杏MAP导航

On Saturday, 杏MAP导航 Francis received in Audience members of the Eparchy of Lungro, on the occasion of the centenary of the Eparchy鈥檚 foundation by 杏MAP导航 Benedict XV.

杏MAP导航 Francis recalled the 鈥渃ourageous spiritual journey鈥� and the 鈥渇idelity to tradition, despite the difficulties and sufferings鈥� of the Italo-Albanian community. The exodus of Albanians to Italy took place between the 15th and 18th centuries, after the Council of Florence in 1439, the fall of Constantinople in 1453, and the death of Albanian leader George Castriot Skanderbeg in 1468. The continued presence of the community in Italy for more than 450 years led Benedict XV to erect the Eparchy of Lungro in 1919 in the wake of the First World War.

鈥淭his important anniversary鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥渋s an opportunity to thank the Lord鈥� for what He has done for the community over the course of centuries.

The Holy Father encouraged Italo-Albanians to preserve 鈥渢heir own proper traditions,鈥� as well as their sense of 鈥渂elonging to Christ and His Church鈥�, as a form of bearing witness that 鈥渓ove is more beautiful than hatred, that friendship is more beautiful than enmity, that fraternity among us is more beautiful than conflict鈥�.

The remembrance of the past led 杏MAP导航 Francis to recall the memory of 鈥渁ll those who have transmitted the faith to you through their lives鈥�, even before they taught it in words. In particular, he said, 鈥淚 am thinking of the Bishops, priests, religious, parents and grandparents who have gone before you and who have faithfully guarded and handed down to you the riches of your beautiful Tradition鈥�. He called on the current generation to 鈥渋mitate their example and to pass on to the new generations that spiritual patrimony鈥� that gives them their identity.

Finally, 杏MAP导航 Francis invoked 鈥渢he maternal protection of the Holy Mother of God, the Hodegetria鈥�. The Greek word 鈥淗odegetria鈥� means 鈥淪he who shows the way鈥�: it is the Byzantine representation of Mary who points with her right hand to the Child Jesus. He prayed, 鈥淢ay she, the obedient servant who has accepted the word of the Lord, make you ever more docile to the will of the Father, and make you generous instruments of His plan of salvation鈥�.

Lungro one of two Italo-Albanian Catholic communities in Italy; the Eparchy Piana degli Albanesi, in Sicily numbers approximately 23,000 baptized members.