St. Peter’s Square Saturday, 22 May 1999 *
“Let us thank God for this extraordinary event, which has been an act of love for the city and for each of its residents. In the Christian communities the City Mission has encouraged a journey of intense spirituality, nourished by prayer and by listening to the Word of God. It has also fostered the growth of that ecclesial communion which the Roman Synod indicated as an indispensable condition of the new evangelization. ” With these words John Paul II in the homily of the Eucharistic Celebration at the Pentecost Vigil on Saturday afternoon, May 22, he has summarized the journey traveled by the Church of Rome from December 8, 1995 until the Solemnity of Pentecost of 1999.This is the text of John Paul II’s homily:
1. “Open the door to Christ your Saviour“: this invitation, which echoed loud and clear for three years in preparation for the Great Jubilee, has characterized our City Mission. Let us thank God for this extraordinary event, which has been an act of love for the city and for each of its residents. In the Christian communities the City Mission has encouraged a journey of intense spirituality, nourished by prayer and by listening to the Word of God. It has also fostered the growth of that ecclesial communion which the Roman Synod indicated as an indispensable condition of the new evangelization.
The entire diocesan community, in its various ministries, vocations and charisms, has joined forces to make its own contribution of prayer, proclamation, witness and service. Together we have shared the experience of being the “People of God on mission”.
I feel it my duty to thank those who in various ways took part in this important pastoral programme. First of all, His Eminence the Cardinal Vicar, who has zealously guided the Mission in close collaboration with the Auxiliary Bishops, whom I cordially greet. Here I would like to mention the other prelates who offered their appreciated cooperation, including the late Bishop Clemente Riva.
My thoughts turn gratefully to you, dear missionaries, priests, religious and especially lay people, who have been the first to benefit from the grace of the Mission. Your generous efforts in preparing yourselves and in bringing the Gospel to homes and to the other areas of the city have opened new ways of evangelization and Christian presence in the daily texture of our people’s lives. The Holy Spirit has guided you step by step, inspired you with the right words for proclaiming Christ and supported you in the inevitable moments of difficulty.
Let us thank the Lord for all he has done, showing in every situation the signs of his mercy and love. The Great Jubilee, now close at hand, spurs us to continue this missionary effort with the same enthusiasm, so that the results achieved by the Mission can be consolidated and extended. In this way we will be able to show the face of our open and welcoming Church, renewed in faith and rich in works of charity, to the many pilgrims who will come to Rome next year.
2. For this to happen, our missionary work, so well begun, must be consolidated and developed. The individuals and families we have already visited in their homes and workplaces must be given ongoing support, and we must reach out to those who for various reasons could not be contacted in these years. May the annual visit to families and the centres for listening to the Gospel, which must become more widespread, thus be the soul of parish ministry, thanks to the collaboration of ecclesial associations, movements and groups. May the celebration of the Word of God enhance the faith journey of parish communities, especially during the principal seasons of the liturgical year. May the sign of charity towards the poor and suffering accompany the proclamation of the Lord, showing his living presence through the daily witness of fraternal love. We must strengthen communion among Christians who are involved in the fields of work and study, of care-giving and entertainment, where the Gospel has been preached in a practical way. The seed of Gospel newness, sown by the Mission, must grow and bear fruit everywhere, even where it has not been possible yet to organize suitable missionary programmes. For this reason our witness is more urgent than ever. No situation, in fact, is impervious to the Gospel; on the contrary, the risen Christ is already mysteriously present there through his Holy Spirit.
3. Such a vast apostolic undertaking requires a program of formation and catechesis directed toward the entire People of God, so that they may become more aware of their missionary vocation and be prepared to give an account of their faith in Christ always and everywhere. It is the responsibility of parishes, religious communities, associations, movements, and groups to provide this formation, preparing journeys of faith, prayer, and Christian experience rich in theological, spiritual, and cultural content.
You, dear priests, are the first to whom this mission is entrusted: be wise guides and attentive teachers of the faith in your communities. You, dear men and women religious, who have contributed so much to the mission, continue to support it through your prayer, your holy way of life, and your own charisms, in the many apostolic fields in which you are engaged. You, dear laypeople, are called to foster a great and ongoing missionary movement in the city and in all its spheres. Do not fail to make your contribution in families, in the vast and complex world of work and culture, in schools and universities, in healthcare institutions, in the media, and in leisure activities, so that the proclamation of the Gospel may influence all of society.
And we cannot forget the contribution that the sick have made to the mission—and are called to renew through the offering of their suffering—as well as that of the cloistered nuns through their constant prayer.
I thank each and every one of you for your valuable spiritual support.
4. Looking back on these three years of the citizen mission, we can easily see that the Word of God has been sown abundantly. To ensure that this divine seed does not remain barren, but rather takes root firmly and bears fruit in daily life and pastoral ministry, we must foster a specific process of reflection—one that involves all members of the Church and culminates in a conference. I envision a major gathering that, building on the experience of the “citizen mission,” will serve to outline the guiding principles for a constant commitment to evangelization and missionary zeal. Being a Church on mission is the great challenge of the coming years for Rome and for the entire world. I give this exhortation to you, dear priests, men and women religious, laypeople, and—in a special way—to you, movements and new communities, recalling the gathering a year ago, on the eve of Pentecost, in this very square. We must open ourselves with docility to the action of the Spirit, welcoming with gratitude and obedience the gifts that he never ceases to pour out for the benefit of the entire Church. This afternoon, Christ repeats to each of you: “Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News to all creation” (Mk 16:15). Dear brothers and sisters, the Gospel that Christ has entrusted to us is the Gospel of peace. We cannot keep it only for ourselves, especially at this time when violence and war are sowing destruction and death in the nearby region of the Balkans. The Spirit impels us to be heralds and builders of peace through justice and reconciliation. From this perspective, I would like the entire Church of Rome to raise an urgent prayer for peace on the upcoming Feast of Corpus Christi. Therefore, I invite all of you—priests, religious, and the faithful—to join me on the afternoon of Thursday, June 3, at St. John Lateran, to participate in the Mass and the Corpus Christi procession, during which we will together implore the gift of peace in the Balkans. May the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ this year be marked by intense prayer for peace.
5. “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love!” Come, Holy Spirit! This invocation, which resounds in the liturgy of this Pentecost Vigil, fills us with joy and hope. Holy Spirit, architect and soul of the mission, raise up in the Church of Rome many missionaries from among young people, adults, and families, and pour into each one the unquenchable fire of your love. Spirit, “light of hearts,” point out new paths for the mission within our cities and throughout the world in the third millennium, which is about to begin.
“Perfect Comforter,” sustain those who have lost confidence, confirm the enthusiasm of those who have experienced the joy of evangelization, and strengthen in all the faithful the desire and courage to be daily missionaries of the Gospel in their own environments of life and work. “Sweet Guest of the soul,” open the hearts of all people, families, and religious and parish communities, so that they may generously welcome the poor pilgrims participating in the Jubilee celebrations. Indeed, this will be one of the most beautiful and fruitful outcomes of the civic mission: the concrete expression of Roman charity—the fruit of faith—which has always accompanied the celebration of Holy Years. Most Holy Mary, who since Pentecost has watched over the Church, invoking the coming of the Holy Spirit, remains among us at the center of our unique cenacle. To you, whom we venerate as the Virgin of Divine Love, we entrust the fruits of the civic mission so that, through your intercession, the Diocese of Rome may give the world a steadfast witness to Christ, our Savior.”
(*) Cfr. «L’Osservatore Romano», 24-25 May 1999.