MONDAY-TUESDAYJuly 10-11, 2000 volume 11, no. 119
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NEWS for Monday-Tuesday, July 10-11, 2000 VATICAN CITY, JULY 9 (ZENIT.org)
On occasion of the Jubilee in
the Prisons, this morning John Paul II visited prisoners in
Rome's "Regina Coeli" Prison. At various times he asked for an
"act of clemency" for all those behind bars throughout the world,
which should materialize by a reduction in their punishment.
The Pope arrived at the prison at 9:15 a.m. He celebrated Mass,
quoting the Gospel passage: "I was in prison and you visited me."
"In my mind, I address all the places in the world where men and
women are in prison," he said in the midst of intense silence.
"In the name of Christ, who came to proclaim freedom to captives,
I ask the competent authorities for a sign of clemency in favor
of all prisoners on the occasion of the Jubilee."
Upon arrival, the Pope was received by Italian prison authorities
and the prison chaplain. The olive-wood altar where he celebrated
Mass was artistically decorated by a prison guard. The Pontiff's
vestments were embroidered by prisoners. The hymns during the
Mass were sung by the prison choir, which sings ever Sunday at
Mass. Prisoners crowded the central hall at the joining of the
wings of this prison, a building planned for 600, which at
present houses 900. Freedom of HeartDuring the homily, John Paul II touched the heart of each of the inmates. "I come to tell you that God loves you, and he wants you to walk on the path of rehabilitation and forgiveness, truth, and justice. I would like to hear the personal plight of each one. But what I cannot do, your chaplains can, who are with you in the name of Christ."The Pope's thoughts, therefore, were with the chaplains and volunteers who can humanize prisons and enrich them with the spiritual dimension, which is so important for the prisoner's life. However, John Paul II was not just addressing persons behind bars, but every person who in a certain sense is a "prisoner." In fact, "sin is the prison of the spirit." "God wills the integral liberation of man. A liberation that not only affects physical and external conditions, but above all the liberation of the heart." Cosmic Dimension of Effects of Sin"Our sin has disturbed God's plan, and not only has it had its repercussions in human life, but throughout creation. This cosmic dimension of the effects of sin can almost be touched with the hand in ecological disasters. No less worrying is the harm caused by sin in the human psyche, in the very biology of man. Sin is devastating. It takes away peace from the heart and causes a chain of sufferings in human relations," explained the Holy Father."The Spirit of God comes to free us from this slavery," he said. "Therefore, it is necessary that the Holy Spirit penetrate the prison where we are and all the prisons of the world. Christ, the Son of God, became a prisoner, he allowed his hands to be tied and be nailed to the cross precisely so that his Spirit would be able to reach the heart of every man." The Meaning of Punishment"Punishment and prison are only meaningful when, affirming the exigencies of justice and discouraging crime, they serve to renew men and women, offer the one who was in error the possibility to reflect and change his way of life, in order to be fully integrated in society," the Pope explained.The Holy Father believes that, if the prisoners follow this interior path, the whole of society will benefit. "The very persons whom you caused to suffer, will feel that greater justice was rendered to them when they see your interior change, than the penal punishment you have endured." At the end of the Pope's homily the prisoners, who up to this moment had kept their distance from the proceedings, broke out in long, overwhelming applause. The majority of intentions for the faithful were read by prisoners. There were prayers for those waiting to be executed and for the abolition of this punishment. Prisoners' GratitudeAt the Offertory, the Italian and foreign prisoners (almost half of those imprisoned in "Regina Coeli" are Muslim immigrants), offered the Bishop of Rome symbolic gifts -- a crucifix, a painting depicting the plagues of our times and, perhaps the most significant, an album with more than 500 artistic postcards designed by prisoners around the world for John Paul II on the occasion of the Jubilee.The most moving moment took placed when a prisoner thanked the Pope for his visit on behalf of all the prisoners. "Holiness, thank you for your presence in this place of pain that today represents all those places of imprisonment of the world," he said in a quivering voice. Overcome with emotion and unable to continue, he excused himself before all. A moment later, somewhat composed, the prisoner added: "Thank you for celebrating the Jubilee with us." Regaining his strength, the prisoner concluded: "On the day of our Jubilee, we want to ask everyone that we be given the possibility to live with the dignity of human beings and that we not have the hope of a different and better life taken away from us." He was applauded once again when with shaking hands he folded the page he had read and embraced the Pope. At the end of the celebration, John Paul II personally greeted many of the prisoners, while they returned his gesture with loud and long applause. John Paul II shared the joy that the visit to the prison gave him when he met later with several thousand pilgrims congregated in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, to pray the "Angelus" at noon. "By looking into their eyes, I tried to understand the sufferings, anxieties, and hopes of each one. I knew that in them I would find Christ, who, in the Gospel, identified with them to the point of saying: 'I was in prison and you came to me.' " ZE00070909
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