«Bergoglio, let’s make the field wide open together»

“Children, pray for us, pray for parents, pray for peace.” The applause immediately starts for the Pope at these words. In St. Peter’s Square there are the children of World Day. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is also there with her daughter Ginevra, they sit in the first bench in the churchyard next to the mayor Roberto Gualtieri. Behind them, ambassadors and other VIPs found their place. The first edition of the world event entirely dedicated to children was perhaps thought to be more numerous than it actually turned out to be. Yesterday at the Olympic stadium there were just under 50 thousand present against the forecasts which predicted overbooking with over 80 thousand. The same thing was true for this morning’s mass. People began to flock so as not to miss Benigni’s show scheduled after the Angelus, at the end of the mass.

«Almost for the next elections I will present myself, together with you Your Holiness, let’s make the broad field together. Let’s put the name Jorge Mario Bergoglio, known as Francesco, on the ballot: let’s win immediately.” The Benigni show in St. Peter’s Square began with this joke, in his monologue the Oscar winner addressed the Pope directly, after kissing him. He called Meloni “Mr. President” and she started laughing, then encouraged the children to dream, not to be intimidated, to crumble fences and cages, to love others.

SAINT PETER

The organizers were sure to fill the entire square and via della Conciliazione, they had counted over one hundred thousand attendees. It was basically a sort of test for next year’s Jubilee. There was obviously a turnout this morning – the Vatican specified that there were 50 thousand people in the square – but much less than what Father Enzo Fortunato, the Franciscan who invented the GMB, the event dedicated to little revolutionaries. The next edition will take place in 2026.

CHILDREN

Pope Francis imagines children as many little revolutionaries, seeing in them the extraordinary strength that can lead the world to make that revolution of hearts capable of calming hatred and silencing weapons.

The view over St. Peter’s Square was truly joyful. Colorful balloons, flags, banners. Groups from dioceses from all over Italy and even some groups from abroad responded to this beautiful event. Pope Francis was the first to be satisfied and it was clear from how he addressed his little guests during mass. In the off-the-cuff homily he held a remote dialogue with the children, starting a sort of catechism lesson to teach them the trinity and the concept of the Holy Spirit. He threw away the homily that had been prepared en masse as he often does, perhaps to have the possibility of a direct conversation with the children, exactly as he did yesterday at the Olimpico. “Jesus forgives even the ugliest of sinners, he forgives everything and always, you just need to ask for forgiveness and say I made a mistake, that you would like to change your life.”

Grandparents and grandchildren found themselves again in St. Peter’s Square at the mass and at the moment of the offertory, together with the boys and girls the ‘grandfather of Italy’ also appeared, Lino Banfi, also present yesterday at the Olympic stadium, who brought gifts with the little ones to the Pope.

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