On October 19, 2015 a delegation of Association “Maria SS. dell’Elemosina” (Mary of Almsgiving), with the Provost Spiritual Assistant (from Biancavilla, Diocese of Catania), met Pope Emeritus. The story of the emotions experienced.
di Alessandro Scaccianoce
A moral and spiritual greatness hidden in the weakness of a slender body 88 years old. Yet he has an impressive clarity and a great desire to smile, tender eyes peering and expressing great affection and love of life. So appeared Benedict XVI yesterday afternoon around 16.30, inside the Vatican Gardens (near the grotto of Lourdes), for a private meeting with a delegation of the Association “Maria SS. dell’Elemosina” of Biancavilla (Catania) together with the parish priest Don Pino Salerno. On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the foundation of our Association, in July 2012, we had been to Castel Gandolfo to attend a hearing of Pope Benedict XVI. But in the context of the meeting, but emotive, it could not have been private. A meeting sought, expected and desired. More extraordinary than expected, as revealed the simple, delicious and tender humanity of a great man.
A personality who has actively marked half a century of Church history – comparable to the great Fathers of the early centuries for moral and intellectual stature – who met the most important people of the world, Who spoke at international Assemblies, who featured through his thoughts, Catholic theology and contemporary philosophical debate, receiving numerous honorary doctorates, who participated in the election of John Paul I and John Paul II and for eight years has guided the helm of the Church on the throne of Saint Peter… He, he was there, yesterday afternoon, at the end of the recitation of the Rosary, along with his secretary Msgr. Georg Gaenswein; It seemed simple and fragile as a baby bird, and we just watched him, smiling, as a grandfather waiting for his grandchildren, it seemed he knew all of us and he was waiting for a long time. One of our family, who rejoice your heart when you see him. At the nod of Mons. Gaenswein we closed to him, surrounded him and expressed our heat and our affection. Him, happy to see us (“How many are you! And how solemn are you! That’s nice to see so many young devotees of Our Lady“), with the wonder of a child asked us information about Sicily and Mount Etna (“Do you occasionally see the cloud of fire and ashes?“), along with an exchange of wor
ds on oranges of our territory and his past travel in the Island. He spoke in a whisper, that was confused between the chirping of birds and the rustle of the garden of the gulls, but his voice was music.
“What are you bringing from Sicily?” He said smiling looking at our hands full of presents. We then gave him a beautiful reproduction of the Icon of Virgin of Almsgiving (“ALMSGIVING, what a beautiful title! How is relevant today!”); he admired the beauty of the ancient Icon, he kissed and asked for information about its origin. He listened to the telling of the story of the city of Biancavilla (“do you still speak Albanian?“) and then exclaimed: “So you can almost say that your city was founded by Virgin Mary”. But there is another gift for the Holy Father: the scapular of Our Lady of Almsgiving, an outward sign that expresses the common brothership in the mantle of Mary. There’s one made just for him, and – after kissing the silver medallion – asks to wear it: “So I am member of the community of Biancavilla”. What a great feeling! And then we gave him the desserts of Sicily. What a big smile… Then we briefly presented ourselves and told him we are disciples of the Way of Beauty he taught and demonstrated: “The way of beauty is important – he says. The liturgy manifests the beauty of God and the beauty of faith. The l
iturgy is transparency of the presence and action of God in the world, not just a personal meeting between us. The beauty can reveal the love of God”. Then we asked him: is it possible to reconcile mercy and truth? Nowdays they appear exactly opposite… We asked him to address his message to all citizens of Biancavilla. The answer is simple, as it is disarming: “Mercy is authentic if it responds to the truth about man. If I do not make a gesture with the truth, I don’t really help the brother who needs help. As the psalm says: mercy and truth shall kiss. You can learn from Mary the true mercy”.
We asked again: Holy Father, how are you? “Not so good, but enough”. We urged: what is the secret for a long and happy life? “It does not matter a long life, but a good life, to live in union with the Lord, greeting him in the morning and evening, and performing our duties, which are really gifts, following the Lord, doing his will, without claim anything. This is enough”. Once again demonstrating unbridled wisdom. A free man, who has already proved to be detached from the honors and the glory of the world, and who now claims his freedom even for life. Do what you must, because the duty is also a gift … we would have to ponder long … Just think of the way we perceive our duties and the many claims and ambitions that live in our hearts. Once again, a great lesson of human and spiritual life. We could not weary him, but we asked the blessing, to be extended to the devotees of Our Lady Almsgiving and the citizens of Biancavilla. We kneel, he raised blessing his hand in the sign of the Trinity … “Go ahead, under the guidance of Our Lady of Almsgiving and Truth”. Then he gave us a commemorative medal of his pontificate (held to mark the visit to Portugal in 2010) and some images: “Greet your beautiful Sicily and let us stay close in prayer” told us while we kissed his hands again. For
the Association “Maria SS. dell’Elemosina “and the Basilica Shrine of Biancavilla he gave a stole worn by him in the years of his Pontificate and the “skullcap” he wore yesterday. Simple gestures that confirmed his desire to remain close to us. An unforgettable encounter, simple but profound, because it marked an intense exchange of mutual affection and gratitude. We are grateful to him for his living testimony. He is grateful to us, almost in wonder, of our affection. But how can we not love him?
A final goobye, while he climbed on a small two-seater that carried him inside the monastery: “Long life to Pope Benedict!”. And he replies: “Long life to the Lord”.