Today was one of the most important days of the World Meeting of Families, with essential discussion of the “field hospital” that is the Catholic Church, engagement with various groups of Catholics and a powerful religious experience with the relics of Saint Pope John Paul II and the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
At the beginning of the day, many of the Saint John contingent focused our mission on Our Holy Father’s address to the United States Congress. We were blessed to have found that Bishop Dewane had met Pope Francis the day before and we were anticipating his speech. He did not disappoint. With his focus on the Golden Rule and illustrating that leadership and especially lawmaking should be a collaborative effort for the betterment of all governed, he communicated the love and healing of our faith and how it applies to the world around us.
The main event in Philadelphia was the rousing and heartfelt speech by Cardinal Luis Tagle, entitled The Family: A Home for the Wounded Heart. By relating all of our wounds we have individually to our responsibility to heal and support each other, he illustrated that our own wounds help us be more fraternal, compassionate, and welcoming. The Catholic Church must act as a “Field Hospital”, not full of frowning, impatient, impartial, and judging, but instead a loving, joyous, supportive place where people can find solace and welcome, healing and belonging. This could not be more true of how Saint John is renewing our church and was a direct affirmation of our Mission.
A group of our pilgrims then braved the beginnings of the security infrastructure being erected for the Papal Visit to the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. The pictures speak for themselves. It was a truly spiritually enlivening place. Even the youngest of our group, tired from the day, took time to pray in front of the sanctuary.
