【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2026 年2月22日羅馬慈幼總部訊】- 2026年2月22日，四旬期第一主日，也是建立聖伯多祿宗座慶日，教宗良十四世對位於羅馬中央火車站附近Marsala大街上的耶穌聖心大殿進行了歷史性的牧靈訪問。該堂區交給慈幼會管理。這是一場意義深遠的教會和屬神盛事，信友們聚集在伯多祿繼承人的周圍，在喜樂、共融和積極參與的氛圍中歡聚一堂。
教宗於上午8時30分左右抵達堂區庭院，受到信眾和各堂區團體代表的熱烈歡迎。教宗一開口便說明了聖殿名稱的含義：耶穌的「聖心」，象徵著無限、慈悲和普世的愛。 「正是耶穌的愛，正是祂的慈悲，讓我們今天早上聚集在一起，」他說道，並強調在場的來自不同語言和背景的人們，正是團結與友愛的具體體現，也是聖神的恩賜。
隨後舉行彌撒慶典，這是此次牧民訪問的核心，由教宗主持，並由以下人士共祭：羅馬教區代理主教雷納（Baldo Reina）樞機；本堂領銜主教Giuseppe Versaldi樞機；慈幼會總會長歐達德神父；本堂奧爾蒂斯（Javier Ortiz Rodriguez）神父；以及聯同其他總部議員、神父、總部會院會士和牧民合作者。
重新發現聖洗的恩典
在講道的核心，教宗良十四世邀請信眾將四旬期視為回歸信仰之源的旅程，重新發現聖洗的恩寵。教宗以《創世紀》的故事與耶穌受試探的福音書之間的相似之處為切入點，著重闡述了「自由的悲劇」：這種試探與人類本身一樣古遠，即認為擺脫天主是獲得個人幸福的條件。
教宗問道：「我是否可以透過對上主說『是』而獲得圓滿的人生？或是，為了獲得自由和幸福，我必須擺脫天主？」他指出，基督——在沙漠中拒絕了魔鬼的誘惑——是新人類的面貌，是自由的啟示，這種自由在對天父的愛和孝敬的服從中，得以實現。
尤其值得注意的是有五位慕道者在場，他們將在復活節守夜禮中領受基督徒入門聖事。教宗指出，他們象徵著整個教會團體的新開始，並回顧說，洗禮是一種充滿活力的恩寵，它伴隨人生的方方面面，使人獲得真正的自由：不是支配或權力，而是在基督內活出的自我奉獻和友愛。
在城市中心地帶的便利位置
回顧這座大殿的歷史——由教宗良十三世委託給聖若望·鮑思高在城市中心地段，毗鄰中央火車站建立——教宗良十四世強調了這一選擇的遠見卓識，而如今這一選擇比以往任何時候都更加重要。
這個街區是人類的十字路口，人流絡繹不絕，各種脆弱的境況也層出不窮。 「短短幾公尺之內，」教宗說道，「你就能感受到這個時代的矛盾」：財富與貧窮、希望與暴力、對誠實工作的渴望與非法販賣。
在此背景下，堂區被召叫成為真正的「近人的教會」，一個教會將親近、聆聽和積極的愛德化為具體行動的地方。教宗鼓勵堂區團體成為「福音的酵母，融入這片土地」，成為一簇雖小卻明亮的火焰，能夠為城市中最脆弱的角落帶來光明和希望。
本堂神父的回應：一個熱情好客、樂於奉獻的家
領聖體後，本堂奧爾蒂斯神父表達了堂區團體的感受，感謝教宗的來訪，並展示了聖心大殿混凝土般堅實的外貌。
神父特別強調了義工們的非凡存在——年輕人和家庭——他們每天透過教理講授、牧民中心、「天賦銀行」（Talent Bank）、青年中心、義大利文學校以及教會團體所經營的眾多慈善服務來照顧兒童和窮人。
他提到教區毗鄰中央火車站，每天約有 50 萬人經過那裡，而且不斷有人尋求幫助，他將聖心大殿描述為一個真正的「陸地港口」：一個為迷失、孤獨或需要幫助的人們提供庇護、傾聽和重新開始的地方。
在致候的最後，一幅耶穌聖心聖像畫被呈獻給教宗。這幅由藝術家Silvia Allocco創作的聖像畫被恭請至祭台，作為信眾們對伯多祿繼承人虔誠敬愛的象徵。教宗良十四世滿懷感激地接受了這份禮物，並將堂區生活，以及在這片城市重要角落辛勤工作的信眾們的日常奉獻，託付給耶穌聖心。
在這四旬期第一個主日，教宗良十四世造訪位於Marsala大街的耶穌聖心大殿，這一舉動將永遠銘刻在信眾的記憶中，成為一段充滿恩寵與更新的回憶。在熙熙攘攘的羅馬城，在那些充滿過渡與不確定性的地方，教宗清晰地指明了方向：重新發現聖洗的恩寵，每天對天主說「是」，並共同成為一個「港灣」，讓基督慈悲的愛成為所有人切實感受到的歡迎。
Historic Visit by Pope Leo XIV to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. “It is the love of Jesus that has brought us together this morning”
(ANS – Rome –RMG, 22 February 2026) – On the First Sunday of Lent, 22 February 2026, and on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Pope Leo XIV made a historic pastoral visit to the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Via Marsala, entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco. It was an event of profound ecclesial and spiritual significance, which saw the community gather around the Successor of Peter in an atmosphere of joy, communion and intense participation.
