Pope Francis appealed to fraternity as the basis of hope for the world before the New Year, in the last Mass of the year celebrated this Tuesday in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
“Yes, the hope of the world is in fraternity,” said the pope on the first eve of the Solemnity of Mary Most Holy Mother of God, a solemn act in which a ‘Te Deum’ of gratitude for the conclusion of the year was sung. .
“Is the hope of a fraternal humanity just a rhetorical slogan or does it have a solid foundation on which to build something stable and lasting?” the pontiff asked.
As he remarked, “the answer is given by the Holy Mother of God by showing us Jesus.”
“The hope of a fraternal world is not an ideology, it is not an economic system, it is not technological progress,” but it is about the “incarnate son, sent by the Father so that we can all become what we are: children of the Father who is in Heaven, and therefore, brothers and sisters, among us,” the pope declared.
Francis urged “to walk together, as pilgrims of hope, along the path of fraternity.”
The pontiff also referred to the preparations this past year in the city of Rome for the Jubilee, a celebration that will last throughout 2025 and which began on December 24. This festival is celebrated every quarter of a century and offers indulgence of sins to the pilgrims who attend it, who are expected to number at least 30 million in the next twelve months.
“The year that is ending has been very demanding for the city of Rome,” said Francisco.
As he highlighted, “citizens, pilgrims, tourists and all those who were passing through have experienced the typical stage that precedes a Jubilee, with the multiplication of large and small works.”
“Tonight is a time for wise reflection, to consider that all this work, in addition to the value it has in itself, had a meaning that corresponds to Rome’s own vocation: its universal vocation,” he added.
“This vocation could be expressed like this: Rome is called to welcome everyone so that everyone can recognize themselves as children of God and brothers among themselves,” the pope concluded.
After the mass, the pontiff went out to St. Peter’s Square, where he visited the manger displayed there, near the Christmas tree, and greeted hundreds of faithful in the same square.
