“Whoever hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15). It starts from the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel Pope Leo XIV to deliver to the faithful of the parish Santa Maria Regina Pacis of Ostia Lido words that do not leave you indifferent. Words that sink into the concreteness of life in a territory marked by wounds, but also by a tenacious desire for redemption. The words of Jesus, the Pope says at the beginning of his homily in what is the first visit of his pontificate to a parish in the diocese of Rome, are «a way of fullness of man, a fidelity to God founded on respect and care for others in their inviolable sacredness, to be cultivated, even before in gestures and words, in the heart. It is there, in fact, that the noblest feelings are born, but also the most painful profanations: the closures, the envies, the jealousies, so whoever thinks badly of his brother, by harboring bad feelings towards him, it’s as if deep inside he was already killing him.”
The embrace of the community
The visit began around 4pm. Upon his arrival, in the field behind the church, the Pontiff met the children of the catechism class and the young people of the parish: a simple and festive moment, made up of songs, greetings and spontaneous questions. Shortly afterwards, in the oratory gym, he stopped with the elderly, the sick, the poor and Caritas volunteers, listening to stories and words of gratitude. A gesture that immediately showed the heart of the visit: a Church that is close, that looks at the most vulnerable and puts them at the center. «You know that in these days there are the Olympics in Milan Cortina and so we also want to give this message, we want to work all together as a team, as in sport, to be a team», said the Pontiff, greeting sick elderly people and young people, in particular the boys of the basketball team, in the church gym, who welcomed him with great enthusiasm: «Thank you, I was greeted by a beautiful word, welcome! How nice it is to say welcome! Catholics, non-Catholics, let it be the greeting of our parishes, everyone is welcome». Before leaving the gym, Leone greeted as many people as possible one by one, shaking hands, taking photos and finally signing a basketball and a basketball shirt. Shortly before the 17th, Leo XIV presided over the Eucharistic celebration in the parish church, packed with faithful. Many others followed the Mass from the giant screen mounted outside for the occasion.
A homily that challenges
In the homily the Pope clearly indicated the root of the violence: “the heart that becomes cold, hard and poor in mercy”. A call that resonates strongly in a context where – he said – «violence exists and hurts, sometimes taking hold among young people and adolescents, perhaps fueled by substance use; or by criminal organizations, which exploit people by involving them in their crimes and who pursue unfair interests with illegal and immoral methods. In the face of such phenomena, I invite all of you, as a parish community, united with the other virtuous organizations that operate in these neighborhoods, to continue to spend yourselves with generosity and courage to spread the good seed of the Gospel in your streets and in your homes. Do not resign yourself to the culture of abuse and injustice», continued the Pope, «on the contrary, spread respect and harmony, starting by disarming languages and then investing energy and resources in education, especially of children and young people. Yes, that in the parish they can learn honesty, hospitality, love that overcomes borders; learn to help not only those who reciprocate and greet not only those who greet, but to reach out to everyone freely and freely; learn the coherence between faith and life, as Jesus teaches us, when he says: “If you present your offering at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother and then return to offer your gift”. The Pontiff recalled the very origins of the parish: «Pope Benedict XV, one hundred and ten years ago, wanted this parish named after Santa Maria Regina Pacis. He did it in the midst of the First World War, also thinking of your community as a ray of light in the leaden sky of war».
An image that also challenges today: «After some time, unfortunately, many clouds still darken the world, with the spread of logics contrary to the Gospel, which exalt the supremacy of the strongest and encourage arrogance and they fuel the seduction of victory at any cost, deaf to the cry of those who suffer and those who are defenseless.”
Faced with this drift, the indication is clear: «We oppose the disarming force of meekness». Continue to ask for peace, welcome it and cultivate it “with tenacity and humility”. Citing Saint Augustine, the Pope recalled that “it is not difficult to possess peace (…) if we want to have it, it is there, within our reach”, because “our peace is Christ”, which is achieved by allowing ourselves to be transformed by Him and opening our hearts to Him”.
The “big dome” on the Tyrrhenian Sea
The choice of the title Regina Pacis is not accidental. The church, which will celebrate its centenary in two years, stands out from the highest dune in Ostia Levante, in the 26th Prefecture of the Diocese of Rome. The waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea reflect its 42 meter dome, designed by the architect Giulio Magni in the early twentieth century: for the people of Ostia it is simply “the big dome”. Almost all the recent Popes have stopped there: from John XXIII in 1963 to Paul VI in 1968, from John Paul II in 1980 to Francis in 2015.
The latest meetings
At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, Leo XIV met the Pastoral Council in a room of the parish, in a moment of dialogue and encouragement for future activities. Before returning to the Vatican, he stopped for a few more minutes outside the church to greet the faithful who remained outside, who had followed the Mass on the giant screen.
