‘Justice and peace shall kiss’ in Verona during Pope’s visit

Pope Francis is due to make what will be his second journey of the year beyond Rome in order to visit the Italian city of Verona, the famous setting of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” tragedy.

On 18 May the Pope will travel to Verona, which is located in the Veneto region, approximately 75 miles from Venice – where the Pope recently made his first visit of the year outside of Rome – to attend the “Arena of Peace” event. The “Arena of Peace” assembly events began in 1986 as a way to bring together individuals and organisations, spanning both the ecclesiastical and civl spectrums, to discuss and confront difficult social issues and pressing global matters, reports the National Catholic Register.

Major themes expected to be addressed this year include peace and disarmament, the environment, migration, issues related to labour, economy and finance, as well as democracy and human rights.

The theme of the visit is “Justice and peace shall kiss”, according to Bishop of Verona Domenico Pompili, reports Crux. The phrase “Justice and peace shall kiss” comes from Psalm 85:10, which says “Mercy and truth shall meet, righteousness and peace shall kiss each other”.

Pompili highlighted that Verona is a “crossroads of peoples, and therefore a suitable space for discussion and dialogue.”

“This land was the birthplace of so many missionary men and women, authentic ‘social poets’ who brought the gospel throughout the world, promoting integral human development,” he said.

He noted that the date of the Pope’s visit coincides with the eve of the liturgical feast of Pentecost, and falls close to the 21 May feast day of Saint Zeno, patron of the local church, of whom Pompili went on to say:

“As we find in his discourses that have come down to us, he spoke of true justice as the mother of mercy towards the poor and miserable,” adding that many people in Verona have embraced this spirit of charity.

To this end, Pompili also drew attention to Italian theologian Romano Guardini, who was born in Verona and whose work Pope Francis studied as a Jesuit during a stint in Germany. Guardini, Pompili said, has always “indicated the path of coexistence, discussion and dialogue”.

In reference to the event Pope Francis will attend, Pompili said, “over the years, there has been no shortage of women and men, popular movements and associations, who have kept the theme of peace and care for creation alive, as evidenced, among other things, by the Peace Arenas that have taken place in recent decades.”

Though the Pope’s visit to Verona, which marks his first trip to the northern Italian region of Veneto in his 11-year papacy, had been publicised by the local diocese, the Vatican made the formal announcement on 29 April, publishing the official program of the outing, reports Crux.

After his arrival, Pope Francis will hold a meeting with priests and consecrated persons in Verona before giving a speech to children and young people. He will then move on to the Arena of Peace event, where he will answer questions. He will then visit a prison, where he will meet with inmates and administrators before having lunch with several inmates.

In the afternoon, Francis will celebrate Mass at Verona’s Bentegodi Stadium before returning to Roma via helicopter, arriving back at the Vatican around 6 p.m. local time.

The last pope to visit Verona was Benedict XVI in 2009, for the national ecclesial conference. Prior to that, Pope John Paul II made a formal visit from 16-17 April in 1988.

Photo: Simon Ward as Romeo and Sinead Cusack as Juliet in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ at the Shaw Theatre, London, 1972. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images.)

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