Before thousands of faithful, present at the mass in memory of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, Francis recalled that the Guadalupe mystery is to venerate the Virgin who, in the difficulties and happy moments of life, Life tells us: “Do not be afraid, am I not here, who am your Mother?” The tilma, the Mother and the rose make up the Guadalupe mystery, beyond that they are ideological lies.
Alina Tufani Díaz- Vatican City
Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, grant us, through your intercession, to deepen our faith along paths of justice and peace. The collect prayer that opens the traditional mass in the Vatican, in memory of the Patroness of America, the Virgin of Guadalupe, is once again a special celebration for Latin Americans, who gather in St. Peter’s Basilica. “The tilma, the rose, the Indian. Everything that is said about the Guadalupe mystery beyond this is a lie, it is wanting to use it for ideologies” is the phrase of Pope Francis that still resonates in the hearts of so many Guadeloupan faithful in the world.
The Holy Father presides over the holy mass in memory of the Virgin of Guadalupe in St. Peter’s Basilica
The image of the “morenita” as they call it in Mexico, place of the meeting of the Virgin with the Indian Juan Diego and before which the Holy Father bows in reverence, is the center of the celebration. Also the interpretation of the songs of the Sistine Capella, the 50 singers of the responsorial choir and, as every year, the participation of the Choirs of the Mexican College and the Latin Pio, in Rome. Concelebrated by some 30 cardinals and more than 350 priests, before thousands of faithful, the mass saw the multicolored and traditional offerings brought by two families, with their children and other Latin American faithful. The readings in Spanish and Portuguese, and the Eucharistic liturgy, in the hands of Cardinal Robert Prevost Martínez, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, together with Monsignors Luis Manuel Alí Herrera, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and Hilario González García, Bishop of Saltillo.
Along with thousands of faithful, more than 350 priests and cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica.
The tenderness of Mary’s motherhood
The Pope began his brief homily by describing the image of Mary, Mary of Guadalupe, pregnant, who announces the birth of the Savior, pregnant like a mother, and with what tenderness the Virgin says to the Indian: ‘Do not be afraid, am I not I here am your Mother?’.
“Mary’s motherhood is revealed. And about this mystery of Guadalupe, which unfortunately so many ideologies have wanted to derive to gain ideological advantage, about this mystery of Guadalupe, three things come to mind, simple things, but they add to the message: the tilma, the Mother and the rose. Very simple things.”
The Pope asks to hear the voice of Mary of Guadalupe who repeats to us: “Do not be afraid, am I not here, who am your Mother?”
There is no room for ideological lies in the mystery
The Holy Father explains that Mary’s motherhood is recorded in that simple tilma. Mary’s motherhood – he affirms – is shown with the beauty of the roses that the Indian finds and brings to her. And finally, the motherhood of Mary performs the miracle of bringing faith to the somewhat incredulous hearts of the prelates.
“The tilma, the rose, the Indian. Everything that is said about the Guadalupe mystery beyond this is a lie, it is wanting to use it for ideologies. The Guadalupe mystery is to venerate her, and to feel in our ears: “Am I not here, who am your Mother?” And to hear that in the moments of life, the various difficult moments of life, the happy moments of life, the everyday moments of life… “Do not be afraid, am I not here, who am your Mother?” . And this is the entire Guadalupe message. The rest are ideologies.”
The image of the “Morenita” at the center of the celebration in the Vatican
Francisco concluded again with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, that of “the Lady in the Indian’s tilma” and carrying as a “chant” her voice that repeatedly tells us: “Do not be afraid, am I not here, that “Am I your Mother?” “So be it,” he concluded.
