truly saddened because I had something prepared especially for you," Pope
Francis told priests and nuns assembled at the Palo Cathedral on Saturday, January 17, when he was
apologizing for cutting short his trip to Leyte.
That "something" was a speech for the audience inside the cathedral. In the speech, he was supposed to
express gratitude to the priests, nuns, and religious persons who helped in the aftermath of Super
Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) back in 2013.
The undelivered speech connects to the overall theme of the pontiff's visit to the region – to be close to
the victims of Yolanda.
“I am here to be with you. A little bit late, I have to say, but I’m here," the Pope, speaking in Spanish, said
in during the Mass outside the Tacloban airport earlier in the day.
In the speech, Francis also referenced the blessing of the Pope Francis Center for the Poor, which he was
supposed to bless and inaugurate – but instead, was blessed by him as his popemobile passed by the new
structure on his way back to the airport.
Here is the full text of the speech provided by the Vatican, as prepared for delivery.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I greet all of you with great affection in the Lord. I am happy that we are able to meet in this Cathedral of
the Transfiguration of the Lord. This house of prayer, along with many others, has been repaired thanks to
the remarkable generosity of many people. It stands as an eloquent sign of the immense effort of
rebuilding which you and your neighbors have undertaken in the wake of the devastation caused by
Typhoon Yolanda. It is also a concrete reminder to all of us that, even amid disaster and suffering, our
God is constantly at work, making all things new.
Many of you have suffered greatly, not only from the destruction caused by the storm, but from the loss
of family members and friends. Today let us commend to God’s mercy all those who have died, and
invoke his consolation and peace upon all who still grieve. May we remember in a particular way those
among us whose pain makes it hard to see the way forward. At the same time, let us thank the Lord for all
those who have labored in these months to clear away the rubble, to visit the sick and dying, to comfort
the grieving and to bury the dead. Their goodness, and the generous aid which came from so many people
throughout the world, are a real sign that God never abandons us!
Here, in a special way, I would like to thank the many priests and religious who responded with such
overwhelming generosity to the desperate needs of the people of the areas hardest hit. By your presence
and your charity, you bore witness to the beauty and truth of the Gospel. You made the Church present as
a source of hope, healing and mercy. Together with so many of your neighbors, you also demonstrated the
deep faith and the resilience of the Filipino people. The many stories of goodness and self-sacrifice which
emerged from these dark days need to be remembered and passed down for future generations.
A few moments ago, I blessed the new Center for the Poor, which stands as another sign of the Church’s
care and concern for our brothers and sisters in need. How many they are! And how much our Lord loves
them! Today, from this place which has known such profound suffering and human need, I ask that even
more be done for the poor. Above all, I ask that the poor throughout this country be treated fairly – that
their dignity be respected, that political and economic policies be just and inclusive, that opportunities for
employment and education be developed, and that obstacles to the delivery of social services be removed.
Our treatment of the poor is the criterion on which each of us will be judged (cf. Mt 25:40, 45). I ask all
of you, and all responsible for the good of society, to renew your commitment to social justice and the
betterment of the poor, both here and in the Philippines as a whole.
Finally, I would like to say a word of sincere thanks to the young people present, including the
seminarians and young religious. Many of you showed heroic generosity in the aftermath of the typhoon.
I hope that you will always realize that true happiness comes from helping others, giving ourselves to
them in self-sacrifice, mercy and compassion. In this way you will be a powerful force for the renewal of
society, not only in the work of restoring buildings but more importantly, in building up God’s kingdom
of holiness, justice and peace in your native land.
Dear priests and religious, dear families and friends, in this Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord
let us ask that our lives continue to be sustained and transfigured by the power of his resurrection. I
commend all of you to the loving protection of Mary, Mother of the Church. May she obtain for you, and
for all the beloved people of these lands, the Lord’s blessings of comfort, joy and peace. God bless you
all! – Rappler.com
Pope Francis's Message, Youth Encounter, UST
The full transcript of Pope Francis' impromptu speech, as delivered during the encounter with the youth
at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila on Sunday, January 18
Dear Young Friends,
When I speak spontaneously I do it in Spanish, because I don’t know the English language. May I do it?
Thank you very much. This Fr Mark, a good translator.
