Pope Francis received more than 10,000 pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on April 22. They came to Rome on a pilgrimage to give thanks for the beatification of the 20th-century Italian woman Bareilly. Pope Francis urged them to imitate the example of this Blessed One, exert their fertile power, apostolic spirit, and dedicate themselves to the world.
(Vatican News Network)Following the beatification of the Italian woman Armida Barelli last year, the three groups that promoted her candidacy, namely the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, the Italian Catholic Progressive Association and the Secular Missionary Society for Women of the King of Christ, in April this year On Saturday, 22nd, a Thanksgiving event was held in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, and the Archbishop of Milan presided over the Thanksgiving Mass. Before the Eucharist, Pope Francis met with them in St. Peter’s Square and encouraged everyone present with the three qualities of Blessed Bareilly. These three qualities are: Fertility, Apostleship and Commitment to the World.
The Pope began by noting that women are guardians of “fertility”. Blessed Bareilly used this fertile force to weave a resilient web of relationships in the process of getting along with everyone. However, today there is a great lack of “fertility”, a lack of space for conversation, and a loss of human touch. To this end, the Pope encouraged people to complement each other in their differences, “to ensure fertility also in the social and work spheres”.
Speaking of the second characteristic, the apostolic spirit, the Pope mentioned Blessed Barelli’s feelings after he accepted the pope’s proposal to create the Women’s Youth Association in Italy: “She felt that she no longer belonged to herself and had to dedicate her life to to others”. Pope Francis encouraged, “Being an apostle means being a passionate believer, passionate about the Gospel and life, taking care of the lives of all people, building a path of fraternity, and promoting a more just, tolerant and united society.”
As for devotion to the world, this is closely related to the deeds of Blessed Bareilly’s founding of the Secular Society. Pope Pius XII approved the creation of the secular church, which Pope Francis called “a revolutionary choice of the Church, a prophetic sign”. Pope Bergoglio praised the members of the secular community “who can see the seeds of the word of God in the wounds of history, which, like yeast, promote the development of history from within; they can make the germs of goodness in the world grow strong, like the foreshadowing of the kingdom of heaven” .
Already before the Second Vatican Council, Blessed Bareilly had implemented a “style of solidarity”; The apostolic goal, the unity of the people in the common mission which they have received through Baptism”.
In his last words, the Pope urged everyone to follow the example of Blessed Bareilly, according to their vocation. After the meeting with the Pope, the pilgrims attended Mass of Thanksgiving in St. Peter’s Square, officiated by the Archbishop of Milan, Mario Delpini.
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