Pope Francis answered a letter from a parish priest of his former archdiocese with a handwritten note in which he asks for prayers.
Francis replied to a letter from the parish priest of the Basilica of San Jose de Flores in Buenos Aires, Argentina, asking the faithful to pray for him.
The Bishop of Rome thanked the parish priest for his letter, asked him for prayers and encouraged him to continue in his pastoral work. “Thank you for all you do,” wrote the Pontiff.
Earlier this month, Father Gabriel Marronetti shared with the community the handwritten letter the Pope sent him, reported AICA news agency.
The priest also mentioned the deep feelings generated by his cardinal’s election to the Chair of Saint Peter, and how difficult it was to assimilate his loss.
“Since March 13 [the day Cardinal Bergoglio was elected to the See of Peter], journalists have come to know ‘the place of the revelation,’ where God called the Pope to be a priest. Well, now that you’re not here, and that you are in another capacity … we priests need time to assimilate the loss and the gain. Little time has passed yet.”
The Pontiff replied on May 30, asking that they not forget to pray for his mission, and concluding by encouraging the parish priest’s pastoral task. “May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin look after you. Thank you for all you do.”
