At the conclusion of Sunday’s Mass for the Closing of the Synod and the Beatification of Paul VI, Pope Francis led the faithful in the noonday Angelus.
Here is the complete text of Pope Francis’s remarks:
I greet the faithful from the dioceses of Brescia, Milan and Rome, joined in a significant way to the life and ministry of Pope [Giovanni Battista] Montini. I thank you all for [your] presence and exhort [you] to follow faithfully the teaching and example of the new Blessed [Paul VI].
He was a staunch supporter of the mission ad gentes; it is the witness above all of the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi with which he intended to reawaken the enthusiasm and the commitment of the Church for the mission. And this Exhortation is still relevant, it has great relevance. It is significant to consider this aspect of the Pontificate of Paul VI, especially today, which is celebrated as World Missionary Day.
Before invoking together the Madonna with the prayer of the Angelus, I am pleased to emphasize the profound Marian devotion of Blessed Paul VI. The Christian people will always be grateful to this Pontiff for the Apostolic Exhortation Marialis cultus, and for having proclaimed Mary “Mother of the Church,” on the occasion of the close of the third session of the Second Vatican Council.
Mary, Queen of Saints and Mother of the Church, help us to faithfully realize the will of the Lord in our life, just as the new Blessed did.
I wish all of you a good Sunday. I ask you to pray for me. Buon pranzo, and arrivederci!
And today we celebrate...