During Mass in Turin’s Vittorio Veneto Square before 40,000 faithful, Pope Francis mentioned God’s love and our ancestors’ strong, “rock-like” faith. The pontiff also mentioned the region’s “free and stubborn saints” who accepted God's love and spread it around the world. He encouraged the faithful to “face life with courage and look to the future with hope,” urging them to be open to migrants “who fled war and persecution in search of peace and freedom." To Our Lady Consolata, he entrusted this "land’s ecclesial and civic journey." Funds raised by the archbishop from the pilgrims to the Shroud were donated to the pope’s charitable fund.

Turin (AsiaNews) – God’s love toward us "is a faithful love, a love that recreates everything, a love that is stable and reliable,” said this morning Pope Francis in his homily before some 40,000 faithful gathered in Turin’s Vittorio Veneto Square.

The pontiff decided to be in this city today and tomorrow for a pilgrimage to the Shroud of Turin and visit Saint John Bosco’s country 200 years after his birth.

Before the Mass, which began 15 minutes ahead of schedule, the pope visited the city’s cathedral where he stood in silence for a few minutes before the shroud, which has been venerated as the linen cloth that was wrapped around the body of Jesus in the tomb, and which bears the marks of his passion and love for the world. Indeed, the pope stressed this love in his homily.

Jesus, he said, bears witness to God's love. "He became a man for love, died and rose for love, and is always by our side for love, in good times and bad times. Jesus always loves us, until the end, without limits and without measure. He loves everyone, so much so that each one of us can say, ‘He gave his life for me.’ Jesus’ faithfulness does not even succumb to our infidelity. . . . Jesus remains faithful even when we are wrong, and he waits for us to forgive us. He is the face of the merciful Father."

"God’s love recreates everything, i.e. it makes all things anew . . . . The sign that we have become 'new' and have been transformed by God’s love is when we take off the worn-out clothes of old grudges and enmities in order to wear the clean tunic of meekness, kindness, service to others, and peace of the heart, which is typical of God’s children. The spirit of the world is always looking for something new, but only Jesus’ faithfulness can be truly new, make us new men and women, and re-create us."

"God’ love is stable and reliable, like a rocky reef that protects from the violence of the waves . . . . Faced with a man shouting, 'I can’t take it anymore', the Lord goes towards him, offers the rock of his love, onto which everyone can hang, knowing that no one can fall. How many times do we feel we cannot take it anymore! Yet, He is by our side with an outstretched hand and an open heart."

During this visit, Pope Francis is set to meet his relatives, who live in Piedmont. Perhaps, in reference to this, he said, "our ancestors knew well what it means to be a 'rock', what 'strength' means."

"We Christians are at risk of becoming paralysed by the fears of the future, seeking security in fleeting things, or in an inward-looking model of society that tends to exclude rather than include. Many saints and blessed have grown up in this land; free and stubborn saints, they accepted God's love and spread it around the world. Following in the footsteps of these witnesses, we too can experience the joy of the Gospel by practicing mercy. We can share the hardships of so many people, families, especially the weaker ones, affected by the economic crisis. Families need to feel the maternal touch of the Church to go forward in their married life, children’s education, elderly care and passing on their faith to young generations."

Francis Pope ended his homily with an invocation to the Holy Spirit, that it may "help us always be aware of this ‘rock-like’ love that makes us stable and strong in [our] greater or lesser sufferings, enables us not to turn inward when faced with difficulties, [and helps us] face life with courage and look to the future with hope." Here too, the Holy Father did not forget the situation of migrants, who live in great numbers in the city of Turin. "The peace that He gives us is for everyone; also for the many brothers and sisters who have fled war and persecution in search of peace and freedom."

The pope devoted a final thought to Mary Mother of Consolation, whose shrine is well known in Turin. "Dear friends,” he said, “yesterday you celebrated the Blessed Virgin Consolata, the Consola,' who ‘is there: small and massive, without pomp, like a good mother.’ Let us entrust to our Mother this land’s ecclesial and civic journey. May she help us follow the Lord in order to be faithful, allow us to be renewed every day and remain steadfast in love. Amen."

Before the Mass ended, the Archbishop of Turin, Mgr Cesare Nosiglia, addressed some words of thanks to the pope. As he described the diocese’s many missionary commitments, he hand over to the pope some cash offerings that had been collected from pilgrims visiting the Shroud, for Francis to use in his charity.

Before the Angelus, Pope Francis noted again God’s "greatest love" (which is the motto of this pilgrimage). "The Shroud is the icon of this love,” he said, “which once more drew so many people here to Turin. The Shroud’s face and the broken body of Jesus draws and pushes towards the face of every person who is suffering or unjustly persecuted. It moves us towards the gift of Jesus' love. ‘[T]he love of Christ impels us" is also the motto of Saint Joseph Benedict Cottolengo."

Noting "the apostolic zeal of many holy priests from this land", including Don Bosco, the pontiff greeted "with gratitude" the priests and religious present at the event. "You are highly dedicated to pastoral work,” he said, “and you are close to the people and their problems. I encourage you to pursue your ministry with joy, always focusing on what is essential in proclaiming the Gospel. And whilst I thank you, brother Bishops of Piedmont, for your presence, I urge you to be close to your priests with fatherly affection."

Finally, "To the Holy Virgin, I entrust this city and its region and those who live in it, so that they may live in justice, peace and brotherhood. In particular, I entrust families, young people, seniors, prisoners and all those who suffer, with a special thought today for leukaemia patients, on the National Day against leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. May Mary Consolata, queen of Turin and Piedmont, strengthen your faith, ensure your hope and enrich your charity, to be "salt and light" of this blessed land whose grandson I am."

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