As translated from Spanish by Msgr Mark Gerard Miles
First of all, a sad piece of news. Yesterday, as Mass was about to start, a piece of scaffolding fell and,
upon falling, hit a young woman who was working in the area and she died. Her name is Kristel. She
worked for the organization preparing for that Mass. She was 27 years old, young like yourselves. She
worked for Catholic Relief Services as a volunteer. I would like all of you who are young like her to pray
for a moment in silence with me and then we will pray to Our Mother in Heaven. Let us pray.
Leads prayer of Hail Mary…
Let us also pray for her parents. She was an only child. Her mother is coming from Hong Kong and her
father is here in Manila.
Leads prayer of Our Father…
It is a joy for me to be with you this morning. I greet each of you from the heart, and I thank all those who
made this meeting possible. During my visit to the Philippines, I wanted in a particular way to meet with
young people, to listen to you and to talk with you. I want to express the love and the hopes of the Church
for you. And I want to encourage you, as Christian citizens of this country, to offer yourselves
passionately and honestly to the great work of renewing your society and helping to build a better world.
In a special way, I thank the young people who have offered words of welcome to me.
To Jun and Leandro Santos II and to Rikki, thank you very much. There’s only a very small
representation of girls among you. Too little. Women have much to tell us in today’s society. Sometimes
we are too “machistas” and we don’t allow enough space to women. But women can see things from a
different angle to us, with a different eye. Women are able to pose questions we men are unable to
understand. Look out for this fact: she is the only one who has put a question for which there is no
answer. She couldn’t put it into words but expressed it with tears. So when the next pope comes to
Manila, please let there be more girls.
I thank you Jun for talking about your experience so bravely. As I said, the heart of your question has no
reply. Only when we too can cry about the things you said can we come close to answering that question.
Why do children suffer so much? Why do children suffer? When the heart is able to ask itself and weep,
then we can understand something. There is a worldly compassion which is useless. You expressed
something like this. It’s a compassion that makes us put our hands in our pockets and give something to
the poor. But if Christ had had that kind of compassion he would have greeted a couple of people, given
them something, and walked on. But it was only when he was able to cry that he understood something of
our lives. Dear young boys and girls, today’s world doesn’t know how to cry. The emarginated people,
those left to one side, are crying. Those who are discarded are crying. But we don’t understand much
about these people in need. Certain realities of life we only see through eyes cleansed by our tears. I invite
each one here to ask yourself: have I learned how to weep? Have I learned how to weep for the
emarginated or for a street child who has a drug problem or for an abused child? Unfortunately there are
those who cry because they want something else.
This is the first thing I want to say: let us learn how to weep as she has shown us today and let us not
forget this lesson. The great question of why so many children suffer, she did this in tears. The response
that we can make today is: let us really learn how to weep.
In the Gospel, Jesus cried for his dead friend, he cried in his heart for the family who lost its child, for the
poor widow who had to bury her son. He was moved to tears and compassion when he saw the crowds
without a pastor. If you don’t learn how to cry, you cannot be a good Christian. This is a challenge. When
they posed this question to us, why children suffer, why this or that tragedy occurs in life – our response
must be either silence or a word that is born of our tears. Be courageous, don’t be afraid to cry.
Then came Leandro Santos II and his question. He also posed a good question: the world of information.
Today, with so many means of communication we are overloaded with information. Is that bad? No. It is
good and can help. But there is a real danger of living in a way that we accumulate information. We have
so much information but maybe we don’t know what to do with that information. So we run the risk of
becoming museums of young people who have everything but not knowing what to do with it. We don’t
need young museums but we do need holy young people. You may ask me: Father, how do we become
saints? This is another challenge. It is the challenge of love. What is the most important subject you have
to lean at university? What is most important subject you have to learn in life? To learn how to love. This
is the challenge that life offers you: to learn bow to love. Not just to accumulate information without
knowing what to do with it.. But through that love let that information bear fruit.
For this the Gospel offers us a serene way forward: using the three languages of the mind, heart and hands
– and to use them in harmony. What you think, you must feel and put into effect. Your information comes
down to your heart and you put it into practice. Harmoniously. What you think, you feel and you do. Feel
what you think and feel what you do. Do what you think and what you feel. The three languages...
