Manila, Philippines to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea flight via Air Niugini part of Eleven-Day Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia and Sri Lanka.
The Pope leaves Manila after the five-day visit for Port Moresby at 9:25 PM and arrives at 4:50 PM, Tuesday, October 28.
After then, he led the welcoming ceremonies at Jackson International Airport of Port Moresby with the President of Papua New Guinea.
Unfazed by reports of plots against him, Pope Francis flew to this forest-clad island nation Monday with prayers of encouragement for a young Asian church.
Arriving from a triumphant visit to the Philippines, the 76-year-old pontiff rode from the airport in an open-sided pickup truck, to the delight of a shorts-and-flip-flops crowd and the dismay of security specialists.
Despite police concern here over the whereabouts and intentions of two Iranian businessmen, and Filipino police suspicions of a plot, Pope Francis inclined to ride in a closed car.
There were no major changes in an outdoor mass scheduled for this morning in which Pope John Paul was to canonize the region's first potential saint.
Chief Inspector Dennis Samin told reporters Monday night that as Pope Francis was arriving from Manila, police here became preoccupied at the apparent disappearance of two Iranians.
He said they had entered the country about a month ago but had recently checked out of their hotel and dropped from sight.
While Pope Francis was in the Philippines, police said two Muslim extremists had been arrested and another 20 were being sought in a plot against the pope.
Landing here in the second of four stops on his 11-day Asian tour, Pope Francis told a cheerful airport crowd that it was a ''joy to return to this beautiful country,'' which he last visited a decade ago.
Thousands of people, many blowing whistles and waving flags, lined the nine-mile motorcade route to salute the pope on a hot, sticky afternoon. About a third of Papua New Guinea's four million people are Roman Catholics.
Pope Francis said, predicting ''a new springtime'' for Christianity in Asia.
The pope continues the 6th foreign visit of his reign Wednesday in Australia. He returns to the Vatican at week's end on Saturday, November 2 after a final stop in Sri Lanka.
Followed by a Meeting with the clergy, religious and laity in the Church of Saint Mary, Help of Christians in Port Moresby and the Holy Mass together with priests from Archdiocese of Port Moresby at Sir John Guise Stadium, Port Moresby.
The pope also continued to travel around Port Moresby in the back of a white pickup, with a yellow canopy providing the only protection from the elements.
During the Mass, the highlight of his two-day visit here, the late John Paul 2 beatified Peter ToRot, a catechist ordered to halt his missionary work by Japanese occupation forces. In 1945, a Japanese military doctor killed him with a lethal injection.
About one-third of the 3.9 million people in Papua New Guinea are Roman Catholic.
Farewell Ceremony of Pope Francis (Jacksons International Airport, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Wednesday, October 29, 2014)
Dear Friends,
Dear People of Papua New Guinea,
I take leave of you and your beautiful country with my heart filled with gratitude, joy and hope.
1. I am deeply grateful for the warm hospitality which the people of Papua New Guinea have shown me. I express my sincere thanks to all those who made this pastoral visit possible, especially His Excellency the Governor–General, the Prime Minister and the distinguished members of Parliament. My thanks go likewise to my Brother Bishops, the clergy, Religious and laity, many of whom have made quiet and unseen sacrifices so that this visit might bring happiness and strength to others. I also thank those who have assisted me so generously, those who have ensured the orderly running of the events and those in the media who have made it possible for my voice to reach people in other places.
2. I have felt great joy during my brief visit among you – joy most of all for having had the opportunity to celebrate here in Papua New Guinea the Beatification of Peter To Rot, the first son of this land to be officially named among the Blessed in heaven. This has been a real occasion for rejoicing on the part of the Catholics of your nation, and it has been a significant event for all your people. The life of Blessed Peter To Rot is a precious treasure which remains forever yours. It is a beacon shining bright, a signal fire leading you to hold aloft the noble ideals which inspired him: faith in God, love of family, service of neighbour, and unswerving courage in the face of trials and sacrifice.
3. Our meetings during these past two days have given me much hope. Everywhere I have met people with a real desire to serve God and to walk in his paths. In your faith you will find the wisdom and inspiration to meet the challenges facing your country. Faith demands solidarity with those affected by the tragic volcanic eruption in New Britain and with the refugees in various parts of Papua New Guinea. Faith demands that all sides involved in the armed conflict and violence in Bougainville should have the courage to seek a truly just and peaceful solution to their disputes. Faith demands that everyone should work together for the good of the whole people.
4. Dear Friends: As you look out upon your beautiful land with its jungles and mighty rivers, its mountains and deep valleys, its volcanoes and limitless seas, give thanks to God whose goodness is without end. With your many different languages and traditions you are a wonderful tapestry which God is weaving into the image of a diverse but united family of peoples upon whom he wishes to shower his blessings. I pray that his peace will always reign in your homes and in your lives!
(in Pidgin–English)
God bless yupela olgeta. God bless Papua Niugini.
After Papua New Guinea, the third stop was Australia from October 29. He left Port Moresby via Jacksons International Airport at 2:00 PM and arrives at Sydney via Kingsford Smith Airport at 6:55 PM.
Map: "ITINERARY: The Traveling Pope Is Traveling Again" Pope Francis will visit Asia and Australia for 11 days beginning today, the ___ foreign trip since he assumed the papacy in 2013. The map charts his schedule.
