The value of a town is measured by its ability to unite in the face of adversity. This was the message Pope Francis gave to Trujillo, the second most populous city in the country.
He celebrated Mass in this coastal city with strong winds and that emphasize the closeness of the sea. In April 2017, Trujillo suffered the devastating consequences of the El Niño coastal phenomenon, which flooded the center of the city and led to thousands of displaced people.
POPE FRANCIS
'I know that, in the moment of darkness, when you felt the brunt of El Niño, these lands kept moving forward. There are things, as you well know, that cannot be improvised, much less be bought. The soul of a community is measured by how it manages to unite to face times of difficulty and adversity, in order to keep hope alive.'
The pope did not overlook other problems that afflict the region: organized violence, the need for education and the lack of a secure home, which forces families to live in unstable areas.
Pope Francis told Peruvians that faith is key to facing difficulties. This propels one to perform concrete acts of love that produce hope when it seems everything is lost. This is the medicine he prescribed for Peru when reacting to adversities.
POPE FRANCIS
'What a beautiful question the Lord will ask us: how many tears have you dried today? I want to encourage you to be a community that lets itself be anointed by the Lord with the oil of the Spirit. He transforms everything, renews everything and strengthens everything. The Peruvians at this moment in their history have no right to let themselves be robbed of hope.'
At the end of the homily, Pope Francis invoked Our Lady of the Gate, one of the most popular devotions in the region. He invited everyone to sing a simple prayer, although it didn’t go as planned.
POPE FRANCIS
'Do you dare to sing it? We will sing it together: Who wants to start singing? Our Lady of the Gate... The choir won’t either? Then we can recite it if we can’t sing it: ‘Our Lady of the Gate, grant me your blessing. Our Lady of the Gate, give us peace and much love.’'
In addition to Our Lady of the Gate from Otuzco, other images representing devotions from the region where also present, like the Captive Lord of Ayabaca.