Can you repeat this? To think. To feel. To do. And all in harmony...
Real love is about loving and letting yourself be loved. It’s harder to let yourself be loved than to love.
That is why it is so difficult to come to the perfect love of God. We can love Him but we must let
ourselves be loved by Him. Real love is being open to the love that comes to you. The love that surprises
us. If you only have information you are not surprised. Love surprises because it opens a dialogue of
loving and being loved. God is a God of surprise because He loved us first. God awaits us to surprise us.
Let us allow ourselves to be surprised by God. Let us not have a computer psychology that makes us
think we know it all. All answers on computers - but no surprises. The challenge of love. God reveals
himself through surprises.
Think of St Matthew. He was a good banker. But he let people down because he imposed taxes against
his own people to give to the Romans. He was full of money. Jesus passed by, looked at him and said:
“Follow me”. He couldn’t believe it. It you have the opportunity, see Caravaggio’s picture of him. Jesus
calls him and those around say: “Him? He betrayed us! He is no good! He hoards money!” But the
surprise of being loved overcomes him. The day when Matthew left home for work, saying goodbye to
his wife, he couldn’t imagine he would come home without money and have to prepare a feast for the one
who loved him first. God surprised Matthew more than the money he had. Allow yourselves to be
surprised by God. Don’t be afraid of surprises. They shake the ground beneath our feet and make us
insecure, but they move us forward in the right direction.
Real love allows you to spend yourselves, to leave your pockets empty. Think of St Francis who died
with empty hands and empty pockets but with a full heart. Remember: no young museums, and wise
young people. To be wise use three languages: think well, feel well and do well. And to be wise allow
yourselves to be surprised by the love of God. That will guarantee a good life.
Rikki came up with a good plan for what we can do in life with all young people’s activities.
Thank you, Rikki, for what you and your friends do. I’d like to ask you a question: you and your friends
help others but do you allow yourselves to receive? Answer in your heart.
In the Gospel we just heard, there was a beautiful phrase, for me the most important of all: Jesus looked at
the young man and he loved him. When you see Rikki and his friends you love them because they do
good things. Jesus says something very important: you lack one thing. Let us listen to this word in
silence: you lack only one thing.
What is it that I lack? To all of you who Jesus loves so much, I ask you: do you allow others to give you
from their riches to you who have not? The Sadducees, Doctors of the Law, in the time of Jesus, gave
much to the people, they taught the people the law, but they never allowed the people to give them
something. Jesus had to come to allow himself to feel compassion and to be loved.
How many young people among you are like this? You know how to give and yet you have ever learned
how to receive. You still lack one thing. Become a beggar. This is what you still lack. Learn how to beg.
This isn’t easy to understand. To learn how to beg. To learn how to receive with humility. To learn to be
evangelized by the poor, by those we help, the sick, orphans, they have so much to give us. Have I
learned how to beg? Or am I self-sufficient? Do I think I need nothing? Do you know you too are poor?
Do you know your own poverty and your need to receive? Do you let yourselves be evangelized by those
you serve? This is what helps you mature in your commitment to give to others. Learn how to open your
hand from your very own poverty.
There are some points I have prepared. The first, I already told you: to learn how to love and to learn how
to be loved. There is a challenge which is a challenge of u. This is not only because your country more
than many others is likely to be seriously affected by climate change. There is the challenge, the concern
for the environment. And finally, there is the challenge for the poor, to love the poor, with your bishops.
Do you think of the poor? Do you feel with the poor? Do you do something for the poor? Do you ask the
poor to give you the wisdom they have?
This is what I wish to tell you all today. Sorry if I haven’t read what I prepared for you but there is a
phrase that consoles me: that reality is superior to ideas. The reality that you have is superior to the paper
I have in front of me.
Thank you very much. Pray for me!
