AJACCIO, Corsica (AP) — Pope Francis on the primary papal go to ever to the French island of Corsica on Sunday known as for a dynamic type of laicism, selling the type of widespread piety that distinguishes the Mediterranean island from secular France as a bridge between non secular and civic society.
Francis appeared relaxed and energized through the one-day go to, simply two days earlier than his 88th birthday, nonetheless displaying a pale bruise from a fall per week in the past.
He regularly deviated from his ready homily throughout Mass on the out of doors La Place d’Austerlitz, remarking at one level that he had by no means seen so many youngsters as in Corsica — besides, he added, in East Timor on his current Asian tour.
“Make youngsters,″ he implored. ”They will likely be your pleasure and your comfort sooner or later.”
Earlier, on the shut of a Mediterranean convention on widespread piety, Papa Francescu, as he’s known as in Corsican, described an idea of secularity “that’s not static and glued, however evolving and dynamic,” that may adapt to “unexpected conditions” and promote cooperation “between civil and ecclesial authorities.”
The pontiff mentioned that expressions of widespread piety, together with processions and communal prayer of the Holy Rosary “can nurture constructive citizenship” on the a part of Christians. At the identical time, he warned towards such manifestations being seen solely when it comes to folklore, and even superstition.
The go to to Corsica’s capital Ajaccio, the birthplace of Napoleon, is without doubt one of the briefest of his papacy past Italy’s borders, nearly 9 hours on the bottom, together with a 40-minute go to with French President Emmanuel Macron. Francis met privately with Macron on the airport earlier than flying again to Rome.
Francis was joined on the dais by the bishop of Ajaccio, Cardinal Francois-Xavier Bustillo, who organized the convention that introduced collectively some 400 contributors from Spain, Sicily, Sardinia and southern France. The two-day assembly examined expressions of religion that usually happen exterior formal liturgies, similar to processions and pilgrimages.
Often particular to the locations the place they’re practiced, widespread piety in Corsica contains the cult of the Virgin Mary, recognized regionally because the “Madunnuccia,” which protected the island from the plague in 1656 when it was nonetheless underneath Genoa.
Corsica stands out from the remainder of secularized France as a very religious area, with 92 confraternities, or lay associations devoted to works of charity or piety, with over 4,000 members.
“It means that there’s a lovely, mature, grownup and accountable collaboration between civil authorities, mayors, deputies, senators, officers and non secular authorities,’’ Bustillo instructed The Associated Press forward of the go to. “There isn’t any hostility between the 2. And that may be a very constructive side as a result of in Corsica there isn’t a ideological hostility.”
The go to was awash in indicators of widespread piety. The pope was greeted by youngsters in conventional garb and was frequently serenaded by bands, choruses and singing troupes which might be central to Corsican tradition from the airport, to the motorcade route, conference middle and cathedral. Thousands stood alongside the roadside to greet the pontiff and extra waved from home windows.
Renè Colombani traveled with 2,000 others by ship from northern Corsica to Ajaccio, on the western coast, to see the pope.
“It is an occasion that we’ll not see once more in a number of years. It would be the solely time that the pope will come to Corsica. And since we wished to be part of it, we’ve come a great distance″ Colombani mentioned.
The island, which Genoa ceded to France in 1768, is positioned nearer to the Italian mainland than France.
From the convention, the pope traveled to the Seventeenth-century cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta to satisfy with clergy, stopping alongside the way in which on the statue of the Madunnuccia the place he lit a devotional candle.
The pope celebrated Mass beneath a looming statue of Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor whose armies in 1808 annexed the papal states and imprisoned two of Francis’ predecessors — Popes Pius VI and VII — earlier than being excommunicated and finally defeated on the battlefield. Thousands packed the esplanade the place Napoleon is claimed to have performed as a toddler.
Francis met with Macron on the airport earlier than departing for the 50-minute flight again to Rome.
They mentioned Russia’s battle in Ukraine, the Middle East and safety points in Africa’s Sahel and Great Lakes areas, Haiti and Sudan, Macron’s workplace mentioned in a press release. Macron welcomed the pope’s “requires peace, non-violence and respect for human rights,” the assertion mentioned.
Both Macron and Francis expressed their “deep concern” concerning the scenario in Gaza and known as for “a right away and lasting ceasefire” and “the huge supply of much-needed humanitarian support,” in response to Macron’s workplace. On Syria, they reiterated their want to see a “truthful and inclusive political transition,” the assertion mentioned.
Macron offered the pope with two books about Notre Dame Cathedral.
The pontiff pointedly didn’t make the journey to Paris earlier this month for the pomp surrounding the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral following the devastating 2019 fireplace. The go to to Corsica appears way more suited to Francis’ priorities than a grand cathedral reopening, emphasizing the “church of the peripheries.”
It was Francis’ third journey to France, every time avoiding Paris and the protocols {that a} state go to entails. He visited the port of Marseille in 2023, on an in a single day go to to take part in an annual summit of Mediterranean bishops, and went to Strasbourg in 2014 to deal with the European Parliament and Council of Europe.
Corsica is house to greater than 340,000 individuals and has been a part of France since 1768. But the island has additionally seen pro-independence violence and has an influential nationalist motion. Last yr, Macron proposed granting it restricted autonomy.
Given the brief flight again to Rome, Francis didn’t maintain an airborne press convention en route house, the primary time he has skipped the standard briefing in 47 overseas journeys as pope. Francis did come to the again of the airplane although to greet reporters and obtain a fake birthday cake.
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Associated Press writers Colleen Barry in Milan and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.
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Associated Press faith protection receives assist by means of the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely liable for this content material.