The Welcoming Ceremony of Pope Francis at Kingsford-Smith Airport of Sydney (Australia) on Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Your Excellency the Governor–General, Mr. Prime Minister, Your Eminence, My Brother Bishops, Dear Australian Friends,
1. With great joy and esteem I greet all of you, deeply grateful to God who has enabled me to visit once again this beloved land of Australia. I thank you, Your Excellency, for coming here personally to welcome me. My gratitude to you, Mr. Prime Minister, for your kind words on behalf of the Government and people. I warmly greet everyone here and everyone listening to my voice on radio or television.
To dear Cardinal Clancy and to my Brother Bishops I renew the expression of my fraternal affection in the Lord. I am very happy to be able to celebrate once more with the Catholic community of Australia the mysteries of our faith and the hope of salvation that unites us in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I am truly glad that the first beatification of an Australian citizen, an Australian woman, can take place right here in Mother Mary MacKillop’s own beloved land.
2. Although my visit this time will be brief, I am certain that it will be an intense experience of prayer, dialogue and shared joy, as was the visit of late former Pope John Paul the Second in 1986. At that time I was able to travel to every State and Territory in Australia. I remember the vastness of the land, its majestic features and natural beauty, your modern cities, the rich variety of your people and the impressive signs of their energy and enterprise. From the original inhabitants to the most recent immigrants, in the young and the old, among parents with their families, I was privileged to discover the most precious of your national treasures: the Australian people themselves, with all their creativity and determination.
3. The abundant fruits which this heritage can produce when illuminated by a deep faith in God are evident in the example of an outstanding Australian woman: Mother Mary MacKillop. Mary MacKillop embodied all that is best in your nation and in its people: genuine openness to others, hospitality to strangers, generosity to the needy, justice to those unfairly treated, perseverance in the face of adversity, kindness and support to the suffering. I pray that her example will inspire many Australians to take new pride in their Christian heritage and to work for a better society for all. This they will do by acting with courage and commitment wherever there is poverty or injustice, wherever innocent life is threatened or human dignity degraded.
4. In the years since my last visit much has changed in the world, and much has changed in Australia. On the international level, the fall of totalitarianism based on ideology, and the lessening of political and military tensions between blocs, are undoubtedly the most striking events. Yet, the benefits which could be expected from such enormous transformations have not always been forthcoming, and new sources of tension and conflict have appeared. Like many other developed countries, Australia too has faced economic and social challenges, to which it is responding. But many people, especially the poor and disadvantaged, still need society’s help.
There exists a cultural and spiritual crisis which leaves many, especially young people, confused regarding the meaning of their lives and the values which would give sense and direction to their efforts. At the very heart of modern culture there is a growing sense of the need for a moral and spiritual renewal: the need for a new attitude, one in which people will have more importance than things, and human dignity will take precedence over material gain.
5. Dear Australian friends, your own Mary MacKillop offers a key to such a renewal: She was a woman of courage who placed the spiritual and material well–being of others ahead of any personal ambition or convenience. The honour which the Church will give to Mother Mary MacKillop by declaring her among the Blessed is in a sense an honour given to Australia and its people. It is also an invitation, an invitation to the whole of society to show genuine love and concern for all who are weighed down by life’s burdens. I dare to say that your response will greatly determine the kind of society you will pass on to future generations in this land of great promise.
And now allow me to direct my thoughts and prayers to Japan, to the many victims of yesterday’s earthquake. Let us pray for them and may God give strength and courage to all affected and to all involved in the rescue work. Thank you.
Thank you all once again for your welcome.
God bless the beloved people of Australia!
God bless this fair land!
Thank you very much.
After the Welcoming Ceremonies of the Pope, he is speaking at the "Sydney Domain" (Sydney, Australia).
Dear Australian Friends: Good evening!
1. As you can see, I am once more here in Australia. In recent months some people wondered if I would be able to come. But Divine Providence has allowed me to make this present pilgrimage, which has already taken me to Manila in the Philippines for the World Youth Day and the Four Hundredth and Twentieth Anniversary of the Church’s organized presence in that country. As you see the young people are very strong! They moved the Pope to come not only to the Philippines, but also to Australia! After Manila, I had the joy of going to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea for the Beatification of Peter To Rot, a catechist who gave his life for the faith in a prison camp just before the end of the Second World War. Now, here I am in Sydney for the Beatification of Mother Mary MacKillop. And from here I will go on to Colombo for another Beatification, that of Father Joseph Vaz, the great missionary of Sri Lanka. As long as God permits I must continue to fulfil the ministry of Saint Peter: to profess that Jesus Christ is Messiah and Lord (cf. Mt. 16:16) and to confirm my brothers and sisters in that true faith (cf. Lk. 22:32).
I am grateful to all of you for your kind and gracious welcome this evening. I thank especially the Prime Minister of New South Wales, and all the Federal, State and Local authorities. I am delighted to be with Cardinal Clancy, my other Brother Bishops, and so many priests, Religious and laity of the Church in Sydney and from other parts of this vast land. I do not know if it is sufficient to say "this vast land". It is a continent! The smallest – but a continent! In the words of the New Testament I greet you all: "May grace and peace be yours in abundance" (2 Pt. 1:2). The words of St Peter.
