Pope Leo celebrated Mass and had lunch with the poor and homeless from the Diocese of Albano this morning. Check out the video from CNS below. His remarks were just beautiful.
More about the Mass and luncheon:
Spending the day with the poor, Pope Leo XIV prayed that Catholics would make sure their parishes are welcoming of all people and would be “on fire” with God’s love.
“We are the church of the Lord, a church of the poor — all precious, all active participants, each one bearing a unique word from God,” the pope said Aug. 17 as he celebrated Mass at the Shrine of Santa Maria della Rotonda in Albano Laziale, Italy, with about 110 clients and volunteers of the Diocese of Albano’s Caritas programs, including people experiencing homelessness and residents of its shelter for families.
“Let us not leave the Lord outside of our churches, our homes or our lives,” the pope said in his homily at the Mass. “Rather, let us welcome him in the poor — and then we will make peace even with our own poverty, the kind we fear and deny when we seek comfort and security at all costs.”
…The luncheon was held in the Borgo Laudato Si’, a project for education and training in integral ecology begun by Pope Francis in the gardens of the papal summer villa. Waiters in white shirts and black trousers served the guests a meal that included vegetable lasagna, eggplant parmesan or roast veal, fruit salad and dessert provided by local restaurants.
Cardinal Fabio Baggio, director general of Borgo Laudato Si’, welcomed the pope said the lunch with the poor was a beautiful way to celebrate Pope Leo’s first 100 days in office and affirm Catholic teaching that “unites care for creation with care for every person.”
Pope Leo was seated at a round table placed at the junction of two long tables that formed an “l” under an awning to protect guests from the sun. At the table with him were: Rosabal Leon, a migrant from Peru, whose husband and two children were seated nearby; and Gabriella Oliveiro, 85, who lives by herself on the outskirts of Rome.
Before blessing the food, the pope said the setting was a reminder of the beauty of God’s creation, especially God’s creation of human beings in his image and likeness — “all of us. Each one of us represents this image of God. How important it is to always remember that we find this presence of God in every person.”
In his homily at the Mass, the pope had said that whether seeking assistance or providing it, in the church “each person is a gift for others. Let us tear down walls.”
