Pope Leo XIV surprised a pilgrimage of Africans and encouraged them to receive strength from the faith, after a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday.
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“It is our faith that enables us to see the light of Jesus Christ in our lives and to understand how important it is to live our faith,” Leo said to the group, which was gathered at the Altar of the Chair.
African ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, together with colleagues and family members, participated in the Jubilee pilgrimage on the theme of “Hope for peace in Africa,” led by Cardinals Peter Turkson and Francis Arinze, and Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu.
The pope in his brief greeting encouraged the pilgrims to have the hope of Jesus Christ, “that all of us together will continue to walk united as brothers and sisters to praise our God; to recognize that everything we have and everything we are is a gift from God, and to place those gifts at the service of others.”
“All of us together,” Leo added, “[are] filled with the great witness that you are all giving and that the continent of Africa gives to the whole world. We say, ‘Thank you, Lord Jesus, and may your name be praised.’ God bless you all.”
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This article was originally published on CNA.