The Holy Father arrived in the parish courtyard at around 8.30 a.m., welcomed by the warm applause of the faithful and representatives of the various parish groups. From his very first words, the Pope recalled the meaning of the very name of the Basilica: the “Heart” of Jesus as a symbol of boundless, merciful and universal love. “It is the love of Jesus, it is his mercy that has brought us together this morning,” he said, emphasising how the variety of languages and backgrounds present is a concrete sign of unity and fraternity, a gift of the Spirit.
This was followed by the Eucharistic Celebration, the heart of the pastoral visit, presided over by the Holy Father and concelebrated, among others, by Cardinal Baldo Reina, Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome; Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, titular of the parish; Fr Fabio Attard, Rector Major of the Salesians; the parish priest Fr Javier Ortiz Rodriguez; together with other General Councillors, priests, confreres of the Generalate and pastoral collaborators.
Rediscovering the grace of Baptism
In the heart of his homily, Pope Leo XIV invited the faithful to live the Lenten season as a journey back to the sources of faith, rediscovering the grace of Baptism. Starting from a parallel between the story of Genesis and the Gospel of Jesus’ temptations, the Pontiff focused on the ‘drama of freedom’: the temptation, as old as man himself, to think that autonomy from God is a condition for one’s own happiness.
“Can I fulfil my life by saying “yes” to God? Or, to be free and happy, must I free myself from Him?” asked the Pope, pointing to Christ – who in the desert rejects the seductions of the evil one – as the face of the new man, the revelation of a freedom that is fulfilled in love and filial obedience to the Father.
Particularly significant was the presence of five catechumens, who will receive the Sacraments of Christian Initiation at the Easter Vigil. The Holy Father pointed to them as a sign of a new beginning for the whole community, recalling that Baptism is a dynamic grace that accompanies the whole of existence and enables authentic freedom: not domination or power, but self-giving, fraternity lived in Christ.
A presence of proximity in the heart of the city
Recalling the history of the Basilica – commissioned by Pope Leo XIII and entrusted to St John Bosco in a key location in the city, next to Termini Station – Pope Leo XIV highlighted the foresight of that choice, which is now more relevant than ever.
The neighbourhood is a crossroads of humanity, marked by a continuous flow of people and situations of great fragility. “In a few metres,” the Pope observed, “you can touch the contradictions of this time”: wealth and poverty, hope and violence, the desire for honest work and illicit trafficking.
In this context, the parish is called to be a true “Presidium of proximity,” a place where the Church becomes concrete closeness, listening and active charity. The Holy Father encouraged the community to be “Yeast of the Gospel in the dough of the territory,” a small but bright flame capable of bringing light and hope to the most fragile corners of the city.
The Parish Priest’s message: a home that welcomes and serves
After Communion, the parish priest, Fr Javier Ortiz Rodriguez, expressed the feelings of the parish community, thanking the Holy Father for his visit and presenting the concrete face of the basilica of the Sacred Heart.
The parish priest particularly emphasised the extraordinary presence of volunteers – young people and families – who care for children and the poor every day through catechesis, the Pastoral Listening Centre, the ‘Talent Bank’, the Youth Centre, the Italian School and the numerous charitable services run by church groups.
Referring to the parish’s location next to Termini Station, where around 500,000 people pass through every day and where there are incessant requests for help, he described the Basilica of the Sacred Heart as a true “Port of Land”: a place of refuge, listening and new beginnings for those who are lost, lonely or in need.
At the end of his greeting, an icon of the Sacred Heart was presented to the Holy Father. The work, created by the artist Silvia Allocco, was brought to the altar as a visible sign of the community’s devotion and affection for the Successor of Peter. Pope Leo XIV accepted the gift with gratitude, entrusting to the Heart of Christ the life of the parish and the daily commitment of those who work in this delicate and strategic corner of the city.
On this first Sunday of Lent, Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Via Marsala will remain in the community’s memory as a time of grace and renewal. In the buzzling city of Rome, alongside places of transit and uncertainty, the Pope clearly pointed the way: rediscover the grace of Baptism, say “yes” to God every day and become, together, a “port of land” where the merciful love of Christ becomes a concrete welcome for all.