In the Angelus prayed at the end of the Marian Jubilee, the Pope spoke about his sorrow for the grave consequences of Hurricane Matthew in the Caribbean and above all Haiti, where its passage has left behind hundreds of deaths, homelessness and immense material damage. Francis assured the population of his closeness and expressed his trust in the sense of solidarity among the international community, Catholic institutions and persons of good will, inviting them to join him in prayer for our brothers and sisters in difficulty.

He went on to mention that yesterday in Oviedo, Spain, the priests Jenaro Fueyo Castañon and three lay companions were proclaimed blessed. “Let us praise the Lord for these heroic witnesses to the faith, who join the great number of martyrs who have offered their life in the name of Christ”.

Finally, he addressed an affectionate greeting to all pilgrims who participated in the Marian Jubilee, thanking them for their presence and repeating the words St. John Paul II pronounced on 8 October 2000, in the Jubilee Act of Entrustment to Mary: “O Mother … we wish to entrust to you the future that awaits us… we can turn this world into a garden or reduce it to a pile of rubble”. At this crossroads, may the Virgin help us to choose life, welcoming and putting into practice the Gospel of Christ the Saviour”, he concluded.