At the end of the Holy Mass with the rite of canonisation of the Blesseds Andrea de Soveral and Ambrogio Francesco Ferro; Matteo Moreira and 27 companions, martyrs; Cristóbal, Antonio and Juan; Faustino Miguez and Angelo da Acri, the Holy Father Francis led the recital of the Angelus prayer with the faithful and pilgrims present in Saint Peter’s Square.

The following is the Pope’s introduction to the Marian prayer:

Words of the Holy Father:

Dear brothers and sisters,

At the end of this celebration, I cordially greet all of you, who from various countries have come to pay homage to the new Saints. A deferent thought goes in a special way to the official delegations from Brazil, France, Italy, Mexico, the Order of Malta and Spain. May the example and intercession of these luminous witnesses to the Gospel accompany us on our path and help us always to promote fraternal relations of solidarity, for the good of the Church and of society.

After hearing the wish of some Episcopal Conferences of Latin America, as well as the voice of several pastors and faithful from other parts of the world, I have decided to convoke a Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Panamazon Region, which will take place in Rome in the month of October 2019. The primary purpose of this convocation is to identify new paths for the evangelisation of this portion of the People of God, especially the indigenous, often forgotten and without the prospect of a serene future, due also to the crisis of the Amazon rainforest, of paramount importance as one of the lungs of our planet. May the new Saints intercede for this ecclesial event, so that, with respect for beauty and creation, all the people of the earth may praise God, Lord of the Universe, and enlightened by Him, journey on paths of justice and peace.

I also recall that the day after tomorrow will be World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty. Extreme poverty is not an incurable disease: it has causes that must be recognised and removed, to honour the dignity of so many brothers and sisters, following the example of the saints.

And now we address the Virgin Mary in prayer:

Angelus Domini…