2. Here in the Sydney Domain, we are surrounded by impressive symbols of modern Australia, striking buildings which are as it were monuments to the blessings which Almighty God has lavished upon your country. We are reminded of all that the arts, sciences, government and religion have contributed to the creative and vigorous society which has developed in your land. To the believer these works of human hands bring to mind a deeper, more mysterious, reality: the fact that we ourselves are the living stones which God chooses in order to build up his kingdom among us. He wishes to use each one of us so that the world will be re–established in justice and peace.
You have just seen a drama presenting the life and work of Mary MacKillop, Mother Mary of the Cross. She is an eminent example of how God uses a person, indeed any person who really wishes to be God’s instrument, to change things for the better, and to bring light and hope to the human heart. Her story, the story of Mary Mackillop, challenges all Australians to a radical personal and social renewal, calling you to embrace and live the hope which is ours in Christ Jesus (cf. 1 Pt. 1:3). Mary MacKillop consecrated her whole being to God, and by fulfilling the demands of her religious vocation she sought every day to fulfil the first of all the Commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind"; and the second commandment which is like the first: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself" (Mt. 22:37-39). Because the love of God inflamed her heart, she tenaciously defended the weak, the poor, the suffering and all those on the margins of society. She worked to assist women and families in distress and to eradicate ignorance among the young. With a resolute will and a compassionate heart, she recognized in each of her brothers and sisters the image and likeness of God; she saw in each individual a priceless soul for whom Christ had shed his most Precious Blood. In her, the unwanted, the unloved and those alienated from society found comfort and strength. Through her work she became a powerful source of inspiration to other like – minded women, and from their shared experience the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph was born. Mary MacKillop’s faith and commitment have become a part of your Australian heritage: a faith immersed in the knowledge of God, a hope imbued with the presence of Christ, a love expressed by the selflessness of a sincere and undivided heart.
3. Australia needs the kind of commitment of which Mary MacKillop is such a striking example. Consider your country’s history: present–day Australia has sprung from the men and women from all parts of the globe who came to your shores looking for a better life or seeking freedom, justice and tolerance. Consequently, yours is a society of multi–cultural diversity. In a world where unity is increasingly threatened by ethnic rivalry and racist attitudes, you must continue to be firmly grounded in the ideals of harmony and solidarity, based on respect for the inalienable dignity of every human being, without exception.
4. I am happy to have met here tonight the representatives of the various Christian Churches and Ecclesial Communities present in Australia. At the beginning of this week of Prayer for Christian Unity, when the followers of Christ throughout the world implore the Holy Spirit for the gift of reconciliation and unity, let us join our hopes and prayers for the grace and wisdom necessary to overcome the divisions of the past, with their resulting misunderstandings and mutual distrust. I encourage you in your commitment to genuine ecumenical dialogue, even as I reconfirm that same commitment on the part of the Catholic Church, in the sure hope that one day Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper will become a reality: "That all may be one" (cf. Jn. 17:21).
5. Dear Brothers and Sisters, in the midst of the splendid display of modern achievements surrounding us in the Sydney Domain, I give the simple reminder that each one of us is called to be a part, a unique and indispensable part, of a structure which is greater by far than anything we see here. God who created all things in order to communicate his love and wisdom is infinitely more expert than any human builder will ever be: seek to be willing instruments in his hands. Look to the example of one of your own heroic women, to the saintly daughter of the Church Mary MacKillop. Let her stir up in each of you the desire to be God’s own handiwork. It is my ardent prayer that today too the Church in Australia will inspire, encourage and guide with the light of the Gospel the building of a nation whose history, as fully as possible, will be a history deeply marked by love of God and neighbour.
God bless the people of Sydney and New South Wales! God bless Australia!
God bless the Commonwealth of Australia! That is all for today! More tomorrow!
Daily Mass (Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, October 30, 2014)
On Friday, October 31, the Farewell Ceremony at the Kingsford-Smith Airport of Sydney, Australia before the take-off for Colombo:
Guarded by security arrangements that included gunboats bobbing in the Indian Ocean surf, Pope John Paul II sought tonight to smooth a dispute with Buddhist monks that could disrupt his brief stay here in the final hours of a tour of Asia and the Pacific.
The Pope arrived in Sri Lanka today, October 31 from Australia, with his aides registering greater concern than usual about his safety in this predominantly Buddhist country where monks have expressed outrage at his references to their faith as a kind of atheism.
"I come as a pilgrim of good will with nothing in my heart but peace," the Pope said at an arrival ceremony, adding:
"In particular, I express my highest regard for the followers of Buddhism. I ardently hope that my visit will serve to strengthen the good will between us, and that it will reassure everyone of the Catholic church's desire for interreligious dialogue."
The Pope leaves Manila after the five-day visit for Port Moresby at 9:25 PM and arrives at 4:50 PM, Tuesday, October 28.
After then, he led the welcoming ceremonies at Jackson International Airport of Port Moresby with the President of Papua New Guinea.
Unfazed by reports of plots against him, Pope Francis flew to this forest-clad island nation Monday with prayers of encouragement for a young Asian church.
Arriving from a triumphant visit to the Philippines, the 76-year-old pontiff rode from the airport in an open-sided pickup truck, to the delight of a shorts-and-flip-flops crowd and the dismay of security specialists.
Despite police concern here over the whereabouts and intentions of two Iranian businessmen, and Filipino police suspicions of a plot, Pope Francis inclined to ride in a closed car.
