Pope Francis visits Our Lady of Bonaria

(Vatican Radio) The Pope on Sunday celebrated Holy Mass at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Bonaria, in Cagliari on the island of Sardinia. 

The pastoral voyage has a special significance for Pope Francis, whose hometown of Buenos Aires in Argentina takes its from Our Lady of Bonaria. 

In his homily, Pope Francis said he had come to Cagliari to “to share with you the joys and hopes, efforts and commitments, ideals and aspirations of your island, and to confirm you in the Faith.” He spoke in particular about economic difficulties, especially the high level of unemployment and job insecurity. 

“The loyal cooperation of everyone is necessary, with the commitment of leaders of institutions — even within the Church — to ensure the fundamental rights of persons and families, and to grow more fraternal and united. To ensure the right to work, to bring home bread, bread earned by work!”

Pope Francis said he had also come to Cagliari “to place myself, with you, at the feet of the Madonna, who gives us his Son.” For hundreds of years, the people of Sardinia have invoked the protection of Our Lady of Bonaria; on Sunday, the Pope called on them once more to entrust themselves to her, and to remain constant in prayer. “We must not tire of knocking on the God’s door,” he said. “Let us bring our whole life, every day, to the heart of God through Mary!” 

Finally, the Holy Father said he had come to Cagliari “to encounter the gaze of Mary.” In Mary’s maternal regard for her children, Pope Francis said, there is a reflection of the loving of God the Father for His people, and of the look of love with which Jesus entrusted St. John to Mary at the foot of the Cross – recalling the reading of the day’s Gospel. “Let us ask Mary to look upon us,” the Pope said, that we might meet the loving Father. 

Mary, Pope Francis said, “teaches us to have that look that seeks to welcome, to guide, to protect. Let us learn to look at each other under the maternal gaze of Mary! There are people who we instinctively give less attention to, people who instead have most need of it: the most abandoned, the sick, those who have nothing to live on, those who do not know Jesus, young people who are in trouble, the young who can’t find work.”

Concluding his address in the local dialect, Pope Francis prayed “May Our Lady of Bonaria accompany you throughout your whole life!”

Pope: where there is no work there is no dignity

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday denounced the idolotry of money over man.


Speaking to some 20,000 workers and entrepreneurs and workers who have been made redundent after his arrival in Sardinia's capital Cagliari, the Pope offered words of hope to those struggling to make ends meet.



``It's easy to say `don't lose hope,''' he said. ``But to all of you who have work, and to those who don't, let me tell you: Don't let yourselves be robbed of hope.''


And using strong words, he denounced what he called big business's idolatry of money over man, and he offered hope to the unemployed and the entrepreneurs who are particularly hard-hit by the economic crisis in one of Italy’s poorest regions.


Francis left aside his prepared remarks and spoke off the cuff to the tens of thousands gathered to be with him, telling them he knew well what it was like to suffer from financial crisis. 

He recalled that his Italian parents, who immigrated to Argentina before he was born, spoke about it often at home.

And he said “it's easy for a priest to come and tell the poor to have courage” but he assured those present he really meant it, and called for dignified work for all.

"Where there is no work” he said “there is no dignity."

And the Pope noted that the problems in Sardinia weren't the island's alone. He said they were the result of a global economic system "that has at its center an idol called money.