PEACE BE WITH YOU ALL

Here is the text of the new Pope’s speech.

Peace be with you all.

Dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who gave his life for God’s flock. I too would like this greeting of peace to enter our hearts, your families, to all people, wherever they are, to all peoples, to the whole earth. Peace be with you. This is the peace of the risen Christ. An unarmed peace is a disarming, humble and persevering peace. It comes from God. God who loves us all unconditionally.

We still keep in our ears that weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis who blessed in Rome. The Pope who blessed Rome gave his blessing to the world, to the whole world. That morning of Easter Day. Let me follow up on that same blessing. God loves us. God loves you all, and evil will not prevail. We are all in God’s hands. Therefore, without fear, united, hand in hand with God and with each other, let us go forward. We are disciples of Christ. Christ precedes us. The world needs its light. Humanity needs him as the bridge to be reached by God and his love. Help us too, then, one another, to build bridges with dialogue, with encounter, uniting to be one people, always at peace. Thanks to Pope Francis. I also want to thank all my brother cardinals who have chosen me to be the successor of Peter.

To walk together with you as a united Church, always seeking peace, justice, always seeking to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, without fear to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries. I am a son of St. Augustine, an Augustinian who said: “With you I am a Christian and for you a bishop”. In this sense, we can all walk together towards that homeland which God has prepared for us. A special greeting to the Church of Rome. We must seek together how to be a missionary church, a church, a church that builds bridges, dialogue, always open to receive like this square with its face open to all those who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love. And if they allow me also a word, a greeting to everyone, especially Peru. A faithful people accompanied their Bishop, shared their faith, much, so much, being the faithful Church of Christ.