There were no major changes in an outdoor mass scheduled for this morning in which Pope John Paul was to canonize the region's first potential saint.
Chief Inspector Dennis Samin told reporters Monday night that as Pope Francis was arriving from Manila, police here became preoccupied at the apparent disappearance of two Iranians.
He said they had entered the country about a month ago but had recently checked out of their hotel and dropped from sight.
While Pope Francis was in the Philippines, police said two Muslim extremists had been arrested and another 20 were being sought in a plot against the pope.
Landing here in the second of four stops on his 11-day Asian tour, Pope Francis told a cheerful airport crowd that it was a ''joy to return to this beautiful country,'' which he last visited a decade ago.
Thousands of people, many blowing whistles and waving flags, lined the nine-mile motorcade route to salute the pope on a hot, sticky afternoon. About a third of Papua New Guinea's four million people are Roman Catholics.
Pope Francis said, predicting ''a new springtime'' for Christianity in Asia.
The pope continues the 6th foreign visit of his reign Wednesday in Australia. He returns to the Vatican at week's end on Saturday, November 2 after a final stop in Sri Lanka.
Followed by a Meeting with the clergy, religious and laity in the Church of Saint Mary, Help of Christians in Port Moresby and the Holy Mass together with priests from Archdiocese of Port Moresby at Sir John Guise Stadium, Port Moresby.
The pope also continued to travel around Port Moresby in the back of a white pickup, with a yellow canopy providing the only protection from the elements.
During the Mass, the highlight of his two-day visit here, the late John Paul 2 beatified Peter ToRot, a catechist ordered to halt his missionary work by Japanese occupation forces. In 1945, a Japanese military doctor killed him with a lethal injection.
About one-third of the 3.9 million people in Papua New Guinea are Roman Catholic.
Farewell Ceremony of Pope Francis (Jacksons International Airport, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Wednesday, October 29, 2014)
Dear Friends,
Dear People of Papua New Guinea,
I take leave of you and your beautiful country with my heart filled with gratitude, joy and hope.
1. I am deeply grateful for the warm hospitality which the people of Papua New Guinea have shown me. I express my sincere thanks to all those who made this pastoral visit possible, especially His Excellency the Governor–General, the Prime Minister and the distinguished members of Parliament. My thanks go likewise to my Brother Bishops, the clergy, Religious and laity, many of whom have made quiet and unseen sacrifices so that this visit might bring happiness and strength to others. I also thank those who have assisted me so generously, those who have ensured the orderly running of the events and those in the media who have made it possible for my voice to reach people in other places.
2. I have felt great joy during my brief visit among you – joy most of all for having had the opportunity to celebrate here in Papua New Guinea the Beatification of Peter To Rot, the first son of this land to be officially named among the Blessed in heaven. This has been a real occasion for rejoicing on the part of the Catholics of your nation, and it has been a significant event for all your people. The life of Blessed Peter To Rot is a precious treasure which remains forever yours. It is a beacon shining bright, a signal fire leading you to hold aloft the noble ideals which inspired him: faith in God, love of family, service of neighbour, and unswerving courage in the face of trials and sacrifice.
3. Our meetings during these past two days have given me much hope. Everywhere I have met people with a real desire to serve God and to walk in his paths. In your faith you will find the wisdom and inspiration to meet the challenges facing your country. Faith demands solidarity with those affected by the tragic volcanic eruption in New Britain and with the refugees in various parts of Papua New Guinea. Faith demands that all sides involved in the armed conflict and violence in Bougainville should have the courage to seek a truly just and peaceful solution to their disputes. Faith demands that everyone should work together for the good of the whole people.
4. Dear Friends: As you look out upon your beautiful land with its jungles and mighty rivers, its mountains and deep valleys, its volcanoes and limitless seas, give thanks to God whose goodness is without end. With your many different languages and traditions you are a wonderful tapestry which God is weaving into the image of a diverse but united family of peoples upon whom he wishes to shower his blessings. I pray that his peace will always reign in your homes and in your lives!
(in Pidgin–English)
God bless yupela olgeta. God bless Papua Niugini.
After Papua New Guinea, the third stop was Australia from October 29. He left Port Moresby via Jacksons International Airport at 2:00 PM and arrives at Sydney via Kingsford Smith Airport at 6:55 PM.
Map: "ITINERARY: The Traveling Pope Is Traveling Again" Pope Francis will visit Asia and Australia for 11 days beginning today, the ___ foreign trip since he assumed the papacy in 2013. The map charts his schedule.
The Welcoming Ceremony of Pope Francis at Kingsford-Smith Airport of Sydney (Australia) on Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Your Excellency the Governor–General, Mr. Prime Minister, Your Eminence, My Brother Bishops, Dear Australian Friends,
1. With great joy and esteem I greet all of you, deeply grateful to God who has enabled me to visit once again this beloved land of Australia. I thank you, Your Excellency, for coming here personally to welcome me. My gratitude to you, Mr. Prime Minister, for your kind words on behalf of the Government and people. I warmly greet everyone here and everyone listening to my voice on radio or television.
To dear Cardinal Clancy and to my Brother Bishops I renew the expression of my fraternal affection in the Lord. I am very happy to be able to celebrate once more with the Catholic community of Australia the mysteries of our faith and the hope of salvation that unites us in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I am truly glad that the first beatification of an Australian citizen, an Australian woman, can take place right here in Mother Mary MacKillop’s own beloved land.
