KIMBAXE, Angola — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged young people in Angola to help build “a better, welcoming world, where there is no more war, injustice, poverty, or dishonesty,” during a rosary gathering at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima.
The shrine, whose name means “Mother of the Heart” in Kimbundu, is one of Angola’s best-known Marian sanctuaries. Built by the Portuguese in the 17th century on a hill overlooking the Kwanza River, it has long been a place of pilgrimage and prayer for Angolan Catholics.
Addressing young people, members of the Legion of Mary, and other pilgrims gathered at the shrine, the pope said he was “pleased to share this moment of Marian prayer” with them.
“Together we have recited the holy rosary, an ancient and simple devotion that originated in the Church as a form of prayer for everyone,” Leo said.
Quoting St. John Paul II, the pope described the rosary as the prayer of a Christianity that has preserved the “freshness of its beginnings and feels drawn by the Spirit of God to ‘set out into the deep’ … to proclaim, and even cry out, before the world that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.”
Leo said that in the “living and young Church of Angola,” one can “truly feel the freshness of faith and the power of the Spirit.”
He reflected on the history of the shrine, saying it has been a place where “for centuries, many men and women have prayed in times of joy and also in moments of sorrow and great suffering in the history of this country.”
“For a long time now, Mama Muxima has quietly worked to keep the heart of the Church alive and beating,” he said. “Her heart contains a multitude of hearts: yours, and those of many people who love, pray, celebrate, weep, and sometimes — even when unable to come in person — entrust their requests and petitions to letters and postal messages.”
“Mama Muxima welcomes everyone, listens to everyone, and prays for everyone,” he added.
Meditating on the glorious mysteries, the pope said the faithful were contemplating both their destiny in Christ and their mission in his love.
“At Easter, Christ conquered death, showing us the way back to the Father,” Leo said. “And so that we too may walk this luminous and demanding path, sharing its beauty with the whole world, he has given us his Spirit, who animates and sustains us on our journey and in our mission.”
“Like Mary, we too are made for heaven,” he continued. “As we journey toward heaven with joy, we look to her as our good Mother and model of holiness. Following her example, we bring the light of the risen One to the brothers and sisters we meet.”
The pope also reflected on the popular title of the shrine, saying that although it is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, the faithful have spontaneously renamed it the shrine of the “Mother of the Heart.”
“It is a beautiful title, which makes us reflect on the heart of Mary: a pure and wise heart, capable of treasuring and pondering the extraordinary events in the life of the Son of God,” he said.
Leo said praying the rosary means taking on a concrete responsibility toward others.
“Praying the rosary, then, commits us to loving every person with a mother’s heart — concretely and generously — and to dedicating ourselves to the good of one another, especially the poorest,” he said.
“A mother loves all her children in the same way and with her whole heart, even though each one is different,” the pope continued. “In the presence of the Mother of the Heart, we too want to promise to do likewise.”
“We strive without measure so that no one may lack love,” he said. “We also seek to provide the necessities for living with dignity and happiness: that the hungry may have enough to eat, that the sick may receive the necessary care, that children may be guaranteed a proper education, and that the elderly may live their later years in peace.”
“A mother thinks of all these things. Indeed, Mary thinks of all these things, and she also invites us to share in her maternal concern,” he added.
Turning again to the young people gathered at the shrine, Leo pointed to the construction of a new sanctuary there as a sign of a larger calling.
“Dear young people, members of the Legion of Mary, brothers and sisters, Our Lady asks us to let ourselves be moved by the sentiments of her heart, so that like her, we may be workers for justice and bearers of peace,” he said.
“Here, a great project is underway: the construction of a new shrine, able to welcome all who come on pilgrimage. Everyone — especially you young people — should take this as a sign,” the pope said.
“For the Mother of Heaven entrusts a great project to you as well: to build a better, welcoming world, where there is no more war, injustice, poverty or dishonesty, and where the principles of the Gospel increasingly inspire and shape hearts, structures, and programs, for the good of all.”
“It is love that must triumph, not war!” Leo said. “This is what the heart of Mary — the heart of the Mother of all — teaches us.”
“Let us set out, then, from this shrine as ‘messenger angels’ of life, bringing Mary’s tender embrace and God’s blessing to everyone,” he said.
At the end of his address, the pope invoked a hymn familiar to devotees of Mama Muxima: “Mother of the Heart, we come to you to offer you everything.”
“Dearest friends, let us offer everything to Mary, giving ourselves entirely to our brothers and sisters, and let us joyfully receive, through her intercession, the Lord’s blessing, so that we may bring it to everyone we meet,” he said. “Amen.”
In his greeting, Bishop Emilio Sumbelelo of Viana highlighted the importance of devotion to Mama Muxima in Angola and noted that in 2022 the cornerstone of a future basilica was laid by the president of the republic and blessed by the late Cardinal Alexandre do Nascimento. The basilica will be dedicated to Our Lady of the Conception of Muxima, fulfilling a promise made by the Angolan government to the Catholic Church during St. John Paul II’s 1992 visit to the country.
For many Angolans, the shrine remains a powerful symbol of faith, national memory, and hope.
This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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