Angelus Pope Francis

Yesterday, we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints, and today the liturgy invites us to commemorate the faithful departed. These two feasts are intimately linked, just as joy and tears find in Jesus Christ a synthesis that is the foundation of our faith and hope. On the one hand, the Church, on her pilgrimage through history, rejoices in the intercession of the saints and the blessed who support her in her mission to proclaim the Gospel; on the other hand, like Jesus, she shares the tears of those who suffer from the separation of their loved ones, and, like Him, and thanks to Him, she offers her thanksgiving to the Father who has freed us from the dominion of sin and death.

Yesterday and today, many people visit the cemetery, which, as the word suggests, is the "place of rest," awaiting the final awakening. It is beautiful to think that Jesus himself will awaken us. Jesus himself revealed that the death of the body is like a sleep from which he awakens us. With this faith, we pause—even spiritually—at the graves of our loved ones, those who loved us and did us good. But today, we are called to remember everyone, even those whom no one remembers. We remember the victims of wars and violence; all the "poor" of the world crushed by hunger and poverty; we remember the nameless ones who lie in mass graves. We remember our brothers and sisters killed because they were Christians; and those who sacrificed their lives in service to others. Let us entrust to the Lord, in particular, those who have left us during the past year.

The Church's tradition has always urged us to pray for the dead, especially by offering the Eucharistic celebration for them: it is the best spiritual help we can give to their souls, particularly the most abandoned. The foundation of prayer for intention lies in communion with the Mystical Body. As the Second Vatican Council reiterates: "The Church, on pilgrimage on earth, mindful of this communion with the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, has cultivated the memory of the dead with great piety from the earliest days of the Christian religion" ( Lumen Gentium , n. 50).

Remembering the departed, tending graves, and offering prayers of intention are proof of a confident hope, rooted in the certainty that death does not have the final say on human destiny, for humanity is destined for a life without limits, a life rooted in and fulfilled in God. To God, we address this prayer: “God of infinite mercy, we entrust to your immense goodness all those who have left this world for eternity, where you await all of humanity, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, your Son, who died as a ransom for our sins. Do not look, Lord, upon the many human poverty, misery, and weaknesses, when we appear before your tribunal to be judged for happiness or condemnation. Turn toward us your compassionate gaze, which flows from the tenderness of your heart, and help us to walk the path of complete purification.” May none of your children be lost in the eternal fires of hell, where there can be no repentance. We entrust to you, Lord, the souls of those dear to us, those who died without the comfort of the sacraments, or who did not have the opportunity to repent, even at the end of their lives. May no one be afraid to meet you after their earthly pilgrimage, in the hope of being welcomed into the arms of your infinite mercy. May our sister, bodily death, find us vigilant in prayer and filled with all the good we accomplished during our brief or long existence. Lord, may nothing separate us from you on this earth, but may everything and everyone support us in the ardent desire to rest serenely and eternally in you. Amen” (Father Antonio Rungi, Passionist, Prayer for the Dead).

With this faith in humanity's ultimate destiny, we now turn to the Virgin Mary, who suffered the tragedy of Christ's death on the Cross and then shared in the joy of his resurrection. May she, the Gate of Heaven, help us to understand ever more deeply the value of prayers for the departed. They are close to us! May she sustain us on our daily pilgrimage on earth and help us never to lose sight of life's ultimate goal: Paradise. And with this hope that never disappoints, let us go forward!

AR - DE - EN - ES - FR - IT - PT

COMMEMORATION OF THE DEPARTED FAITHFUL

POPE FRANCIS

ANGELUS

Place Saint-Pierre, Sunday, November 2, 2014

[ Multimedia ]