The chalice and crosier Pope Francis used during the Mass at Morelia belonged to Michoacan's first bishop, Msgr. Vasco Vazquez de Quiroga.
POPE FRANCIS
'I want to thank His Eminence for letting me celebrate Mass using the staff and chalice of Msgr. Vazquez de Quiroga.â?
This 16th-century Spanish priest, fought for the rights of the indigenous people, who would call him 'Tata Vasco.' Tata meant 'Dad' in their local language. During his homily, Pope Francis explained that Msgr. Vasco de Quiroga helped change an unfair social system.
EXCERPT OF THE POPE'S HOMILY
'With you, I would like to recall this evangelizer, also known as 'the Spaniard who became an Indian.â? The realities faced by of the Purhépechas Indians, whom he described as being 'sold, humiliated, and homeless in marketplaces, picking up scraps of bread from the ground,â? far from tempting him to listless resignation, succeeded in kindling his faith, strengthening his compassion and inspiring him to carry out plans that were a 'breath of fresh airâ? in the midst of so much paralyzing injustice. The pain and suffering of his brothers and sisters became his prayer, and his prayer led to his response. Among the Indians, he was known as 'Tata Vasco,â? which in the Purhépechan language means, Father, dad, daddy...â?
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