By Paolo Santalucia and Silvia Stellacci | Related Press
AJACCIO, Corsica — Pope Francis on the primary papal go to ever to the French island of Corsica on Sunday known as for a dynamic type of laicism, selling the type of in style piety that distinguishes the Mediterranean island from secular France as a bridge between non secular and civic society.
Francis appeared relaxed and energized throughout the one-day go to, simply two days earlier than his 88th birthday, nonetheless displaying a pale bruise from a fall every week in the past.
He ceaselessly deviated from his ready homily throughout Mass on the out of doors La Place d’Austerlitz, remarking at one level that he had by no means seen so many youngsters as in Corsica — besides, he added, in East Timor on his latest Asian tour.
“Make children,″ he implored. ”They are going to be your pleasure and your comfort sooner or later.”
Earlier, on the shut of a Mediterranean convention on in style piety, Papa Francescu, as he’s known as in Corsican, described an idea of secularity “that is not static and fixed, but evolving and dynamic,” that may adapt to “unforeseen situations” and promote cooperation “between civil and ecclesial authorities.”
The pontiff stated that expressions of in style piety, together with processions and communal prayer of the Holy Rosary “can nurture constructive citizenship” on the a part of Christians. On the identical time, he warned towards such manifestations being seen solely by way of folklore, and even superstition.
The go to to Corsica’s capital Ajaccio, the birthplace of Napoleon, is without doubt one of the briefest of his papacy past Italy’s borders, nearly 9 hours on the bottom, together with a 40-minute go to with French President Emmanuel Macron. Francis met privately with Macron on the airport earlier than flying again to Rome.
Francis was joined on the dais by the bishop of Ajaccio, Cardinal Francois-Xavier Bustillo, who organized the convention that introduced collectively some 400 individuals from Spain, Sicily, Sardinia and southern France. The 2-day assembly examined expressions of religion that always happen exterior formal liturgies, akin to processions and pilgrimages.
Typically particular to the locations the place they’re practiced, in style piety in Corsica contains the cult of the Virgin Mary, recognized domestically because the “Madunnuccia,” which protected the island from the plague in 1656 when it was nonetheless underneath Genoa.
Corsica stands out from the remainder of secularized France as a very religious area, with 92 confraternities, or lay associations devoted to works of charity or piety, with over 4,000 members.
“It means that there is a beautiful, mature, adult and responsible collaboration between civil authorities, mayors, deputies, senators, officials and religious authorities,’’ Bustillo told The Associated Press ahead of the visit. “There is no hostility between the two. And that is a very positive aspect because in Corsica there is no ideological hostility.”
The go to was awash in indicators of in style piety. The pope was greeted by youngsters in conventional garb and was frequently serenaded by bands, choruses and singing troupes which can be central to Corsican tradition from the airport, to the motorcade route, conference middle and cathedral. 1000’s stood alongside the roadside to greet the pontiff and extra waved from home windows.
Renè Colombani traveled with 2,000 others by ship from northern Corsica to Ajaccio, on the western coast, to see the pope.
“It is an event that we will not see again in several years. It may be the only time that the pope will come to Corsica. And since we wanted to be a part of it, we have come a long way″ Colombani said.
The island, which Genoa ceded to France in 1768, is located closer to the Italian mainland than France.
From the conference, the pope traveled to the 17th-century cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta to meet with clergy, stopping along the way at the statue of the Madunnuccia where he lit a devotional candle.
The pope celebrated Mass beneath a looming statue of Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor whose armies in 1808 annexed the papal states and imprisoned two of Francis’ predecessors — Popes Pius VI and VII — before being excommunicated and eventually defeated on the battlefield. Thousands packed the esplanade where Napoleon is said to have played as a child.
Francis met with Macron at the airport before departing for the 50-minute flight back to Rome.
They discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Middle East and security issues in Africa’s Sahel and Great Lakes regions, Haiti and Sudan, Macron’s office said in a statement. Macron welcomed the pope’s “calls for peace, non-violence and respect for human rights,” the assertion stated.
Each Macron and Francis expressed their “deep concern” relating to the state of affairs in Gaza and known as for “an immediate and lasting ceasefire” and “the massive delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid,” based on Macron’s workplace. On Syria, they reiterated their want to see a “fair and inclusive political transition,” the assertion stated.
Macron offered the pope with two books about Notre Dame Cathedral.
The pontiff pointedly didn’t make the journey to Paris earlier this month for the pomp surrounding the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral following the devastating 2019 hearth. The go to to Corsica appears way more suited to Francis’ priorities than a grand cathedral reopening, emphasizing the “church of the peripheries.”
It was Francis’ third journey to France, every time avoiding Paris and the protocols {that a} state go to entails. He visited the port of Marseille in 2023, on an in a single day go to to take part in an annual summit of Mediterranean bishops, and went to Strasbourg in 2014 to handle the European Parliament and Council of Europe.
Corsica is house to greater than 340,000 individuals and has been a part of France since 1768. However the island has additionally seen pro-independence violence and has an influential nationalist motion. Final yr, Macron proposed granting it restricted autonomy.
Given the brief flight again to Rome, Francis didn’t maintain an airborne press convention en route house, the primary time he has skipped the standard briefing in 47 international journeys as pope. Francis did come to the again of the airplane although to greet reporters and obtain a fake birthday cake.
Related Press writers Colleen Barry in Milan and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.
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Related Press faith protection receives assist via the AP’s collaboration with The Dialog US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely liable for this content material.
Initially Printed: December 15, 2024 at 12:57 PM PST
