Pope Francis celebrates Gaudete Sunday Mass in Corsica

 

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Pope at Mass: Christ is joy, in every time and amid every affliction

Pope Francis presides over Mass in Corsica as the final public event of his one-day 47th Apostolic Journey abroad. In his homily, the Pope calls for spiritual renewal and joyful expectation of Christ's coming, urging the faithful to prepare with humility, hope, and acts of charity amidst the challenges of the world.

By Francesca Merlo

As the final public event of his one-day journey to Corsica, Pope Francis presided over Holy Mass in Ajaccio's Place d'Austerlitz.

Drawing from the words of John the Baptist, who proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, the Holy Father invited all present to embrace the message of spiritual renewal and conversion.

In this season of advent and reflecting on the question posed by the crowd to John the Baptist, "What then should we do?", Pope Francis noted that they remind us to reflect on our actions and attitudes in preparation for the Lord's arrival. The Pope noted that this question did not arise from those who were seen as righteous, such as the Pharisees and scholars of the law, but rather from those who were often considered "outsiders" such as tax collectors and soldiers. These people, who were tormented by their pasts filled with dishonesty and violence sought to change their ways. They were, in fact, ready to receive the call to transformation. 

Pope Francis went on to remind the faithful that the Gospel message does precisely this: stirs the conscience of the most vulnerable, including the poor and the outcasts, drawn to Christ to be saved rather than condemned. He noted that in today's world, just as in the past, the call to conversion is always open to all, regardless of past failings. The question “What then should we do?” is one we are all invited to ask ourselves this Advent season, said the Pope, noting that it calls us to prepare with humble hearts for Christ’s coming.

Suspicion or joyful expectation

The Pope went on to highlight two very different ways of waiting for the Messiah. The first, with suspicion, and the second with joyful expectation. Speaking first of suspicion, which the Pope described as being rooted in anxiety, distrust and a focus on worldly concerns, he said, prevents us from experiencing joy. The more we focus on ourselves, he said, the more we lose sight of God's providence. The remedy to this attitude, Pope Francis emphasised, lies in faith and prayer,

Speaking then of waiting for the Messian with joy, the Pope encouraged the faithful to embrace a joyful expectation of the Lord’s coming. Christian joy, he explained, "is neither shallow nor ephemeral". On the contrary, it is a joy rooted in the heart and built on a solid foundation. He recalled the words of the prophet Zephaniah, who called his people to rejoice because the Lord was in their midst, bringing victory and salvation. "The Lord’s coming brings us salvation: that is the reason for our joy", he said. This joy, the Pope explained, is not about forgetting life's hardships but rather finding strength and peace in the presence of God.

The work of the local community

Bringing his homily to a close, Pope Francis acknowledged the great work of the local community of Ajaccio and in particular the Confraternities, whose charitable actions and devotion enrich the Church's life. He urged the faithful to continue serving the needy, embodying the joyful spirit of Christ in their works of mercy.

As the Advent season progresses, Pope Francis urged the faithful to cultivate peace and hope, particularly for young people preparing for Baptism and the sacraments. He reminded them that joy is the “style” of the Church’s proclamation, bringing the light of Christ into a world that so desperately needs it.

In frequent off-the-cuff remarks, the Pope invited the faithful to always look after the elderly, who carry the wisdom of the people. And commenting on the number of children present at the Mass, he also asked for particular care for the young, noting the many young people suffering from wars across the world, and in particular the children of Ukraine whom, the Pope says, "have forgotten how to smile". 

The joy of Christ amid every affliction

In closing, the Holy Father addressed the challenges facing today’s world. "There are many reasons for sorrow and despair in today’s world", he said, listing "extreme poverty, wars, corruption and violence". Nevertheless, he continued, the word of God never fails to encourage us. Despite the suffering, "the Church proclaims an unshakable hope that does not disappoint", for the Lord is near, and in His presence, we find the strength to work for peace and justice. Joy in Christ, the Pope concluded, remains the source of our joy "in every time and amid every affliction".

Pope Francis continues his day visit in Corsica

 

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Pope in Corsica: ‘Popular piety fosters evangelization and community’

Addressing the "Conference on Popular Piety in the Mediterranean" in Ajaccio, Pope Francis highlights the importance of these expressions of faith as a means of fostering evangelization in our increasingly secularized societies and communities.

By Lisa Zengarini

Far from being an obsolete folkloristic expression, popular piety can be a powerful means for evangelization today, fostering community and belonging, Pope Francis said in his first speech during his Apostolic Journey to Corsica.

