PHILADELPHIA – Keeping with the theme of his recent speeches, Pope Francis encouraged attendees of Sunday’s papal Mass to accept those of other religions and to treat each other with kindness.
The pope celebrated Mass for more than one million attendees Sunday afternoon. Before the Mass began, Pope Francis rode past cheering crowds, sometimes stopping to kiss babies handed up to him by security agents.
“The impression that it (good) cannot take place in those who are not part of our group or who are not like us is dangerous,” the pope said. “Not only does it block conversions to the faith, it is a poor version of the faith.”
St. Thomas and St. Catherine students arrived more than five hours before the Mass and spent time playing games, meeting others and exploring the area. Before the Mass began, some scrambled to don skirts and nylons, as well as chapel veils.
Sophia Rick, a St. Thomas sophomore, said the experience was surreal.
“It was the pope. He’s a real guy, not just someone really far away,” Rick said. “It’s like a ‘pinch me, wake me up’ kind of thing. It doesn’t seem real at all.”
The Mass’ readings focused on showing kindness. Pope Francis used the story in Numbers, in which Moses is encouraged to stop someone from prophesying in the Lord’s name but allows them to continue, to show that anyone demonstrating goodness should be encouraged.
Pope Francis also spoke on the importance of family, the theme of his weekend in Philadelphia. He discussed the importance of small acts of kindness performed by mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers.
“These are the little gestures of a warm supper we look forward to at night…like a blessing before we go to bed,” the pope said. “Love is shown by little things.”
Before concluding his homily, Pope Francis left attendees with a question.
“In (our) own home, do we shout or do we speak to each other in love and tenderness?” he asked. “That is a good way of measuring love.”
St. Thomas sophomore Margaret Harmon was moved by the pope’s message of love.
“He’s so filled with the Holy Spirit,” Harmon said. “The power of the Holy Spirit that’s in him, it spreads out of him. It spreads out within, probably, a 100-mile radius.”
Sunday is the last day of Pope Francis’ six-day trip to the United States, the first of his life. Following the Mass, he will meet with organizers, volunteers and benefactors of the World Meeting of Families and depart for Rome.
Harmon was overwhelmed by her experience of seeing Pope Francis.
“Everything he does just fills me with a lot of joy,” she said.
Grace Pastoor can be reached at past6138@stthomas.edu.