2. Although my visit this time will be brief, I am certain that it will be an intense experience of prayer, dialogue and shared joy, as was the visit of late former Pope John Paul the Second in 1986. At that time I was able to travel to every State and Territory in Australia. I remember the vastness of the land, its majestic features and natural beauty, your modern cities, the rich variety of your people and the impressive signs of their energy and enterprise. From the original inhabitants to the most recent immigrants, in the young and the old, among parents with their families, I was privileged to discover the most precious of your national treasures: the Australian people themselves, with all their creativity and determination.
3. The abundant fruits which this heritage can produce when illuminated by a deep faith in God are evident in the example of an outstanding Australian woman: Mother Mary MacKillop. Mary MacKillop embodied all that is best in your nation and in its people: genuine openness to others, hospitality to strangers, generosity to the needy, justice to those unfairly treated, perseverance in the face of adversity, kindness and support to the suffering. I pray that her example will inspire many Australians to take new pride in their Christian heritage and to work for a better society for all. This they will do by acting with courage and commitment wherever there is poverty or injustice, wherever innocent life is threatened or human dignity degraded.
4. In the years since my last visit much has changed in the world, and much has changed in Australia. On the international level, the fall of totalitarianism based on ideology, and the lessening of political and military tensions between blocs, are undoubtedly the most striking events. Yet, the benefits which could be expected from such enormous transformations have not always been forthcoming, and new sources of tension and conflict have appeared. Like many other developed countries, Australia too has faced economic and social challenges, to which it is responding. But many people, especially the poor and disadvantaged, still need society’s help.
There exists a cultural and spiritual crisis which leaves many, especially young people, confused regarding the meaning of their lives and the values which would give sense and direction to their efforts. At the very heart of modern culture there is a growing sense of the need for a moral and spiritual renewal: the need for a new attitude, one in which people will have more importance than things, and human dignity will take precedence over material gain.
5. Dear Australian friends, your own Mary MacKillop offers a key to such a renewal: She was a woman of courage who placed the spiritual and material well–being of others ahead of any personal ambition or convenience. The honour which the Church will give to Mother Mary MacKillop by declaring her among the Blessed is in a sense an honour given to Australia and its people. It is also an invitation, an invitation to the whole of society to show genuine love and concern for all who are weighed down by life’s burdens. I dare to say that your response will greatly determine the kind of society you will pass on to future generations in this land of great promise.
And now allow me to direct my thoughts and prayers to Japan, to the many victims of yesterday’s earthquake. Let us pray for them and may God give strength and courage to all affected and to all involved in the rescue work. Thank you.
Thank you all once again for your welcome.
God bless the beloved people of Australia!
God bless this fair land!
Thank you very much.
After the Welcoming Ceremonies of the Pope, he is speaking at the "Sydney Domain" (Sydney, Australia).
Dear Australian Friends: Good evening!
1. As you can see, I am once more here in Australia. In recent months some people wondered if I would be able to come. But Divine Providence has allowed me to make this present pilgrimage, which has already taken me to Manila in the Philippines for the World Youth Day and the Four Hundredth and Twentieth Anniversary of the Church’s organized presence in that country. As you see the young people are very strong! They moved the Pope to come not only to the Philippines, but also to Australia! After Manila, I had the joy of going to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea for the Beatification of Peter To Rot, a catechist who gave his life for the faith in a prison camp just before the end of the Second World War. Now, here I am in Sydney for the Beatification of Mother Mary MacKillop. And from here I will go on to Colombo for another Beatification, that of Father Joseph Vaz, the great missionary of Sri Lanka. As long as God permits I must continue to fulfil the ministry of Saint Peter: to profess that Jesus Christ is Messiah and Lord (cf. Mt. 16:16) and to confirm my brothers and sisters in that true faith (cf. Lk. 22:32).
I am grateful to all of you for your kind and gracious welcome this evening. I thank especially the Prime Minister of New South Wales, and all the Federal, State and Local authorities. I am delighted to be with Cardinal Clancy, my other Brother Bishops, and so many priests, Religious and laity of the Church in Sydney and from other parts of this vast land. I do not know if it is sufficient to say "this vast land". It is a continent! The smallest – but a continent! In the words of the New Testament I greet you all: "May grace and peace be yours in abundance" (2 Pt. 1:2). The words of St Peter.
2. Here in the Sydney Domain, we are surrounded by impressive symbols of modern Australia, striking buildings which are as it were monuments to the blessings which Almighty God has lavished upon your country. We are reminded of all that the arts, sciences, government and religion have contributed to the creative and vigorous society which has developed in your land. To the believer these works of human hands bring to mind a deeper, more mysterious, reality: the fact that we ourselves are the living stones which God chooses in order to build up his kingdom among us. He wishes to use each one of us so that the world will be re–established in justice and peace.