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15/12/2024

Pope Francis departs on his 47th Apostolic Journey abroad: Corsica

Speaking at the Palais des Congrès et d’Exposition of Ajaccio at the conclusion of the "Congress on Popular Piety in the Mediterranean", the Pope reiterated that the “active evangelizing power” of these expressions of faith should not be underestimated in our secularized societies, and called for a constructive dialogue between Christian and secular cultures.

Dialogue between Christian and secular cultures

At the beginning of his speech, Pope Francis remembered how the Mediterranean, the “cradle of many highly developed civilizations”, has historically served as a crossroads for cultures, ideas, and legal and institutional frameworks that continue to influence the modern world, and is the place where the dialogue between God and humanity reached its culmination in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. 

The Pope observed how for centuries, the Christian faith shaped the lives of peoples and their political institutions, though today people are becoming “increasingly indifferent” to God’s presence and His Word, “especially in European countries.”

This, however, should not lead to “hasty considerations and ideological judgements that, even in our day, would pit Christian culture and secular culture against one another”. Instead, the Pope remarked, “It is important to acknowledge a mutual openness between these two horizons”, also in consideration of the fact that non-believers or those who have distanced themselves from religious practice “are not strangers to the search for truth, justice and solidarity.”

“Even if they do not belong to any religion, they carry in their hearts a great thirst, a search for meaning, which leads them to ponder the mystery of life and to seek out core values for the common good,” he said.

The evangelizing and community-building power of popular piety

In this context, Pope Francis continued, “We can appreciate the beauty and importance of popular piety” which allows people—whether deeply devout or on the periphery of faith—to connect with their spiritual roots. 

By expressing faith through simple gestures and a symbolic language rooted in the culture of the people, the Pope argued, “popular piety reveals God’s presence in the living flesh of history, strengthens the relationship with the Church and often becomes an occasion for encounter, cultural exchange and celebration.”

“Popular piety enables us to see how the faith, once received, becomes embodied in a culture and is constantly passed on, and as a result, it is an active evangelizing power which we must not underestimate: to do so would be to fail to recognize the work of the Holy Spirit.”

Need for pastoral discernment

However, Pope Francis againts the risks of reducing popular piety to mere external or folkloristic rituals devoid of deeper spiritual engagement, or even to superstition He therefore called  for vigilance "through careful theological and pastoral discernment.”

The positive impact of popular piety on society

Pope Francis then touched on the positive impact  of popular piety on society as a whole by fostering an “authentic” faith which is “not reduced to a private affair”, but committed to  promoting “human development, social progress and care for creation.” Popular piety, he argued, strengthens the communal fabric of society and nurtures "constructive citizenship," enabling collaboration with secular, civil and political institutions “in the service of each person, beginning with the poor, for an integral human growth and the care of the environment.”

Promoting a “healthy secularity”

This constructive and respectful cooperation between civil and ecclesial authorities “for the benefit of the whole community”, he said, is an example of what the late Pope Benedict XVI called a “healthy secularity” that prevents the politicization of religion while ensuring that politics is informed by ethical and spiritual values.

Renewed commitment to the Gospel and the common good

Bringing his speech to a close, Pope Francis encouraged the Catholic community in Corsica to continue cultivating its deep-rooted religious traditions and the existing dialogue between the Church and the civil and political institutions.

He also encouraged young Corsicans “to become even more actively involved in social, cultural and political life, inspired by solid ideals and a passion for the common good”   and called on the Church’s Pastors and political leaders to remain “close to the people,” attentive to their needs and aspirations. "The pastor who does not have this closeness, even to history and culture, is simply 'Monsieur l’Abbé', he is not a pastor," he said. 

Finally, Pope Francis expressed hope that the Congress on Popular Piety might inspire a renewed commitment to the Gospel and the common good, rooted in faith and service.

“It is my hope that this Congress on popular piety will help you to rediscover the roots of your faith and bear fruit in renewed commitment, in the Church and in civil society, at the service of the Gospel and the common good of all citizens.”

Pope Francis begins Sunday in Corsica

 

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• prayer

Pope arrives in Corsica, prays before ancient Baptistery

Shortly after his arrival in Corsica, Pope Francis stops at the archaeological site of an Early Christian baptistery that was part of Ajaccio’s first cathedral.

By Linda Bordoni

The Early Christian Baptistery of Saint-Jean dates back to the beginning of the 6th century and is located in the Saint-Jean district, a highly urbanized area of the city.

Pope Francis on Sunday chose to make it his first stop after landing at Ajaccio’s “Napoléon Bonaparte” airport where he was welcomed by a delegation of religious and civil authorities, including the Apostolic Nuncio to France, Archbishop Celestino Migliore.

The Saint-Jean Baptistery was discovered in 2005 during excavations by a group from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research, prior to the construction of a parking lot and a building.

