Pope defies resignation rumors and offers quake victims a message of mercy

ROME – To the delight of many, and perhaps to the dismay of the few, the wheelchair-bound Pope Francis defied persistent rumors Sunday by not announcing his resignation during a visit to the tomb of the last pope to voluntarily step down before Pope Benedict XVI, instead. Delivering a message of mercy and solace to the local population amidst the suffering.

L’Aquila, the capital of the Abruzzo region of central Italy and the final resting place of Pope Celestine VI of the 13th century, was the site of a severe earthquake that practically destroyed the city in 2009, killing about 300 people and about 1,500 others injured.

Celestine V led the Catholic Church for only five months, from July 5, 1294, until his resignation on December 13.

Pope Benedict XVI visited L’Aquila after the 2009 earthquake, leaving behind the pallium, or theft, he had earned in his election, and which observers later took as a harbinger of his resignation four years later.

The gesture sparked rumors that Pope Francis, who faces many health challenges and has expressed a willingness to resign if he feels unable to meet the demands of his office, is likely to announce his resignation on Sunday.

(Others have speculated that Francis may wait until his meetings with cardinals on Monday and Tuesday to deliver the news, though he has used several recent interviews to categorically deny that he is currently considering stepping down, insisting that it “never crossed my mind”).

During his brief stay in L’Aquila, the Pope sent a message of faith and hope amid the suffering, as they continue to rebuild after the deadly earthquake that destroyed much of their city.

After arriving, Francis, who had used a wheelchair throughout his visit due to persistent knee arthritis, offered a short greeting to the family members of the earthquake victims, assuring them of his closeness and thanking them for their “witness of faith.”

“Even in the pain and bewilderment which belong to our faith as pilgrims, you have fixed your gaze upon the crucified and risen Christ, whose love has redeemed pain and death out of the emptiness of meaning.”

“Jesus brought you back into the arms of the Father, who does not let tears fall in vain, not even one, but gathers them in his merciful heart,” said the Pope, saying that on God’s heart are written “the names of your loved ones, who have passed from time to time.”

“Communion with them is more alive than ever,” he said, adding that “death cannot break love.”

He also addressed a special cry to the prisoners, many of whom were present, saying that they are also a sign of hope, “Because even in prisons there are many, many victims. Here today you are a sign of hope for human and social reconstruction.”

Then Pope Francis celebrated the Mass of the so-called “Celestine Pardon,” which is celebrated annually from August 28 to 29, and which in essence involves granting a general indulgence to everyone who visits the local church, goes to confession, receives Communion, and prays for intentions the pope.

Celestine instituted the observance during his short term in 1294, declaring, at a time when indulgences were being sold for money or some other consideration, that only two conditions were necessary to obtain indulgence: to enter the church between August 28 and 19 each year, and to be “really sorry” and recognition.”

In his homily, Francis remembered his thirteenth century predecessor as a “man of ‘yes’ and a ‘courageous witness to the Gospel’ and humility.”

The Pope said that humility “is not a devaluation of oneself, but a healthy realism that makes us aware of our potential and also our own misery. Precisely from our misery, humility makes us look away from ourselves in order to turn to God.”

He said that Celestine V was brave because “no logic of force can imprison him or turn him in,” and for this reason, his example can be admired as “a church devoid of worldly reason and a perfect testament to the name of God which is mercy.”

Pope Francis said that one of Celestine’s greatest inheritances was that “by mercy, and only by this, can every man and every woman live in joy.”

Compassion, he said, is the experience of feeling “welcome, on our feet, strengthened, healed, and encouraged.

He prayed that the cathedral, still under restoration, be a place of reconciliation forever and a place where “God would bring us back on our feet and give us another chance. May it be a temple of forgiveness, not just once a year, but always.”

Referring to the suffering suffered by those who lost their homes and loved ones, the Pope told locals that those who had suffered should be able to “make a treasure out of your own suffering”, and should understand that “in the darkness they have gone through, the gift also has on Understand the pain of others.

He said that when someone suffers an “earthquake of the soul,” they can lose everything but still learn “true humility.”

Pope Francis concluded his homily praying that L’Aquila be the capital of “forgiveness, peace and reconciliation”, and that it become an example of the humility spoken of in the Gospels.

After mass, the Pope led the locals in the traditional Marianne Angelos prayer.

Before returning to Rome, he paid a special greeting to all who took part in the events of his visit, both in person and from a distance, and thanked the local civil and ecclesiastical authorities for their assistance.

He also offered prayers for the Pakistani people affected by the recent floods and for all those suffering from war, specifically in Ukraine.

Francis asked God to “revive in the hearts of the leaders of the nations the human and Christian sense of piety and mercy.”

Follow Elise Anne Allen on Twitter: @eliseannallen

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