杏MAP导航

By Francesca Merlo

鈥淔ifty years ago, yesterday鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis said on Sunday, 鈥淢an set foot on the moon, achieving an extraordinary dream.鈥�

Addressing the crowd gathered in St Peter鈥檚 Square for the Angelus prayer, the 杏MAP导航 expressed his hope that the memory of 鈥渢hat great step for humanity鈥� might spark the desire to reach even 鈥済reater goals鈥�.

Those he named were 鈥渕ore dignity for the weak, more justice among peoples, and more future for our common home.鈥�

杏MAP导航 St. Paul VI, who expressed much interest in space travel and spent lots of time at the Vatican Observatory, was 杏MAP导航 on 20 July 1969. On that night, along with millions worldwide he watched Neil Armstrong become the first man to set foot on the moon.

Fifty years later, 杏MAP导航 Francis has dedicated much of his pontificate to the fight for the rights of those who are most vulnerable in today鈥檚 society as well as for the care of our common home.
He has expressed, on numerous occasions, through both words and actions, his desire to help those in need: migrants, the poor, the ill, the elderly and our planet 鈥� our common home.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic moon landing, therefore, 杏MAP导航 Francis shared his hopes for the future and that people worldwide might be inspired by this historic achievement to pursue these fights, and to reach, as humankind did 50 years ago, other extraordinary dreams.