To the
crowds of pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square
“
1.Regina Caeli laetare!
Queen of Heaven, rejoice!
In inviting the Mother of Christ to rejoice,
the Church is mindful of the words spoken by the Lord in the Upper Room on the
eve of his passion. Jesus said: “When a woman is in labour,
she is in anguish because her hour has arrived, but when she has given birth to
the child she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a man has
been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you
again, and your hearts will rejoice, and
no one will take your joy away from you” (Jn
2.There is a deep link between the image of the mother who gives birth to the child and
that of the Good Shepherd who lays
down his life for his sheep (cf. Jn 10:11). Those who
give life in love receive it anew. Indeed, stern as death is love (cf. Song
8.6). This is why the truth about the Resurrection is also expressed through the mystery of the grain of wheat that
falls to the ground and dies, in order to produce much fruit (cf. Jn 12:24). Today we rejoice together with the Church of the
African continent, particularly
Rejoice, Queen of
Heaven, with the motherhood of all the mothers who are ready, like you, to sacrifice their
life in order to give it to others.
3.During the Easter period, the Church reads
the Book of Revelation, which contains the
description
of the great sign that appeared in the sky: a
Woman clothed with the sun, this woman was about to give birth. The Apostle
John saw a red dragon appearing before her, determined to devour the newborn
child (cf. Rv 12:1-4).
This apocalyptic image also belongs to the mystery
of the Resurrection. The Church proposes it again on the day of the Assumption
of the Mother of God. It is an image that finds expression also in our times,
particularly in the Year of the Family. In fact, when all the threats against life gather before the
woman who is about to give birth, we must turn to the Woman clothed with the
sun, so that with her motherly care, she may protect every human being
threatened in his mother's womb. During the month of May, which in many
Christian communities is specially dedicated to the
Blessed Mother, the Christian community turns particularly to the Mother of
Life, to the Mother of Fairest Love. This month belongs to her in a special
way. Through our prayers, we would like to serve the human family's greatest
cause: the cause of love and life.
4.May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle
we are told about in the Letter to the Ephesians: "Draw strength from the
Lord and from his mighty power” (Eph
Although today this prayer is no longer recited
at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it, and to recite it to obtain
help in the battle against the forces of darkness and against the spirit of
this world.
Dear friends from
I also address my cordial greetings to the
numerous pilgrims from many parts of
particular
from the Dioceses of Milan and