The autumnal weather this Thursday will not have dampened the most fervent Catholics. A strangely calm atmosphere reigned this Thursday morning in the streets of the capital. The entire city center found itself cordoned off, under the close surveillance of a large police deployment.
While the pope’s plane had just landed on the tarmac at Findel and the sovereign pontiff was going to meet the head of state, Grand Duke Henri, and the head of government, Luc Frieden (CSV), a certain number of believers, equipped with umbrellas and rain jackets, were already stationed in strategic places in the streets of Luxembourg City, impatiently awaiting the passage of the pope in his popemobile, scheduled for early in the afternoon.
Lots of people in front of the Cercle Cité. © PHOTO: Christophe Lemaire
This was particularly the case for Nadine, from Grevenmacher, and Lourdes, from Hollenfels. They both came to Luxembourg to see the Pope. “Simply because I have never seen him” smiles the first, when we meet her near the Glacis. “Now, in my eyes, Pope Francis is the most reforming of the popes I have known. He does much more than his predecessors to try to change the world and not just the Catholic world. It is also open to other religions, which I appreciate.”
Olivia and Paulo, fervent Portuguese-Luxembourgish binational Catholics, come from Esch-sur-Alzette. They are stationed in front of the cathedral, flag in hand.
Olivia and Paulo have already met the Pope and are looking forward to seeing him again this Thursday. © PHOTO: Christophe Lemaire
Olivia and Paulo, fervent Portuguese-Luxembourgish binational Catholics, come from Esch-sur-Alzette. They are stationed in front of the cathedral, flag in hand.
Paulo, who has already personally met the Pope in Rome in 2015, is very enthusiastic and has high hopes for this day: “We hope that the Pope will be able to find the words to attract young people to the Church. We see that the population is aging during masses and this worries us. We must restore faith and the desire to get involved in associations and among volunteers, to help our neighbors. The pope has the power to convince and unite.”
Olivia, who was 12 years old and saw Pope John Paul II in 1985 in Esch and also met Francis in Rome in 2015: “I find him charismatic and calming. It’s a day that will count.” And Paulo adds: “The Portuguese-speaking community is by far the most practicing in Luxembourg. I don’t know how to explain it, but we have a more intimate and stronger relationship with faith. »
Marie-Thérèse Feis, a fervent Christian who lives in Luxembourg, came to see the “head of the Church”. “I didn’t hesitate to come. As a Christian, it is normal that when your boss is visiting where you live, you come to welcome him.” Marie-Thérèse had made arrangements not to miss the event since she had already requested leave… in August. The young woman has already had the opportunity to meet the pope in Rome but she confides that seeing him again gives her “a lot of emotion and exaltation.”
“Even at the Vatican, we couldn’t have been closer”
Guillaume Mercier, for his part, came with his whole family to see the Pope near the Adolphe Bridge. “This is a very important moment for us who are Catholics, standing next to the Adolphe Bridge is the best vantage point in my opinion to see it, even at the Vatican we could not have dreamed of being closer.”
William came with his whole family to see the Pope. © PHOTO: Lorène Paul
Beni, of Calabrian origin, accompanies his partner’s daughters, Clara and Diana, 10-year-old twins. “We had our communion this year, we are happy to see the pope today,” said Clara. The twins’ parents sent a note of apology to the school so they could come. For Beni too, it’s important to be there. “I don’t go to mass in Luxembourg because I don’t understand the language but religion has an important place in my life”
Beni with his companion’s daughters.. © PHOTO: Pascal Mittelberger
Beni, of Calabrian origin, accompanies his partner’s daughters, Clara and Diana, 10-year-old twins. “We had our communion this year, we are happy to see the pope today,” said Clara. The twins’ parents sent a note of apology to the school so they could come. For Beni too, it’s important to be there. “I don’t go to mass in Luxembourg because I don’t understand the language but religion has an important place in my life”
Jesus (aptly named) is Portuguese and lives in Junglinster. He has been on Avenue de la Liberté since 10:30 a.m. “It’s important for me to be there, as a Catholic. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to see a pope. I registered for the cathedral but I was not accepted. I find that Francis is a good pope, rather open. He breaks certain barriers. I’m going to try to make a video of him passing by, to send it to my family but especially for me, as a souvenir.”
Jesus finds that Francis “is a good pope”. © PHOTO: Pascal Mittelberger
Around 12:45 p.m., the popemobile left the Cercle Cité to travel the streets of the city center. Undoubtedly the most anticipated moment of the day for the many spectators who came this Thursday to see the sovereign pontiff. For some, this sometimes meant several hours of waiting, just to be able to see the Pope for a few seconds…
“It passed too quickly”
Linda, from Losheim-am-See in Saarland. She is a physiotherapist and works a stone’s throw from Avenue de la Liberté. She took advantage of her break and the calm of her office (many patients avoided coming today) to attend the Pope’s visit. “It passed very quickly, too quickly. It would have been much slower. It’s a big event anyway, we see it with security. I would have thought I would see more people, but maybe it’s the weather. It’s the first time I’ve seen it, maybe the last too (laughs)”
Linda saw the Pope for the first time. © PHOTO: Pascal Mittelberger
Marie-Thérèse, Jean-Louis, Aude and her daughter Charlotte came from the neighboring province of Liège. If they will be at mass on Sunday in Brussels at the King Baudouin stadium, they were already in Luxembourg this Thursday to see the Holy Father. “We now hope for greater openness to women,” confides Marie-Thérèse.
The popemobile ride lasted around thirty minutes. The spectators, soaked and frozen with cold, most of them left with smiles, happy to have been able to approach the Pope so closely or to have met his gaze. As for the sovereign pontiff, he went to rest, before going to meet the Luxembourg Catholic community at 4:30 p.m., in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg.