You have just seen a drama presenting the life and work of Mary MacKillop, Mother Mary of the Cross. She is an eminent example of how God uses a person, indeed any person who really wishes to be God’s instrument, to change things for the better, and to bring light and hope to the human heart. Her story, the story of Mary Mackillop, challenges all Australians to a radical personal and social renewal, calling you to embrace and live the hope which is ours in Christ Jesus (cf. 1 Pt. 1:3). Mary MacKillop consecrated her whole being to God, and by fulfilling the demands of her religious vocation she sought every day to fulfil the first of all the Commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind"; and the second commandment which is like the first: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself" (Mt. 22:37-39). Because the love of God inflamed her heart, she tenaciously defended the weak, the poor, the suffering and all those on the margins of society. She worked to assist women and families in distress and to eradicate ignorance among the young. With a resolute will and a compassionate heart, she recognized in each of her brothers and sisters the image and likeness of God; she saw in each individual a priceless soul for whom Christ had shed his most Precious Blood. In her, the unwanted, the unloved and those alienated from society found comfort and strength. Through her work she became a powerful source of inspiration to other like – minded women, and from their shared experience the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph was born. Mary MacKillop’s faith and commitment have become a part of your Australian heritage: a faith immersed in the knowledge of God, a hope imbued with the presence of Christ, a love expressed by the selflessness of a sincere and undivided heart.
3. Australia needs the kind of commitment of which Mary MacKillop is such a striking example. Consider your country’s history: present–day Australia has sprung from the men and women from all parts of the globe who came to your shores looking for a better life or seeking freedom, justice and tolerance. Consequently, yours is a society of multi–cultural diversity. In a world where unity is increasingly threatened by ethnic rivalry and racist attitudes, you must continue to be firmly grounded in the ideals of harmony and solidarity, based on respect for the inalienable dignity of every human being, without exception.
4. I am happy to have met here tonight the representatives of the various Christian Churches and Ecclesial Communities present in Australia. At the beginning of this week of Prayer for Christian Unity, when the followers of Christ throughout the world implore the Holy Spirit for the gift of reconciliation and unity, let us join our hopes and prayers for the grace and wisdom necessary to overcome the divisions of the past, with their resulting misunderstandings and mutual distrust. I encourage you in your commitment to genuine ecumenical dialogue, even as I reconfirm that same commitment on the part of the Catholic Church, in the sure hope that one day Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper will become a reality: "That all may be one" (cf. Jn. 17:21).
5. Dear Brothers and Sisters, in the midst of the splendid display of modern achievements surrounding us in the Sydney Domain, I give the simple reminder that each one of us is called to be a part, a unique and indispensable part, of a structure which is greater by far than anything we see here. God who created all things in order to communicate his love and wisdom is infinitely more expert than any human builder will ever be: seek to be willing instruments in his hands. Look to the example of one of your own heroic women, to the saintly daughter of the Church Mary MacKillop. Let her stir up in each of you the desire to be God’s own handiwork. It is my ardent prayer that today too the Church in Australia will inspire, encourage and guide with the light of the Gospel the building of a nation whose history, as fully as possible, will be a history deeply marked by love of God and neighbour.
God bless the people of Sydney and New South Wales! God bless Australia!
God bless the Commonwealth of Australia! That is all for today! More tomorrow!
Daily Mass (Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, October 30, 2014)
"But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Mt. 6:33).
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
1. We are celebrating an extraordinary event in the life of the Church in this land: the beatification of Mother Mary MacKillop, the first Australian formally declared to be among the Blessed in heaven. I rejoice with all of you: with Cardinal Clancy and my Brother Bishops, with the priests, Religious, all of you, lay men and women, families, young people and children, who offer a radiant and authentic sign of the Church’s vitality. I give thanks to God for being able to celebrate this Beatification right here on Australian soil. Indeed, Australia itself forms a kind of background for the reflections which I would like to share with you.
Just a few weeks ago, the Church celebrated the Solemnity of the Lord’s Birth, and today’s Liturgy still echoes that saving mystery. The first reading from the Prophet Isaiah recalls the Liturgy of Advent and it has certain images which are quite applicable to your own Continent. Isaiah writes: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God" (Is. 40: 3). The Prophet speaks of the contrasts of valleys and mountains, of rough terrain and level ground (Cf. ibid. 40, 4). In all of this, of course, he is referring to the geography of the Holy Land. But do not these same images also call to mind the geography of Australia? In the centre of Australia is there not an enormous desert, only the outer edges of which are rich and fertile? Are there not rugged plateaus and deep valleys? Along with harsh terrain do we not also find pleasant and hospitable countryside?
2. The contrasts go beyond mere topography; they are evident also in the ethnic origins of the people. Due to its history of receiving immigrants, Australia has come to be a land of encounter between very different cultures and civilizations. Even before the first Europeans arrived here more than two centuries ago, the aboriginal peoples had been present for tens of thousands of years. In fact, ethnologists tell us that the original inhabitants of Australia are among the most ancient peoples on earth. These contrasts in peoples and culture make your nation a marvellous blend of the old and the new, such that Australia today is a land of diversity and unity, enriched by the contributions which these various individuals and groups make to the building up of society.
The Prophet Isaiah’s exhortation takes on a special relevance for those assembled here and for all the Catholic people of Australia. It is here in your own land that the way of the Lord should be prepared, so that Australia will be a place "where the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together" (Ibid. 40: 5). In fact, this glory has already been abundantly revealed in Mary MacKillop, and the Church, by declaring her "Blessed", is saying that the holiness demanded by the Gospel is as Australian as she was Australian. This is the message which I wish to address in particular to Mother MacKillop’s spiritual daughters, the members of the Congregation which she founded. Be assured, dear Sisters, that the Church needs your witness and your fidelity. Australia too values your presence and your dedicated apostolate.
