I cordially greet His Excellency, Bishop Xavier Gómez García, the Abbot of Montserrat, Manel Gasch i Hurios, as well as the bishops, priests, men and women religious, seminarians and all the faithful participating in this pilgrimage, especially the children who are with us today. Thank you for welcoming us and thank you for being here.

I am glad to be able to come to the feet of Our Lady of Montserrat to entrust to her, with full confidence in her maternal intercession, my Petrine ministry and the Church’s mission in a world that cries out for justice and peace.

I have fond memories of my years as pastor of the Santa María de Montserrat parish in Trujillo, Peru. The Virgen of Montserrat has always been with me. Thank you, Catalonia, for your faith.

The walls of this sanctuary could tell us the countless stories of devotion, gratitude and hope that have unfolded around Our Lady of Montserrat throughout the centuries. They have also borne witness to the blood shed for the love of Jesus Christ.

They have also been the guardians of the joys and sorrows, the happiness and tears of so many faithful and have heard the heavenly voices of the children’s choir from Europe’s oldest choir school.

When my predecessor, Pope Francis, presented the Golden Rose to this venerated image in 2023, he invited us to reflect on how, for hundreds of years, the faithful — without distinction — have come to this Shrine to pray the rosary, because Mary, Mother of God, is central to the life of every Christian. On that same occasion, he noted that “in front of the Mother, the noblest feelings of a person are awakened”; indeed, she moves us to deep conversion, as she did Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who in this evocative place, after a night spent in prayer before the Virgin, laid aside his knightly arms — a moment that marked the beginning of a new life in the service of Jesus Christ.

With this same filial attitude, I invite you today to accept Mary’s invitation: “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5). These words, spoken at Cana in Galilee, contain a true guide for Christian living, because Mary leads us to Christ and teaches us to listen to his voice, obey his word and allow him to transform us. Jesus’ will is clear: “I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.” (Jn 15:17). It is a love that has its measure and its source in Him: “as I have loved you” (v. 12). That is why, when Mary tells us, “Do whatever He tells you,” she is inviting us to open our hearts to the teachings of the Gospel.

Jesus shows us the path of mercy, reconciliation, truth and gentleness. At the same time, he exposes the violence that can lurk in our words and attitudes: criticism that humiliates, condemnation that destroys and aggression that divides. That hidden violence can often disguise itself as a kind of armor, which we use to protect our wounds, our fears and the suffering caused by injustice.

Let us contemplate Mary of Montserrat, who shows us Jesus as a helpless child resting in her lap, for here she is, alongside her Son, inviting us to love one another. Let us lay at her feet today the armor that has gradually hardened our hearts.

The Baby Jesus whom Mary holds in her arms wears no armor, and it will be He himself who, later, naked on the cross, will surrender himself completely to the Father to save us with the unarmed and disarming power of love.

Let us lift our eyes to Mary and implore her to help us arm ourselves solely with the weapons of God. As Saint Paul exhorts, “Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, […] the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (cf. Eph 6:11–17).

Today, as pilgrims at Montserrat, let us express our sincere desire to reaffirm our service to God the Father, whom Jesus Christ has revealed to us, saying: “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me” (Mk 9:37).

Let us also consider how the Virgin Mary holds the globe in her right hand, a sign of her maternal care, for the whole world finds a place in her heart. She invites us to recognize one another as brothers and sisters, so that no one is excluded and communion is stronger than every division.

Let us ask Mary, Queen of Peace, to teach us to renounce hurtful words, hasty judgment, gossip and slander. And may we learn to cherish and nurture love within our families, among friends, in the workplace, on social media, in political debates and in Christian communities, so that hatred may give way to hope and peace.

May Mary, Mother of the Church, always guide us to Jesus. I invite you to honor her with these words that you know so well:

To the Catalans, you will always be Princess;
To the Spanish people and to the whole world, all our love;
Say to us: “You are my treasure,
I am your mother, do not be afraid”
Amen.