For Catholic Action members, April 25th represents a day of celebration in which they can meet in Rome in St. Peter’s Square and rediscover together the joy of being part of an association that works at the service of the church and the community as a whole. Furthermore, surrounded by a joyful atmosphere, it is also possible to reflect, guided by the words of the Holy Father, on the theme chosen for the occasion. This year, for the 157th anniversary of the foundation of the AC, the slogan “A Braccia Aperte” was chosen.
The reflection of Pope Francis
In the presence of a square packed with over 80,000 people, including a large group from the diocese of Catanzaro-Squillace, Pope Francis focused his speech on the theme of hugs. “The hug – he begins – represents one of the most spontaneous expressions of the human experience. There are three types of hugs on which, however, we must reflect: the hug that is missing, the hug that saves and the hug that changes life.” “At the origin of wars – he adds – there are often missed hugs or rejected hugs, which are followed by judgements, misunderstandings, suspicions, to the point of seeing the other as an enemy. You at AC have the opportunity to demonstrate that hugging is the way of life.” “The hug that saves – he explains – is that of the Lord, who teaches us the paradigm of life and the Gospel.
Let us allow ourselves to be embraced by Him, like children, because we all need it and in this way we will also learn to embrace others.” “A hug – underlines the Pope – can also change lives, show new paths, paths of hope. Just as it happened to some saints, such as Saint Francis, who took off his clothes and welcomed the Lord after holding a leper close to him.”
“If the culture of embracing – he concludes – enters your personal and community lives, it will also grow in the church and in society, renewing family and educational relationships, processes of reconciliation, justice and efforts at communion, building solid bonds. for a peaceful future.” Pope Francis then took his leave, amid the choruses of the crowd, stating: “I will pray for you, you pray for me. Please, for and not against!”
The words of the youth vice-president of the diocese of Catanzaro-Squillace
Among those present in St. Peter’s Square there was also Manuel Cafasi, vice-president of youth of the diocese of Catanzaro-Squillace. The latter, on the sidelines of the day, stated: “Living such an experience allows you to breathe the true strength of AC, which lies in the ability to be dynamic and live through comparison and sharing”.
“Today – he concludes – we felt truly embraced by a large family, which is present throughout Italy and, thanks to these circumstances, can be rediscovered in its numerousness”.
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