As delivered by the Pope, in Spanish: WATCH THE VIDEO BY CLICKING THE LINK WHILE
PRESSING CONTROL (FOR WINDOWS):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEwQMndZipo&list=PLxIGRNqt1BBh3V3aoP-DO1IFHfAJGrJg#t=174
Primero de todo una noticia triste: ayer mientras estaba por empezar la misa se cayó una de las torres y
al caer hirió una muchacha que estaba trabajando y murió. Su nombre es Cristal. Ella trabajo en la
organización de esa misa. Tenía 27 años, era joven como ustedes y trabajaba para una asociación. Era
una voluntaria. Yo quisiera que nosotros todos juntos, ustedes jóvenes como ella rezáramos en silencio 1
minuto y después invoquemos a nuestra madre del cielo… También hagamos una oración por su Papa y
su mama. Era única hija. Su mamá está llegando de Hong Kong. Su papa ha venido a Manila es espera a
su mamá…
En la pequeña representación de las mujeres. Demasiado poco. Las mujeres tienen mucho que decirnos
en la sociedad de hoy. A veces somos demasiado machistas y no dejamos lugar a la mujer. Pero la mujer
es capaz de ver las cosas con ojos distintos de los hombres. La mujer es capaz de hacer preguntas que los
hombres no terminamos de entender. Presten ustedes atención, ella hoy hizo la única pregunta que no
tiene respuesta. Y no le alcanzaron las palabras, necesitó decirlo con lágrimas. Así que cuando venga el
próximo Papa que haya más mujeres.
Yo te agradezco Shon que hayas expresado tan valientemente tu experiencia. Como dije recién, el núcleo
de tu pregunta casi no tiene respuesta. Solamente cuando somos capaces de llorar sobre las cosas que
vos viviste podemos entender algo y responder algo. La gran pregunta para todos: ¿Por qué sufren los
niños?, ¿por qué sufren los niños? Recién cuando el corazón alcanza a hacerse la pregunta y a llorar,
podemos entender algo.
¡Existe una compasión mundana que no nos sirve para nada! Una compasión que a lo mas no lleva a
meter la mano en el bolsillo y a dar una moneda. Si Cristo hubiera tenido esa compasión hubiera pasado,
curado a tres o cuatro y se hubiera vuelto al Padre. solamente cuando Cristo lloró y fue capaz de llorar
entendió nuestros dramas.
“Queridos chicos y chicas, al mundo de hoy le falta llorar. Lloran los marginados, lloran aquellos que
son dejados de lado, lloran los despreciados, pero aquellos que llevamos una vida más o menos sin
necesidades no sabemos llorar. Ciertas realidades de la vida se ven solamente con los ojos limpios por
las lágrimas. Los invito a que cada uno se pregunte: Yo aprendí a llorar? cuando veo un niño con
hambre, un niño drogado en la calle, un niño que no tiene casa, un niño abandonado, un niño abusado,
un niño usado como esclavo por la sociedad? O mi llanto ¿es el llanto caprichoso de aquel que llora
porque le gustaría tener algo más? Y esto es lo primero que yo quisiera decirles: aprendamos a llorar,
como ella nos enseñó hoy. No olvidemos este testimonio. La gran pregunta ¿por qué sufren los niños? la
hizo llorando y la gran respuesta que podemos hacer todos nosotros es aprender a llorar.
Jesús en el evangelio lloró, lloró por el amigo muerto. Lloró en su corazón por esa familia que había
perdido a su hija. Lloro en su corazón cuando vio a esa pobre madre viuda que llevaba a enterar a su
hijo. Se conmovió y lloró en su corazón cuando vio a la multitud como ovejas sin pastor. Si vos no
aprendes a llorar no sos un buen cristiano. Y este es un desafío. Shon nos ha planteado este desafío. Y
cuando nos hagan la pregunta: porqué sufren los niños, porque sucede esto u esto otro de trágico en la
vida? que nuestra respuesta sea el silencio o la palabra que nace de las lágrimas. Sean valientes, no
tengan miedo de llorar.
Y después vino Leandro Santos. También hizo preguntas sobre el mundo de la información. Hoy con
tantos medios estamos híper informados y ¿eso es malo? ¡No! Eso es bueno y ayuda, pero corremos el
peligro de vivir acumulando información. Y tenemos mucha información, pero quizá no sabemos qué
hacer con ella. Corremos el riesgo de convertirnos en “jóvenes museo”, que tienen de todo pero no
saben qué hacer. No necesitamos “jóvenes museos” sino jóvenes sabios.
