Photo: CNS/L’Osservatore Romano
VATICAN: Surprising pilgrims at Blessed John Paul II’s tomb, Pope Francis made an early-morning visit to St Peter’s Basilica and celebrated Mass with the mostly Polish pilgrims.
More than 100 priests and pilgrims were gathered on October 31 at the basilica’s Chapel of St Sebastian for a morning Mass near Blessed John Paul’s tomb.
Pope Francis arrived unannounced to preside at the liturgy and prayed for the late pope’s intercession to help today’s Christians be strong, not weak in their faith.
Being Christian meant putting God at the centre of one’s life and drawing strength from his boundless love in order to persevere in hard times, Pope Francis said in his homily.
“Without Christ’s love, without living this love, recognising it and being nourished by it, you can’t be Christian.”
