The Pope in Assisi , hundreds of the faithful to welcome him . Armored city . " The world needs to lose "

Pope Francis today went on a visit to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi, where he met with religious and faithful who welcomed him in a fiery day. Bergoglio has gathered in silent prayer in front of the Portiuncula - a chair as he did at Auschwitz - to celebrate the eight hundredth anniversary of the "Pardon of Assisi", obtained by St. Francis for those who, since then, from noon on the first August at midnight on August 2nd visit this site. THE WITNESS. Today the Pope in Assisi, a visit that scompaginadi Father Enzo Fortunato Access to the churchyard was only allowed to pass holders, as well as in church. The police have done an accurate but discrete filtering to access gates, even with the use of metal detectors, which are also subjected priests, monks and nuns. Around the basilica it was created a "red zone" by a pedestrian area. "All I want to send you to heaven." Pope Francis opened the meditation in the basilica remembering the words of St. Francis of Assisi: "I like to remember today, first of all, the words that, according to ancient tradition, St. Francis spoke right here, in front of all the people and the bishops 'I want to have us all in paradise!'. What could ask for more beautiful the Poverello of Assisi, but the gift of salvation, of eternal life with God and joy without end, that Jesus won for us by his death and resurrection ? ". The world has need of forgiveness. Pope Francis focused on the meaning of forgiveness. "It 'hard to forgive, huh? How do we forgive others? And here at the Portiuncula all speak of forgiveness. What a great gift the Lord has given us by teaching us to forgive. Or at least let us have the desire to forgive. To let us touch the mercy of the Father. We just heard the parable in which Jesus teaches us to forgive. Why should we forgive someone who has hurt us? Because we ourselves have been forgiven, and infinitely more. We think silently to bad things we have done, and how the Lord has forgiven us. The parable tells us just that: as God forgives us, so must we forgive those who hurt us, "as in the Our Father." Have you ever thought - said Bergoglio - to God's patience? It did, huh? We know well, in fact, that we are flawed and often we fall into the same sins. Yet, God does not get tired of always offering his forgiveness every time we ask it. "And he stressed:" The world is in need of forgiveness; too many people live locked up in rancor and hatred they hatch, because they can not lose, ruining the lives of others rather than their own and find the joy of serenity and peace. " In the confessional. At the end of the meditation, the Pope went into the confessional after inviting to do so bishops and monks. "I invite all the bishops and the monks now to go in the confessionals. I will do the same." Accompanied by the prefect of the Papal Household, Father Leonardo Sapienza, Bergoglio has also reached him one of the confessional, he wore the purple stole and confessed some of the faithful.