Me pueden preguntar: Padre ¿cómo se llega ser sabio? Y este es otro desafío, el desafío del amor. ¿Cuál
es la materia más importante que tiene que aprender en la Universidad?, ¿Cuál es la más importante que
hay que aprender en la vida? Aprender a amar. Y este es el desafío que la vida te pone a vos hoy.
¡Aprender amar! No solo acumular información y no saber qué hacer con ella. Es un museo. Sino a
través del amor hacer que esa información sea fecunda. Para esto el Evangelio nos propone un camino
sereno, tranquilo, usar los tres lenguajes, el lenguaje de la mente, el lenguaje del corazón y el lenguaje
de las manos. Y los tres lenguajes armoniosamente, lo que pensás lo sentís y lo realizas. Tu información
baja al corazón, lo conmueve y lo realiza. Y esto armoniosamente: pensar lo que se siente y lo que se
hace. Sentir lo que pienso y lo que hago, hacer lo que pienso y lo que siento. Los tres lenguajes. ¿Se
animan a repetir los tres lenguajes en voz alta?
El verdadero amor es amar y dejarme amar. Es más difícil dejarse amar que amar. Por eso es tan difícil
llegar al amor perfecto de Dios, porque podemos amarlo, pero lo importante es dejarnos amar por él. El
verdadero amor es abrirse a ese amor que está primero y que nos provoca una sorpresa. Si vos tenés solo
toda la información estas cerrado a las sorpresas, el amor te abre a las sorpresas, el amor siempre es
una sorpresa porque supone un dialogo entre dos. Entre el que ama y el que es amado. Y de Dios
decimos que es el Dios de las sorpresas porque él nos amó primero y nos espera con una sorpresa. Dios
nos sorprende, Dejémonos sorprender por Dios. Y no tengamos la psicología de la computadora de creer
saberlo todo. ¿cómo es esto? Un momento y la computadora tiene todas las respuestas, ninguna
sorpresa. En el desafío del amor Dios se manifiesta con sorpresas.
Pensemos en san Mateo –recordó Francisco-, era un buen comerciante, además traicionaba a su patria
porque le cobraba los impuestos los judíos para pagárselo a los romanos, estaba lleno de plata y
cobraba los impuestos. Pasa Jesús lo mira y le dice vení. Los que estaban con él dicen: ¿a este que es un
traidor, un sinvergüenza? y él se agarra a la plata. Pero la sorpresa de ser amado lo vence y siguió a
Jesús. Esa mañana cuando se despidió de su mujer nunca pensó que iba volver sin dinero y apurado para
decirle a su mujer que preparara un banquete. El banquete para aquel que lo había amado primero. Que
lo había sorprendido con algo más importante que toda la plata que tenía. ¡Déjate sorprender por Dios!
No le tengas miedo a las sorpresas, que te mueven el piso, que te ponen inseguro, pero nos ponen en
camino. El verdadero amor te mueve a quemar la vida aún a riesgo de quedarte con las manos vacías.
Pensemos en san Francisco, dejó todo, murió con las manos vacías pero con el corazón lleno.
¿De acuerdo? No jóvenes de museo sino jóvenes sabios. Para ser sabios usar los tres lenguajes: pensar
bien, sentir bien y hacer bien. Y para ser sabios, dejarse sorprender por el amor de Dios y anda y quema
la vida. ¡Gracias por tu aporte de hoy!
Y el que vino con un buen plan para ayudarnos a ver cómo podemos andar en la vida fue Riqui, contó
todas las actividades, todo lo que hacen, todo lo que pueden hacer. Gracias Riqui, gracias por lo que
haces vos y tus compañeros. Pero yo te voy a hacer una pregunta: vos y tus amigos van a dar, dan, dan,
ayudan, pero vos ¿dejás que te den?, contestate en el corazón. En el evangelio que escuchamos recién
hay una frase que para mí es la más importante de todas, dice el evangelio que Jesús a ese joven lo miró
y lo amó. Cuando uno ve el grupo de Richi y sus compañeros, uno los quiere mucho porque hacen cosas
muy buenas, pero la frase más importante que dice Jesús: solo te falta una cosa. Cada uno de nosotros
escuchemos en silencio esta palabra de Jesús: solo te falta una cosa”. ¿Qué cosa me falta? Para todos
los que Jesús ama tanto porque dan tanto a los demás yo les pregunto: ¿vos dejas que otros te den de esa
otra riqueza que vos no tenés?
