Pope Francis received pilgrims from Sotto il Monte and Concesio, the small northern Italian towns in which Pope St. John XXIII (1881-1963) and Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978) were born.
Pope Francis addressed the pilgrims on June 3, the 60th anniversary of the death of Pope John XXIII.
“Let us give thanks to the Lord that he gave them, in your towns, a land that is fertile and rich in holiness in which to set down their roots and grow, and because he made you too, as he did your parents, your grandparents, and the many who lived, loved, worked, sowed and harvested, rejoiced and cried in your towns and in your countryside before you, a good and generous soil in which small seeds of goodness can germinate and grow for the future,” the Pope said.
“Love your roots, do not detach the tree from its roots: it will not bear fruit,” the Pope added. “Always try to progress in harmony with your roots, in tune with your roots.”