Pope Francis has arrived in Cyprus, the first stage of his journey which, until 6 December, will then also take him to Greece . The plane landed at Larnaca airport, where it was greeted by the president of the Cypriot parliament, Annita Demetriou.
Then the move to the capital Nicosia.
"There are and there are no walls in the Catholic Church: it is a common home, it is the place of relationships, it is the coexistence of diversities", he said during the meeting with priests, men and women religious, deacons, catechists, associations and ecclesial movements of Cyprus, in the Maronite Cathedral of Nicosia. The Pope first greeted the Maronite Church, turning his "worried" thought about the crisis that is going through Lebanon.
Hence the Latin Church, which "thanks to the presence of so many migrant brothers and sisters", is a "'multicolored' people", "a real meeting place between different ethnic groups and cultures".
"This face of the Church - Francis affirmed - reflects the role of Cyprus in the European continent: a land of golden fields, an island caressed by the waves of the sea, but above all a history that is intertwined with peoples and a mosaic of encounters". "So too is the Church - he observed -: catholic, that is universal, an open space in which all are welcomed and reached by the mercy of God and the invitation to love".
"Dear brothers and sisters, we need a patient Church - he continued -. A Church that does not allow itself to be upset and disturbed by changes, but serenely welcomes novelty and discerns situations in the light of the Gospel. On this island it is precious. the work you do in welcoming new brothers and sisters who come from other shores of the world ". "The Church in Cyprus has these open arms: it welcomes, integrates, accompanies - Francis continued -. It is an important message also for the Church throughout Europe, marked by the crisis of faith: there is no need to be impulsive and aggressive, nostalgic or complaining. , but it is good to go on reading the signs of the times and also the signs of the crisis ". For the Pope, "the Church does not want to standardize, but to integrate with patience".
“With your fraternity - he concluded - you can remind everyone, the whole of Europe, that to build a future worthy of man it is necessary to work together, overcome divisions, tear down walls and cultivate the dream of unity. We need to welcome and integrate, to walk together, to be all brothers and sisters! ".
(Unioneonline / D)