May the world never forget those forced to seek refuge in foreign countries, says the Pope
Vatican City (AsiaNews) Benedict XVI today during the Angelus spoke to the faithful gathered in St Peter's Square and appealed to the international community that it may promote the protection of those forced from their homeland and seeking refuge in foreign lands. He also urged people to reflect on the Eucharist, "treasure" for the faithful, but also an event with "cosmic valency" as the "principle of deification of creation".
But this Sunday, besides the usual sounds of the faithful singing and shouting, the roar of a hundred or so Ferraris from the 'Easy Rider' club could be heard in the square.
"We can hear the cars," said the Pope, smiling, as the engines roared. "They are saying hello to us", he noted, as the red, yellow or grey Ferraris honked in his tribute.
Before the prayer and by way of reminding his audience that today in various parts of the world people are celebrating the Corpus Domini, "solemn and public feast day of the Eucharist", the Pope said that the "Eucharist constitutes in effect the Church's 'treasure', the precious legacy the Lord left it. And the Church has guarded it with the utmost care, celebrating it every day in the holy mass, worshiping it in churches and chapels, giving it to the sick, and, as viaticum, to those who undertake their final journey.
"But the range of this treasure," he added, "destined for the baptised, is not limited to the Church. The Eucharist is the Lord Jesus giving Himself 'for the life of the world' (Jh, 6: 51). In every age and place, He wants to meet man and bring him God's life. But that is not all. The Eucharist has cosmic valency as well. Changing bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ constitutes in fact the principle of deification of creation itself. For this reason, the tradition of bearing the most holy sacrament in procession, an act rich in meaning, especially typifies the feast day of the Corpus Domini."
Benedict XVI, who last Thursday led the Corpus Domini procession in Rome, stressed how "by carrying the Eucharist in the streets and squares, we want to immerse the Bread that came from the Heavens into our daily lives. We want Jesus to walk where we walk, to live where we live. Our world, our existence, must become His temple."
Following the Marian prayer, Benedict XVI made his appeal on behalf of refugees. "Next Tuesday, June 20," he said, "is World Refugee Day, an event promoted by the United Nations. It is meant to draw the attention of the international community to the conditions of so many people forced out of their homeland, fleeing violence. These brothers and sisters of ours seek refuge in foreign countries hoping that one day they shall be able to go home or at least hopeful that they might find hospitality in their place of refuge. I assure them that they shall be in [our] prayers and that the Holy See's concern in their fate shall be constant. It is my hope that they will always be respected and I encourage Church communities to meet their needs".
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