Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santa Maria di Leuca (Agenzia Fides) – On the afternoon of June 14, the Holy Father Benedict XVI began his pastoral visit to Santa Maria di Leuca and Brindisi, presiding a Mass in the Square in front of the Shrine of Santa Maria de finibus terrae, in Santa Maria di Leuca. “My visit to Puglia – my second, after the Eucharistic Congress in Bari – begins as a Marian pilgrimage, in this far corner of Italy and Europe, at the Shrine of Santa Maria de finibus terrae,” the Pope said during his homily, expressing his hope that “in this place that is of such great historical importance in the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary,” the liturgy be dedicated to Her, Star of the Sea and Star of Hope.
The Pope mentioned that “not with violence, but with the gentle courage of Her “yes,” the Virgin Mary has freed us not from an earthly enemy, but from the ancient adversary, giving a human body to Him who would crush his head once for all time. And for this reason, on the seas of life and history, Mary shines like the Star of Hope. She does not radiate Her own light, but reflects that of Christ, the Sun that illumines the horizon of humanity. Thus, in following the Star of Mary, we can find our way on the journey and remain on the course towards Christ, especially in the dark and tempestuous moments.”
Reflecting on the figure of Saint Peter the Apostle, to whom the locality and Diocese are especially linked, Benedict XVI said that “in order to become fishermen with Christ, we must first be ‘fished’ by Him. Saint Peter is a witness to this fact, as is Saint Paul, the great convert whose 2,000th anniversary of birth we will inaugurate in just a few days.” The Shrine of Santa Maria de finibus terrae combines the faith of Peter and the faith of Mary, the Pope said, as he encouraged the faithful to “draw from the two-fold principle of Christian experience: the Marian and the Petrine,” as both, together, help in “starting afresh from Christ.” “Mary teaches you to always listen to the Lord, in the silence of prayer, and to receive His Word with a generous disposition, with a profound desire to offer yourselves to God, your life in its concrete reality...In a similar way, Saint Peter will teach you to think and believe with the Church, firm in the Catholic faith. He will give you the desire and zeal for unity and communion, the joy of walking together with your Pastors. At the same time, you will also enter into the zeal for the mission, for sharing the Gospel with all people and making it reach the ends of the earth.”
The name of the place, “De finibus terrae,” “reminds us that the Church has no boundaries; it is universal,” the Holy Father said. “And the geographic, cultural, ethnic, and religious boundaries are for the Church an invitation to evangelization, in the perspective of the ‘communion of diversity.’” The Pope later mentioned the “unique vocation” of the Church in Puglia, “in being bridges between peoples and cultures,” and explained how, according to Jesus’ teaching, “the efficacy of the testimony is in proportion to the intensity of love. Nothing is accomplished in going out to the ends of the earth, if we do not first love each other and help one another within the Christian community...In a society that tends to drive people increasingly more towards individualism, the primary service the Church can offer is that of educating people in social sensitivity, in attention towards our neighbor, in solidarity and sharing. The Church, gifted as she is by her Lord with a spiritual charge that is continually renewed, shows herself to be capable of exercising a positive influence in the social sphere as well, because she promotes a renewed humanity and human relations that are open and constructive, in respect for and in service towards, above all, the downtrodden and weak.”
Throughout all southern Italy, “the ecclesial communities are places where the younger generations can learn hope, not as a Utopia but as the tenacious confidence in the force of good. Good wins, and although at times it may seem defeated by despair and deceit, the truth is that it continues working in silence and discretion, bearing lasting fruits. This is the Christian social renewal, based upon the transformation of consciences, on moral formation, on prayer; yes, because prayer gives the strength to believe and fight for the good even when humanly speaking one is tempted towards discouragement and turning back.” Benedict XVI then mentioned the initiatives being carried out by the ecclesial community in the area of human and social promotion, and said that “the Christian community cannot and has no intention to ever substitute the legitimate and dutiful work of the Institutions. On the contrary, it encourages them and supports them in their tasks and makes an effort to always collaborate with them for the good of all, beginning with the most complicated and difficult situations.”
At the close of his homily, the Holy Father advised them to go on a “spiritual pilgrimage to the various Marian shrines of Salento, true gems imbedded in this peninsula that, like a bridge, extends out into the sea,” and to the Virgin Mary he entrusted “the people that live on the Mediterranean and those of the entire world, invoking progress and peace for all.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 16/6/2008)
