Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Pope Francis' upcoming trip to Mongolia "will be an opportunity to embrace a Church that is small in numbers but lively in faith and great in charity; and also to meet up close a noble, wise people with a great religious tradition" that he "will have the honor of knowing, especially in the context of an interfaith event."
These ere the Pope's remarks today in the Angelus as he invited the faithful present in St. Peter's Square to pray for his journey to the heart of Asia which will begin on Thursday 31 August.
Addressing the faithful of Mongolia, Pope Francis said he was "happy to travel to be among you as a brother to all. I thank your authorities for the kind invitation and all those who are preparing my coming with great commitment. To all - he concluded - I ask you to accompany this visit with prayer".
Before the prayer - commenting on the Gospel passage proposed today in the liturgy - the pontiff had commissioned the question that Jesus addresses to the disciples: "Who do people say the Son of man is?" (Mt 16,13).
"Jesus does not want to be a protagonist of history, but he wants to be the protagonist of your today, of my today; not a distant prophet: Jesus wants to be the close God," he explained.
"If he were just a historical character - he added - it would be impossible to imitate him today: we would find ourselves facing the great ditch of the time and above all facing his model, which is like a very high and unattainable mountain; eager to climb it, but lacking the ability and of the necessary means. Instead, Jesus is alive: he lives in the Church, he lives in the world, Jesus accompanies us, Jesus is at our side, he offers us his Word, he offers us his grace, which enlightens and restores us on our journey".
In his words to the faithful at the end of the Marian prayer, Pope Francis assured his remembrance in prayer for the victims of the fires that have broken out in Greece these days. "And we also always remain close to the Ukrainian people, who suffer so much from the war: let us not forget Ukraine".