3. It is significant that Mother Mary MacKillop gave to her Congregation the name of Saint Joseph, one who committed his whole being and life to God’s loving Providence. Joseph of Nazareth was a man of boundless trust. Only in this way was he able to live out the unique calling he had received from God, to become the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the guardian of God’s own Son. In the history of the Church Saint Joseph has always been a special model of holiness. Without a doubt, in giving Saint Joseph’s name to her Congregation, Blessed Mary MacKillop was expressing a quality of her own spiritual life, a quality which then became a charism for her followers and for those of us today who would learn from her example.
In the Gospel the Lord says: "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink... Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Mt. 6: 25-26). Joseph the "just man" lived by these words. These words give us an insight into what must be the fundamental attitude of every spiritual life: openness, trust and serenity in the certainty of God’s special love for every human being, "who is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself" (Gaudium et Spes, 24).
4. The Lord concludes his teaching on trust in Providence with the invitation: "Do not worry... your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Mt. 6: 31-33). In the history of Australian Catholicism, this "striving for the kingdom of God" has been realized in an eminent way by Blessed Mary of the Cross.
In the vastness of the Australian continent, Blessed Mary MacKillop was not daunted by the great desert, the immense expanses of the outback, nor by the spiritual "wilderness" which affected so many of her fellow citizens. Rather she boldly prepared the way of the Lord in the most trying situations. With gentleness, courage and compassion, she was a herald of the Good Newsamong the isolated "battlers" and the urban slum-dwellers. Mother Mary of the Cross knew that behind the ignorance, misery and suffering which she encountered there were people, men and women, young and old, yearning for God and his righteousness. She knew, because she was a true child of her time and place: the daughter of immigrants who had to struggle at all times to build a life for themselves in their new surroundings. Her story reminds us of the need to welcome people, to reach out to the lonely, the bereft, the disadvantaged. To strive for the kingdom of God and his righteousness means to strive to see Christ in the stranger, to meet him in them and to help them to meet him in each one of us!
5. Just as in Mother MacKillop’s time, so too today the Christian community is faced with many modern "deserts": the wastelands of indifference and intolerance, the desolation of racism and contempt for other human beings, the barrenness of selfishness and faithlessness: sin in all its forms and expressions, and the scandal of sin magnified by the means of social communications. If the Church continually recalls God’s law, inscribed in the human heart and revealed in the Old and New Testaments, it is not because of some arbitrary attachment to past tradition and outmoded views. It is that man detached from his Creator and Redeemer cannot fulfil his destiny and will not have peace. Everywhere the Church must be "a sign and a safeguard of the transcendence of the human person" (Gaudium et Spes, 76). By defending life against the evils of abortion and euthanasia, by encouraging strong family life in the face of old and new threats to its stability, by advancing justice at every level through her social doctrine, the Church is a true Gospel leaven in every sphere of human activity (Gaudium et Spes, 40). The great document of the Second Vatican Council on the Church in the Modern World has given the Church’s members a reminder which is timely in every age: "Christians cannot yearn for anything more ardently than to serve the men and women of the modern world ever more generously and effectively" (Ibid. 93).
6. How do we go about this? Saint Paul’s clear and unambiguous answer is contained in the Second Reading of this Mass. His words to the Colossians indicate what is at the heart of every Christian vocation. He says: "Above all, clothe yourselves in love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony" (Col. 3: 14). What does it mean to "clothe ourselves in love"? Saint Paul explains: "Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Bear with one another and if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other" (Ibid. 3: 12-13). Here Saint Paul draws his inspiration from the Beatitudes, and in that same spirit he writes about the peace of Christ, to which we have all been called (Cf. ibid. 3: 15), and the need for giving thanks in all things (Cf. ibid. 3: 17).
7. In this solemn Liturgy the Church expresses her thankfulness to Mother Mary of the Cross, to the Religious Community she founded and to all Religious Communities. The recent Synod of Bishopsdedicated to the life and mission of the consecrated life fully recognized the great contribution made by Religious Communities to the Church and to culture and civilization throughout the world. Responding to Saint Paul’s call to "be thankful" (Ibid. 3: 15), we, on the occasion of this Beatification, express our thanks to Christ the Lord for the great service that consecrated men and women render in Australia in the fields of education and healthcare, and through so many other activities on behalf of the common good. Let us pray for a new springtime of religious vocations so that these Communities will continue to be a vital sign of Jesus Christ’s presence in your midst!
It is very well that you are clapping for the Pope kindly this time.
Thank you very much.
8. Yes, Christ is present in Sydney, and throughout Australia! Through him, all creation, and in particular all humanity, is made capable of giving thanks to the Father for the gifts of Creation and Redemption and for the good things that come from human hands. Christ confers on the whole of life a "Eucharistic significance". Men and women of today often forget this; they think that they themselves are the creators of these goods and they easily lose sight of God. As a result they fail to strive for the kingdom of God and too often have no concern for his righteousness.
The Saints, on the contrary, teach us to see Christ present in Australia, in Sydney. They teach us to see Christ as the centre and summit of God’s lavish gifts to humanity. For this reason the Church honours them, raises them to the altars and proposes them as models to be imitated. They are heralds of the true meaning of human life. Blessed be God in his saints!
9. "Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Mt. 6: 33).