Los saduceos, los doctores de la ley de la época de Jesús daban mucho al pueblo, le daban la ley, le
enseñaban, pero nunca dejaron que el pueblo les diera algo. Tuvo que venir Jesús para dejarse conmover
por el pueblo. ¡Cuántos jóvenes como vos que hay aquí saben dar pero todavía no aprendieron a recibir!
Solo te falta una cosa. Esto es lo que nos falta: aprender a mendigar de aquellos a quienes damos. Esto
no es fácil de entender aprender a mendigar. Aprender a recibir de la humildad de aquellos que
ayudamos. Aprender a ser evangelizados por los pobres. Las personas a quienes ayudamos, pobres,
enfermos, huérfanos, tienen mucho que darnos. ¿Me hago mendigo y pido también eso?, ¿o soy suficiente
y solamente voy a dar? Vos que vivís dando siempre y crees que no tenés necesidad de nada ¿sabés que
sos un pobre tipo?, ¿sabés que tenés mucha pobreza y necesitas que te den?, ¿Te dejas ayudar por los
pobres, enfermos y por aquellos que ayudas? Esto es lo que ayuda a madurar a jóvenes comprometidos
como Riqui en el trabajo de dar a los demás, aprender a tender la mano desde la propia miseria.
Hay algunos puntos que yo había preparado: aprender a amar y a dejarse amar. Hay un desafío además,
que es el desafío por la integridad. Amar a los pobres. Nuestros obispos quieren que mires a los pobres
de manera especial este año. ¿Vos pensás en los pobres?, ¿vos sentís con los pobres?, ¿vos haces algo
por los pobres? Y vos ¿pedís a los pobres que te den esa sabiduría que tienen? Esto es lo que quería
decirles. Perdonenme porque no leí lo que les tenía preparado. Pero hay una frase que me consuela un
poquito: “La realidad es superior a la idea” y la realidad que ustedes plantearon y la realidad de
ustedes es superior a todas las respuestas que yo había preparado. ¡Gracias!
Spanish transcription courtesy of Radio Vaticana/Guillermo Ortiz. – Rappler.com
Pope Francis's Undelivered Speech, UST Youth Encounter
Below is the full transcript of Pope Francis' prepared speech for the "Encounter with the Youth" event at
the University of Santo Tomas, Sunday, January 18. The pontiff, however, decided to deliver an
impromptu homily in Spanish which was translated in English by Msgr Mark Gerard Miles
Dear young friends,
It is a joy for me to be with you this morning. I greet each of you from the heart, and I thank all those who
made this meeting possible. During my visit to the Philippines, I wanted in a particular way to meet with
young people, to listen to you and to talk with you. I want to express the love and the hopes of the Church
for you. And I want to encourage you, as Christian citizens of this country, to offer yourselves
passionately and honestly to the great work of renewing your society and helping to build a better world.
In a special way, I thank the young people who have offered words of welcome to me. They have
expressed eloquently, in your name, your concerns and worries, your faith and your hopes. They have
spoken of the difficulties and the expectations of the young. Although I cannot respond to each of these
issues at length, I know that, together with your pastors and among yourselves, you will prayerfully
consider them and make concrete proposals for action in your lives.
Today I would like to suggest three key areas where you have a significant contribution to make to the
life of your country. The first of these is the challenge of integrity. The word "challenge" can be
understood in two ways. First, it can be understood negatively, as a temptation to act against your moral
convictions, what you know to be true, good and right. Our integrity can be challenged by selfish interest,
greed, dishonesty, or the willingness to use other people.
But the word "challenge" can be also understood positively. It can be seen as invitation to courage, a
summons to bear prophetic witness to what you believe and hold sacred. In this sense, the challenge of
integrity is something which you have to face now, at this time in your lives. It is not something you can
put off until you are older or have greater responsibilities. Even now you are challenged to act with
honesty and fairness in your dealings with others, young and old alike. Do not avoid the challenge! One
of the greatest challenges young people face is learning to love. To love means to take a risk: the risk of
rejection, the risk of being taken advantage of, or worse, of taking advantage of another. Do not be afraid
to love! But in love, too, maintain your integrity! Here too, be honest and fair!
