Posted on 03/25/2012 4:45:16 AM PDT by NYer
2012-03-25 Vatican Radio
Whenever and wherever Pope Benedict XVI meets children, there is always cause for joy and celebration. Yesterday evening in Mexico was no exception, as our correspondent with the Pope, Philippa Hitchen, reports.
How do you capture in a few words the excitement and enthusiasm of several thousand Mexican school kids who’ve been waiting impatiently all day for their first sight of the Pope? How do you describe the electric atmosphere of the crowds crammed into the appropriately named Peace Square, with bands playing their favourite folk songs and the great bells of the 17th century neo-classical Basilica ringing out to welcome him to Guanajuato?
There couldn’t be a more picturesque setting for his first meeting with the Mexican faithful than this city of narrow cobbled streets and brightly painted colonial houses clustered around the steep hillsides. Declared a UNESCO heritage site in 1988, the city grew rich becauses of the nearby silver mines and then became a hotbed for the national independence movement of the early 19th century. Home to the state governor’s palace, it was inside this imposing two storey building with pale pink stone facade that the Pope met privately with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, discussing shared concerns about poverty, arms reduction and education, before stepping out onto the balcony to greet his young fans gathered below.
When he was finally able to make himself heard above the bells and the songs, he espressed his heartfelt gratitude for the festive and joyful welcome, but he also spoke about the suffering of so many children in this country, plagued with growing levels of conflict and violence. He said he prays especially for those who bear the burden of abandonment, violence or hunger which has been on the increase in some drought ridden regions. Appealing to the young people themselves to become messengers of Christ’s peace in their country, he also urged everyone to protect and care for children so that they may look to the future with confidence – a clear message to the Church here still reeling from continued revelations about Mexico’s most notorious sex abuser, Fr Marcial Marciel, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ. Amidst the largely positive press coverage of this visit, at least one national daily on Saturday printed a full page condemnation of the Church by one of Marciel’s victims. At a press conference later in the evening, papal spokesman Fr Lombardi said that amidst the joy and enthusiasm on the faces of so many young people here, this ongoing concern for those who’ve suffered at the hands of the clergy is very much on the Pope’s mind.
Pope Benedict XVI arrives aboard of his popemobile in Guanajuato, Mexico, Saturday, March 24, 2012. Benedict arrived in Mexico Friday afternoon, a decade after the late Pope John Paul II's last visit....
Solemn Mass in the Parque del Bicentenario of Leon - 11:30 AM ET, Encore: Mon. Mar. 26 at 12 AM ET |
Vespers with the Bishops of Mexico and Latin America - 7:30 PM ET |
Monday, March 26
|
Departure From Mexico - 10:30 AM ET |
Arrival in Cuba - 2:30 PM ET |
Solemn Mass in Antonio Maceo Square of Santiago de Cuba - 6 PM ET, Encore: Tues. Mar. 27 at 12 AM ET |
Tuesday, March 27
|
Visit to the Shrine of the Virgin of Charity - 10 AM ET |
Departure from Santiago de Cuba to Havana - 11:30 AM ET |
Arrival in Havana - 12:30 PM ET |
Meeting with President Castro - 6 PM ET |
Wednesday, March 28
|
Solemn Mass at Plaza de la Revolución - 9:30 AM ET, Thurs. Mar. 29 at 12 AM ET |
Farewell Ceremony - 5 PM ET |
In the Pope's first public event following his arrival in Mexico yesterday, late evening saw Benedict XVI deliver a brief greeting to the young people of Guanajuato from a balcony overlooking a city square.
Below, the pontiff's text in a Vatican English translation. And on a programming note, he marquee event of the three-day Mexican trek -- an open-air Mass for a crowd in excess of half a million -- begins at 10am local time (Noon Eastern, 1800 Rome) tomorrow.
All the events can be viewed either live or on-demand via the Vatican's video-player (iOS feed), which has options for translation/commentary in multiple languages.
I watched this coverage on EWTN last night. It was very touching and encouraging!
If you get EWTN, it’s well worth your while to watch the coverage. It will give you hope!
The Pope will spend your birthday in Cuba. Maybe it’s a sign!
I doubt that Mexico City, where some 40% of all Mexico lives, would have even noticed a papal visit.
Hey Monk I saw some of the coverage last night
Right now Telemundo they showing the mass at this hour
Hey Monk I saw some of the coverage last night
Right now Telemundo they showing the mass at this hour
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