More than 40 years had passed since the neighborhood of “El Quarticciolo” in Rome has received a visit from any pope. On the second Sunday of Lent, Pope Leo XIV traveled there and celebrated Mass at the Parish of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
There, the Pontiff emphasized a characteristic trait of the human being:
POPE LEO XIV
Peter becomes the spokesman of our old world and its desperate need to stop things, to control them. A bit like when we would not want a dream we take refuge in to end. But this is not about a dream; it is about a new world into which we are to enter: the goal of our journey.
It is a troubled neighborhood, marked by drug trafficking. The Dehonian Fathers, who are responsible for the parish in question, are persistent in their fight against the issues of the neighborhood. Pope Leo congratulated them on their resolve and encouraged them to continue their fight.
POPE LEO XIV
When we realize that many things around us are not working, the question sometimes arises: does what we are doing make sense? The temptation of discouragement creeps in, with the loss of motivation and drive. But it is precisely in the face of the mystery of evil that we must bear witness to our Christian identity.
The Pope also addressed the young people of the parish. He praised the initiative of the “Magis” groups, inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, and encouraged them to become beacons for others.
It was a memorable afternoon for the Roman neighborhood, as Pope Leo took time to encounter a difficult, but not hopeless reality.
The next stop in his pastoral visits to the various dioceses of Rome will be the Parish of Santa Maria della Presentazione, in the northeastern area, in the Torrevecchia neighborhood.