In the reading we have just heard, Paul tells Timothy: "Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set
an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity" (1 Tim 4:12).
You are called, then, to set a good example of integrity. Naturally, in doing this, you will encounter
opposition, negativity, discouragement, and even ridicule. But you have received a gift which enables you
to rise above those difficulties. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you nurture this gift by daily prayer and
draw strength from sharing in the Eucharist, you will be able to achieve that moral greatness to which
Jesus calls you. You will also be a compass to those of your friends who are struggling. I think especially
of these young people who are tempted to lose hope, to abandon their high ideals, to drop out of school,
or to live from day to day on the streets.
So it is essential not to lose your integrity! Not to compromise your ideals! Not to give in to temptation
against goodness, holiness, courage and purity! Rise to the challenge! With Christ, you will be – indeed
you already are! – the architects of a renewed and more just Filipino culture.
A second key area where you are called to make a contribution is in showing concern for the
environment. This is not only because this country, more than many others, is likely to be seriously
affected by climate change. You are called to care for creation not only as responsible citizens, but also as
followers of Christ! Respect for the environment means more than simply using cleaner products or
recycling what we use. These are important aspects, but not enough. We need to see, with the eyes of
faith, the beauty of God's saving plan, the link between the natural environment and the dignity of the
human person. Men and women are made in the image and likeness of God, and given dominion over
creation (cf. Gen 1:26-28). As stewards of God's creation, we are called to make the earth a beautiful
garden for the human family. When we destroy our forests, ravage our soil and pollute our seas, we betray
that noble calling.
Three months ago, your Bishops addressed these issues in a prophetic Pastoral Letter. They asked
everyone to think about the moral dimension of our activities and lifestyles, our consumption and our use
of the earth's resources. Today I ask you to do this in the context of your own lives and your commitment
to the building up of Christ's kingdom. Dear young people, the just use and stewardship of the earth's
resources is an urgent task, and you have an important contribution to make. You are the future of the
Philippines. Be concerned about what is happening to your beautiful land!
A final area in which you can make a contribution is one dear to all of us. It is care for the poor. We are
Christians. We are members of God's family. No matter how much or how little we have individually,
each one of us is called to personally reach out and serve our brothers and sisters in need. There is always
someone near us in need, materially, emotionally, spiritually. The greatest gift we can give to them is our
friendship, our concern, our tenderness, our love for Jesus. To receive Jesus is to have everything; to give
him is to give the greatest gift of all.
Many of you know what it is to be poor. But many of you have also experienced something of the
blessedness that Jesus promised to "the poor in spirit" (cf Mt 5:3). Here I would say a word of
encouragement and gratitude to those of you who choose to follow our Lord in his poverty through a
vocation to the priesthood and the religious life; by drawing on that poverty you will enrich many. But to
all of you, especially those who can do more and give more, I ask: Please, do more! Please, give more!
When you give of your time, your talents and your resources to the many people who struggle and who
live on the margins, you make a difference. It is a difference that is so desperately needed, and one for
which you will be richly rewarded by the Lord. For, as he has said: "you will have treasure in heaven"
(Mk 10:21).
Twenty years ago, in this very place, Saint John Paul II said that the world needs "a new kind of young
person" – one committed to the highest ideals and eager to build the civilization of love. Be those young
persons! Never lose your idealism! Be joyful witnesses to God's love and the beautiful plan he has for us,
for this country and for the world in which we live. Please pray for me. God bless you all! – Rappler.com
Pope Francis's Homily, Mass at Luneta
The full text of Pope Francis' homily, as delivered during the Holy Mass at the Quirino Grandstand in
Luneta, Manila, Sunday January 18
“A child is born to us, a son is given us” (Is 9:5). It is a special joy for me to celebrate Santo Niño Sunday
with you. The image of the Holy Child Jesus accompanied the spread of the Gospel in this country from
the beginning. Dressed in the robes of a king, crowned and holding the sceptre, the globe and the cross, he
continues to remind us of the link between God’s Kingdom and the mystery of spiritual childhood. He
tells us this in today’s Gospel: “Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter
it” (Mk 10:15). The Santo Niño continues to proclaim to us that the light of God’s grace has shone upon a
world dwelling in darkness, bringing the Good News of our freedom from slavery, and guiding us in the
paths of peace, right and justice. The Santo Niño also reminds us of our call to spread the reign of Christ
throughout the world.
