Monday, July 22, 2013

Pope Francis Arrives in Brazil for Week-Long Visit; Says Faith in Jesus Offers Us Riches of His Love

Pope Francis returned to his native Latin America today (July 22, 2013), asking for open hearts -- even after the irrepressible crowds made it clear he had them -- the Catholic News website reports.

The 76-year-old pope's first international trip involved a 12-hour flight -- from Rome to Rio de Janeiro -- taking him back to the continent he left more than four months ago to attend the conclave that elected him pope.

In his remarks in Rio de Janeiro -- delivered in a mixture of Portuguese and Spanish -- the pope borrowed a phrase from the Acts of the Apostles: "I have neither silver nor gold, but I bring with me the most precious thing given to me: Jesus Christ!"

Pope Francis said he had come to Brazil -- the country with more Catholics than any other country in the world -- to "give an account of the reasons for the hope" that comes from faith in Jesus and inspire them to "offer everyone the inexhaustible riches of His love."

No comments:

Post a Comment