Meeting with Pope Francis — Faith and Light

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Meeting with Pope Francis

On the occasion of our 50th anniversary on 2 October

On 2nd October, a delegation of about 50 people from Faith and Light was received by Pope Francis at the Vatican. Parents, friends and people with disabilities from the Italian communities joined the Board of Directors and the International Council of Faith and Light.

As he entered, the Pope was greeted with the community song: "It’s you, it’s me, it’s us, it’s the Pope, that builds community...!" With a big smile, Pope Francis welcomed two people with disabilities who rushed to dance with him and embrace him. The Pope then greeted our co-founder, Marie-Hélène Mathieu, who at 92 years of age did not hesitate to join the delegation. With great delicacy, he asked her to sit down and blessed her. A very moving moment for her and for all of us.

Thanking the Pope for the audience, Raúl Izquierdo, international coordinator of Faith and Light, asked the Holy Father for encouragement: "We need your encouragement, your welcome and your impetus. Here we are, Your Holiness: Speak Lord, your servant is listening".

The Pope then spoke and encouraged us in our mission: "The presence of Faith and Light has been and is now a prophecy because the most fragile people are often rejected, considered useless. And your prophecy is even more important today, to fight the culture of rejection and to remind everyone that diversity is a richness and must never become a reason for exclusion and discrimination”.

We offered him a golden book with the drawings sent from all the communities across the world, a beautiful book of 160 pages! We also presented Pope Francis with a banner with the members of the international team who, for sanitary reasons, had been unable to join us. He looked at each face with great attention. Finally, each one of us were able to greet him and say a few words.

 

We give thanks for this blessed time!

The members of the international team who were able to meet again after two years of virtual meetings burst with joy. But we all kept in our hearts those who could not join us.

In the evening, our Italian friends invited us to a Eucharist and a delicious dinner. Joy and celebration were everywhere! Thank you for you, dear Italian friends, and for the perfect organisation of this unforgettable moment.