Associated with the first cathedral of Ajaccio, this Baptistery consists of a large cross-shaped basin and a smaller cylindrical basin, perhaps intended for the washing of the catechumens' feet before the rite of Baptism.

An Antiquarium, inspired by that of Seville, surrounds the baptistery and the basin with a curved eight-meter-diameter display case. Thanks to specially designed lighting, visitors can admire these remains up close, day and night.

Many people lined the streets or appeared on balconies to welcome the Pope as he began his 47th Apostolic Visit abroad, and a group of faithful awaited him in front of the Baptistery where a little boy led the recitation of the Creed.

The day ahead

Pope Francis will be spending one day in Corsica. During his visit, he will speak at a Conference on Popular Religiosity in the Mediterranean, meet with the clergy and religious of Corsica, and preside over Holy Mass. He will conclude his visit with a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron before heading back to Rome, where he is due to land at around 7 pm.

Vatican announces Pope Francis to visit Corsica in December

 

A religious procession in Corsica   (AFP or licensors)

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Pope Francis to visit Corsica on 15 December

Pope Francis will make an Apostolic Journey to the Mediterranean island of Corsica, France, on 15 December to close an international conference on popular religious traditions organized by the Diocese of Ajaccio.

By Lisa Zengarini

The director of the Holy See's Press Office, Matteo Bruni, announced on Saturday that Pope Francis will travel to the French island of Corsica on 15 December, marking his 47th Apostolic Journey abroad and the first-ever visit of a Pope to the French Mediterranean island.

The Pope has been invited there by local civil and Church authorities to close an international Colloquium on popular religiosity in the Mediterranean organized in Ajaccio, the island’s capital, by the local diocese.

A crossroad of cultures

Corsica is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean after Cyprus, though it has only one-fourth of its population, and is known for being the homeland of Napoleon Bonaparte, one of history's most prominent figures.

A mountainous territory off the western coast of Italy and the southern coast of France, Corsica has been at the crossroads of various Mediterranean cultures and powers over centuries, including the Papacy, the Italian Republics of Pisa and Genoa, and, finally, France, which annexed the island in 1769 after a fierce resistance from the Corsican independentists.

The island, which has long been scarcely populated and mostly characterized by a rural and pastoral economy, is known for its natural beauty that has attracted tourism, now an important sector of its economy.

Due to the Italian cultural influence and its community-based social structure, Corsica has retained a distinctive cultural and linguistic identity, with ongoing discussions about autonomy and cultural preservation.

Contribution of Catholic faith to shaping Corsican identity

The Diocese of Ajaccio covers the entire territory of Corsica and is presently suffragan to the Archdiocese of Marseille in France. The Diocese is headed today by Spanish-born Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, O.F.M.Conv., and in 2022 numbered 277,000 Catholics, representing 81.5% of the population of 340,000.

Catholicism has held an important place in Corsican society and has contributed to shaping its distinctive cultural identity. This is evidenced by the many churches scattered throughout its numerous inland villages and its deep-rooted popular devotions, as well as its long-standing tradition of confraternities.

Corsican people are known for having a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Corsican national anthem, “Diu vi Salvi Regina,” (God Save You, O Queen) is dedicated to her.

Religious festivals, processions, and pilgrimages continue to punctuate Corsican social life today, despite urbanization and the socio-economic changes of recent decades.

Colloquium on Popular Religiosity in the Mediterranean

These religious traditions will be the focus of the two-day Colloquium in Ajaccio, running from 14-15 December.

The venue will bring together representatives of local Catholic communities from France, Italy, and Spain to share the richness of faith of Corsican popular religiosity with similar traditions in other regions of the Mediterranean, including Sicily and Sardinia, and discuss its potential for evangelization in a context of growing secularization.

Motto and logo of the visit

The motto of the Apostolic Journey is “Jésus passa en faisant le bien” ("He went about doing good", Acts 10:38), a passage from the Acts of the Apostles, which recalls that the Pope visits the Church in Corsica like the Shepherd who goes to His people. 

The logo of the visit features, on the top left, a stylized map of Corsica in vertical blue lines on a green-blue background representing the sea. The highest line culminates in the shape of a cross, to symbolize the faith in Christ, and is tied to a yellow line that descends from above, alluding to the Holy Spirit.

In the lower part, in the same blue colour, is a silhouette of the Madonna, Queen of Corsica. She is depicted from the hips up with her face and hands turned upwards and, given the background, appears as if she is immersed in the sea.

The title of the visit, in yellow on the right, reads “Papa Francescu in Corsica” (Pope Francis in Corsica) in the Corsican language, while the motto, also in yellow, is in French.

The Apostolic Journey to Corsica will be Pope Francis’ third visit in French territory after the visits to the European Parliament and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in 2014 and to Marseille for the Mediterranean Encounters in 2023.