In these days, throughout my visit, I have listened to you sing the song: “We are all God’s children.” That
is what the Santo Niño tells us. He reminds us of our deepest identity. All of us are God’s children,
members of God’s family. Today Saint Paul has told us that in Christ we have become God’s adopted
children, brothers and sisters in Christ. This is who we are. This is our identity. We saw a beautiful
expression of this when Filipinos rallied around our brothers and sisters affected by the typhoon.
The Apostle tells us that because God chose us, we have been richly blessed! God “has blessed us in
Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Eph 1:3). These words have a special resonance in
the Philippines, for it is the foremost Catholic country in Asia; this is itself a special gift of God, a special
blessing. But it is also a vocation. Filipinos are called to be outstanding missionaries of the faith in Asia.
God chose and blessed us for a purpose: to be holy and blameless in his sight (Eph 1:4). He chose us,
each of us to be witnesses of his truth and his justice in this world. He created the world as a beautiful
garden and asked us to care for it. But through sin, man has disfigured that natural beauty; through sin,
man has also destroyed the unity and beauty of our human family, creating social structures which
perpetuate poverty, ignorance and corruption.
Sometimes, when we see the troubles, difficulties and wrongs all around us, we are tempted to give up. It
seems that the promises of the Gospel do not apply; they are unreal. But the Bible tells us that the great
threat to God’s plan for us is, and always has been, the lie. The devil is the father of lies. Often he hides
his snares behind the appearance of sophistication, the allure of being “modern”, “like everyone else.” He
distracts us with the promise of ephemeral pleasures, superficial pastimes. And so we squander our Godgiven gifts by tinkering with gadgets; we squander our money on gambling and drink; we turn in on
ourselves. We forget to remain focused on the things that really matter. We forget to remain, at heart,
children of God. That is sin: [to] forget at heart that we are children of God. For children, as the Lord tells
us, have their own wisdom, which is not the wisdom of the world. That is why the message of the Santo
Niño is so important. He speaks powerfully to all of us. He reminds us of our deepest identity, of what we
are called to be as God’s family.
The Santo Niño also reminds us that this identity must be protected. The Christ Child is the protector of
this great country. When he came into the world, his very life was threatened by a corrupt king. Jesus
himself needed to be protected. He had an earthly protector: Saint Joseph. He had an earthly family, the
Holy Family of Nazareth. So he reminds us of the importance of protecting our families, and those larger
families which are the Church, God’s family, and the world, our human family. Sadly, in our day, the
family all too often needs to be protected against insidious attacks and programs contrary to all that we
hold true and sacred, all that is most beautiful and noble in our culture.
In the Gospel, Jesus welcomes children, he embraces them and blesses them (Mk 10:16). We too need to
protect, guide and encourage our young people, helping them to build a society worthy of their great
spiritual and cultural heritage. Specifically, we need to see each child as a gift to be welcomed, cherished
and protected. And we need to care for our young people, not allowing them to be robbed of hope and
condemned to life on the streets.
It was a frail child, in need of protection, who brought God’s goodness, mercy and justice into the world.
He resisted the dishonesty and corruption which are the legacy of sin, and he triumphed over them by the
power of his cross. Now, at the end of my visit to the Philippines, I commend you to him, to Jesus who
came among us as a child. May he enable all the beloved people of this country to work together,
protecting one another, beginning with your families and communities, in building a world of justice,
integrity and peace. May the Santo Niño continue to bless the Philippines and may he sustain the
Christians of this great nation in their vocation to be witnesses and missionaries of the joy of the Gospel,
in Asia and in the whole world.
Please don’t forget to pray for me! God bless you! – Rappler.com
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PRAYER FOR THE POPE
Oremus pro beatissimo Papa nostro Francisco. Dominus conservet eum, et
vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam
inimicorum eius.
Let us pray for our most Holy Father, Francis. May the Lord keep him, and make
him live, and make him holy on earth, and not deliver him into the hands of his
enemies.

Pope Francis in the Philippines: His Speeches and Homilies

Transcripción

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