The pope's visit to Alessano was an important gesture paying tribute to a bishop very dear to the people in his town. Just as Bishop Tonino Bello did throughout his life, Pope Francis took this moment to ask for peace.
The pope punctually arrived at the bishop's tomb, where prayed with devotion. Alessano was the place where the bishop was born and where he wanted to be buried after his death.
Pope Francis received a great applause when he said that Bishop Tonino wanted to remain 'planted' in his land: a small and poor land. It represents the bishop's style and in the same way, that of Christ.
POPE FRANCIS
'A Church that cares about the poor always remains synchronized to God's channel, never loses the frequency of the Gospel and feels that she must return to the essentials to consistently profess that the Lord is the only true good.'
Bishop Tonino died 25 years ago, but his memory is alive as a sower of peace, deeply rooted in the conscience of the locals in his town.
POPE FRANCIS
'He didn't have his hands closed: he was acting locally, to sow peace globally, with the belief that the best way to prevent violence and every type of war is to take care of the needy, and promote justice. In fact, if war generates poverty, poverty also generates war.'
This Italian region is the last piece of European soil before Africa. The pope observed this lookout point where one can contemplate the southern hemisphere of the world.
POPE FRANCIS
'You are an 'open window, from which you can observe the poverty impending over history.' But above all, you are a window of hope, because the Mediterranean, a historical basin of civilization, is never a tense arch of war, but an ark of welcoming peace.'
The town of Alessano applauded the pope's words, who before going to Molfetta calmly greeted the sick one-by-one.
