Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Thanks to Jesus’ promise to be with his disciples always, the faithful can be fully present for others, especially those in need, Pope Francis told thousands of altar servers from around the world.

“Thanks to Jesus, always and only thanks to him — you also can say to your neighbor, ‘I am with you,’ not in words, but in deeds, with gestures, with your heart, with concrete closeness,” the pope told the young people on July 30.

The faithful can show their closeness concretely, he said, “by weeping with those who weep, rejoicing with those who rejoice, without judgment or prejudice, without selfishness and excluding no one.”

This closeness is to be extended “even with those we might not like; with those different from me; with foreigners; with those whom we feel do not understand us; with those who never come to church; with those who say they do not believe in God,” he said.

The pope presided over an evening meeting of prayer, song and sharing experiences with nearly 50,000 altar servers from 20 countries making an international pilgrimage to Rome. The majority of young men and women came from Germany, but there were also pilgrims from Austria, Hungary, France and other countries. The last international pilgrimage was in Rome in 2018.

The pope first arrived by popemobile with a few children accompanying him. He spent about 20 minutes circling St. Peter’s Square as well as a portion of the wide boulevard outside the square where thousands of visitors and altar servers were stuck after security closed the area. After the pope was seated in front of the basilica, security allowed special guests to take their seats and fill the square.

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg is president of Coetus Internationalis Ministrantium (CIM), the association of altar servers that hosted the meeting along with the German bishops’ conference.

He told the pope that altar servers approach Jesus in a special way during their service at Mass. “Through this special bond with Christ comes a true friendship—a connection between us,” which also means “drawing closer to one another.”

Jesus inspires the faithful “to be true friends of all people” extending a hand to those in difficulty: "the poor," "the persecuted," "the oppressed," "the homeless," "the unemployed," "the refugees" or "those without a homeland," Cardinal Hollerich said.

The pope gave brief remarks that were then translated into German for the crowd.

Reflecting on the pilgrimage’s theme of “With You,” Pope Francis said: “Your experience of serving liturgy reminds me that the first subject—the agent—of this ‘with you’ is God.”

“This occurs above all during Mass—in Eucharist—where God who is ‘with you’ becomes real and concrete presence in body and blood of Christ,” he added. “When we receive holy Communion—we experience Jesus is ‘with us’ both spiritually and physically.”

“You too—in Communion—can say to Lord Jesus: ‘I am With You,’ not just words—but heart—and body—with love.” Because Jesus is 'with us,' we can truly be 'with Him' then 'with others,'” he noted.

Pope Francis thanked young people “for coming here as pilgrims—to share joy belonging—to Jesus—being servants—his love—servants wounded heart heals wounds saves death gives eternal life.”

At end prayer service—the pope spent another 20 minutes greeting many bishops accompanied dioceses' altar servers scores young people seated front basilica signing back tickets taking selfies exchanging remarks receiving gifts.

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