Pope Francis left Philadelphia and is headed back to Rome tonight Sunday Sep 27,2015, bringing his historic trip to the U.S. to a close.
The pope's airport send-off included appearances from Vice President Joe
Biden, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom
Wolf, as well as a performance by a high school band.
After Pope Francis boarded the American Airlines plane, he gave one last wave to the American people through the window.
In his final speech at the airport, Francis thanked all those who worked
to prepare for his visit. He said he was leaving the U.S. with "a heart
full of gratitude and hope."
Text of Pope Francis' final speech as translated by the Holy See
Mr. Vice President,
Distinguished Authorities,
My Brother Bishops,
Dear Friends,
My days with you have been brief. But they have been days of great grace
for me and, I pray, for you too. Please know that as I prepare to
leave, I do so with a heart full of gratitude and hope.
I am grateful to all of you and to the many others who worked so hard to
make my visit possible and to prepare for the World Meeting of
Families. In a particular way I thank Archbishop Chaput and the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the civil authorities, the organizers, and
all the many volunteers and benefactors who assisted in ways large and
small.
I also thank the families who shared their witness during the Meeting.
It is not so easy to speak openly of one’s life journey! But their
honesty and humility before the Lord and each of us showed the beauty of
family life in all its richness and diversity. I pray that our days of
prayer and reflection on the importance of the family for a healthy
society will inspire families to continue to strive for holiness and to
see the Church as their constant companion, whatever the challenges they
may face.
At the end of my visit, I would also like to thank all those who
prepared for my stay in the Archdioceses of Washington and New York. It
was particularly moving for me to canonize Saint Junípero Serra, who
reminds us all of our call to be missionary disciples, and I was also
very moved to stand with my brothers and sisters of other religions at
Ground Zero, that place which speaks so powerfully of the mystery of
evil. Yet we know with certainty that evil never has the last word, and
that, in God’s merciful plan, love and peace triumph over all.
Mr. Vice-President, I ask you to renew my gratitude to President Obama
and to the Members of Congress, together with the assurance of my
prayers for the American people. This land has been blessed with
tremendous gifts and opportunities. I pray that you may all be good and
generous stewards of the human and material resources entrusted to you.
I thank the Lord that I was able to witness the faith of God’s people in
this country, as manifested in our moments of prayer together and
evidenced in so many works of charity. Jesus says in the Scriptures:
“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my
brethren, you did it to me”. Your care for me and your generous welcome
are a sign of your love for Jesus and your faithfulness to him. So too
is your care for the poor, the sick, the homeless and the immigrant,
your defense of life at every stage, and your concern for family life.
In all of this, you recognize that Jesus is in your midst and that your
care for one another is care for Jesus himself.
As I leave, I ask all of you, especially the volunteers and benefactors
who assisted with the World Meeting of Families: do not let your
enthusiasm for Jesus, his Church, our families, and the broader family
of society run dry. May our days together bear fruit that will last,
generosity and care for others that will endure! Just as we have
received so much from God –gifts freely given us, and not of our own
making – so let us freely give to others in return.
Dear friends, I embrace all of you in the Lord and I entrust you to the
maternal care of Mary Immaculate, Patroness of the United States. I will
pray for you and your families, and I ask you, please, to pray for me.
May God bless you all. God bless America!
No comments:
Post a Comment