00 16/08/2009 19:46




Posted 6/22/09 in the BENEDICT thread:


'The Pope won the hearts of the people',
says bishop after Benedict's memorable
visit to Padre Pio's shrine

Translated from
the Italian service of





Left. Mons. D'Ambrosio with the Pope; top right photo, greeting him at the encounter with priests, religious and young people yesterday afternoon at the pilgrimage Church of San Pio; and bottom right photo, Mons. D'Ambrosio (left) opening the coffin of Padre Pio in March last year with the saint's Capuchin custodians.

It was a very intense visit focused on the spirituality of Padre Pio. But for an assessment of the Pope's day in San Giovanni Rotondo yesterday, correspondent Debora Donnini spoke to Mons. Domenico D'Ambrosio, Apostolic Administrator of the diocese since he was named to be Archbishop of Lecce earlier this year.

The bishop summarized what he believed to be the most important points conveyed by the Holy Father in his four public addresses yesterday.







MONS. D'AMBROSIO: The Pope went far beyond our expectations - and I could see that from the enthusiastic and smiling faces of the people. But when he entered into the heart of our problems today, he also entered their hearts.

It got to us particularly, we who live here, whom he comforted and oriented towards imitating Padre Pio's witness, adapting a program for life that flows from holiness.

He reminded us that holiness is possible for everyone, and that we are called on to see in San Pio da Pietrelcina not just a model of holiness but a support for the path that we should follow in life.


Basically, the Pope is saying that Padre Pio is very much alive in his message which remains strong and important for the world today...
I would say that he re-proposed the life of Padre Pio by showing that he led the life Jesus asked of his disciples. He spoke to us of the love of God which must be embodied credibly in our lives, especially a love that leads to sharing, to solidarity, and which makes us compassionate towards those who suffer. And that was Padre Pio's great work of charity.

But he also reminded us of the primacy of prayer, warned us against the temptations and risks in contemporary society, in the midst of which we should keep our sights fixed on Jesus.

He urged the young people to program themselves for an authentic life according to the model Jesus proposed to his disciples. I think young people feel a strong bond to this Pope who urges them to be what they can be - new blood for the Church in today's world which is in many ways enslaved by temptations, fears and uncertainties.


In the afternoon meeting, the Pope embraced you after you asked him to bless your coming mission, as you will be leaving San Giovanni Rotondo for Lecce soon...
I was very comforted - the Pope was very generous with his words which I certainly do not deserve. But this says to me that he is carrying out his ministry - he confirmed me in my service which cannot be tied to a place, or to persons, but a service for the Kingdom of God. And I am very grateful for the affection he showed to me. He comforts me, and that means I can go ahead with serenity.


What has the figure of Padre Pio given you personally during your years in this diocese?
A lot. I was here as a parish priest for 20 years and so I knew him then. And then to return here decades leter and be responsible for his Shrine and for the Works of Padre Pio has drawn me much closer to his figure than ever.

If there is one thing he has left me, at a distance of 44 years from meeting him, that close encounter made me feel the responsibility of not wasting his gift, his legacy. And the gift he has best left me is the Mass, which I have been celebrating since then with a commitment, a joy, an openness and a total sense of offering that I had not felt before.



It's been very frustrating that most newsphoto coverage of the Pope is generally quite unrepresentative - there are never enough (sometimes none at all) photos showing the crowds and individuals, nor photos showing other moments of liturgy other than Consecration and Communion. I got the additional photos on this post from going through the photogallery of ANSA and Repubblica, much of which were repeats of what we got from the Anglophone newsphoto agencies, but there were these few that gives us a better 'sense' of the event. Still far from satisfactory, but at least something...







P.S. I still have not seen any pictures taken at the Pope's visit to the Casa Sollievo da Sofferenza, and stories in the Italian newspapers today added no details except to quote some words from the representative of the patients who addressed the Pope.

There is this sidebar from AGI's enterprising Salvatore Izzo, which I will post here - even if it is 'trivia' - with the rest of the San Giovanni Rotondo coverage, of which it is a part:
:


The Pope lunches at
Padre Pio's hospital




SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO, June 21 (Translated from AGI) - The cooks at the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza - the mega-hospital founded by Padre Pio that now serves the south of Italy - prepared a special menu for the Pope who lunched with Bishop Domenico D'Ambrosio at the hospital yesterday.

This consisted of a sformatino (a custard made of pureed vegetables and cream) as antipasto; the region's typical orechiette (ear-shaped pasta) with tomatoes and arugula; a grilled filet, seeved with mint-flavored beans, a burratina (soft cheese ball consisting of different cheeses), and ricotta cooked in wine; and for dessert, sliced pineapple in lemon sauce with cherries, ice cream and a 'torta letizia' (an almond and vanilla flavored cake).

This meal, like all the meals served at the hospital, was cooked with ingredients all coming from the farm Padre Pio had set up to produce all the food specifically for the hospital, since he considered a healthy diet as indispensable to any curative regimen.

The farm has its own abattoir for the cows that it raises, a dairy and a cheese factory.


P.S. Here's the best sidebar item so far from San Giovanni Rotondo, courtesy of OR corrspondent Mario Ponzi:

Does anyone else remember that
Joseph Ratzinger's second
baptismal name is Alois? He does!



After the Mass, some moments of familiarity among the ministrants. The Pope, having taken off his liturgical robes, greeted his ministrants (local clergy) one by one. They were presented to him by Archbishop D'Ambrosio.

Presenting one young altarboy, the prelate said, "Holiness, you may wish him a happy name day - today is the feast of St. Aloysius (Luigi in Italian) and his name is Luigi."

The Pope smiled, held out his hand, and said, "Now, wish me back too because my second name is Luigi (he was of course christened Joseph Alois!).


Which gives our beloved Pope five name days during the year - the two feast days for St. Joseph, the two for St. Benedict, and that of St. Aloysius Gonzaga.


[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 16/08/2009 23:14]