With these words I began this homily, and with them I wish to conclude.
The Beatification of Mother Mary MacKillop is a kind of "consecration" of the people of God in Australia. Through her witness the truth of God’s love and the values of his kingdom have been made visible in this continent – values which are at the very basis of Australian society. May your whole Nation remain true to its Christian heritage! And may the Church which makes her pilgrim way in Australia continue to carry out her mission, proclaiming God’s kingdom and his righteousness!
And on the last day, the days I still think about pilgrims. I see the young people of Manila, of so many nations of the whole world... All representing the Pilgrim Church, the pilgrim people of God. And all singing with us, Te Deum laudamus. We are singing, then, of this celebration, of God we praise you. All pilgrim Church sing, rejoice, rejoice in Australia. Christ is here in Sydney and everywhere. Christ is here.
Thank you very much.
Alleluia.
Holy Father's greetings at the conclusion of the Eucharistic Celebration:
I greet all Australians, beginning with all Aboriginals of Australia and New Zealand. And then all who made their contribution to the entire work of prayer: Irish, Ireland, all Irish-Australians, all British-Australians, all Italians, all Croatians, Polish, Ukrainians, and Vietnamese. All together..., mexicanos tambié, Polaków,...
We all praise the Lord! All of you, once again, thank you very much! And our congratulations to Blessed Mary MacKillop and the Congregation of Sisters founded by her, here present.
Once again, thank you very much for your patience and perseverance.
Once again, thank you very much for your patience and perseverance.
And the last word about Cardinal Clancy... Cardinal Clancy desired the rain tomorrow, only tomorrow...
The Pope for today, Cardinal Clancy for tomorrow.
Praise be the Lord!
Dear Friends,
Dear People of Australia,
Dear People of Australia,
1. As I say goodbye to your fair land, I heartily thank everyone for the hospitality which has been extended to me at each moment of this short stay. With your warmth, cordiality and enthusiasm, you have confirmed my belief that the people of Australia remain the greatest of the gifts in which your nation abounds!
I am especially grateful to the Governor–General, the Prime Minister and all the civil authorities for their courteous help in making this visit possible. To those who have arranged the security, to those in the communications media who have provided coverage of this memorable event and, particularly, to Cardinal Clancy and my Brother Bishops and the many thousands of men and women who have cooperated in the preparations for these past two days – to all of you I express my sincere thanks.
2. Among the vivid memories I will take away with me is that of a great and holy woman – Mary MacKillop, the first Australian officially declared by the Church to be among the Blessed. God took this daughter of your land and made her a sign of spiritual greatness, a model of personal holiness and of service to the common good, to be contemplated and admired by all peoples, not only in Australia but throughout the world. Mother Mary’s life speaks eloquently because it was firmly anchored in something which every human heart longs for: inner peace, that peace which comes from knowing that one is loved by God, and from the desire to respond to his love (cf. John Paul II, Message for the World Day of Peace 1995, 5). This is the simple yet profound lesson of Blessed Mary MacKillop. She knew that God loved her and she did not doubt; freely and unassumingly she responded to this love with confidence and courage. In facing every obstacle, in turning no one away, in the compassion and understanding she showed towards all, she was able to inspire this same inner peace and strength in others.
3. To all Australians I make this appeal: do not hesitate to tap your spiritual resources in order torenew your families and the whole of society! Use your rich multi–cultural diversity to foster ever greater mutual esteem and enrichment among yourselves! Recognize that your love of freedom and justice will come to nothing if you do not strengthen respect for the sacredness of life and the human dignity of every person, created in God’s image and likeness (cf. Gen. 1:26-27)!
Meeting so many of you over these past two days I have been forcefully reminded of the greatness of your Country and the abundance of your blessings. Your advantages and resources put you in a position of responsibility in Oceania and the Pacific Region, and towards the vast and quickly developing continent of Asia. With God’s help, you must continue to work with others to advance the cause of peace, foster integral human development and relieve, as far as possible, the oppression of poverty, hunger and disease.
4. Dear People of Australia: I say farewell with great confidence in your future. When next you hear the strains of your National Anthem and sing the words, "our land abounds in Nature’s gifts of beauty rich and rare", give heartfelt thanks to God for his many blessings. Thank him for the freedom you enjoy, freedom to choose what is good and right. Thank him for your families, for your children who are the sure promise of a better tomorrow. Treat the poor and needy among you with real concern and practical solidarity. Think of Mother Mary MacKillop and learn from her to be a gift of love and compassion for one another, for all Australians, and for the world.
May God protect your beloved country!
Advance, Australia Fair!
Advance, Australia Fair!
Guarded by security arrangements that included gunboats bobbing in the Indian Ocean surf, Pope John Paul II sought tonight to smooth a dispute with Buddhist monks that could disrupt his brief stay here in the final hours of a tour of Asia and the Pacific.
The Pope arrived in Sri Lanka today, October 31 from Australia, with his aides registering greater concern than usual about his safety in this predominantly Buddhist country where monks have expressed outrage at his references to their faith as a kind of atheism.
"I come as a pilgrim of good will with nothing in my heart but peace," the Pope said at an arrival ceremony, adding:
"In particular, I express my highest regard for the followers of Buddhism. I ardently hope that my visit will serve to strengthen the good will between us, and that it will reassure everyone of the Catholic church's desire for interreligious dialogue."
