The Papal Homily
Glory to You, O Trinity!

Permit me to begin, dear brothers and sisters, by venerating the Most Holy Trinity, whose name your county bears: Trinidad and Tobago.  You are called by the name of God, One and Three, the name of God who is love.  and in this most Holy Name is your glory.

In the name of the Most Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - I greet you all.  I greet you as the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of the Apostle Peter who, by the pilgrimages he has undertaken, visits the communities of the Church in the different parts of the world.  Accept this visit and the apostolic ministry that it expresses as a sign of my pastoral love in Christ.

It is a great joy to have this opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist with such a large gathering of the faithful of the Catholic Church in this nation.  At the same time, I extend special greetings to the representatives of other Christian communions and to the followers of other religions who are assembled with us today. I assure you of my fraternal respect and esteem for you all.

While praising God for this blessed moment, I also want you to know that I regret that I cannot be with you for a longer period of time.  I am especially sorry that there is not enough time to visit the island of Tobago.  Yet I am pleased to know that many from Tobago are able to be present at this Eucharistic celebration, and I ask you, when you return to your homes, to take to all your neighbours and friends the cordial greetings and prayerful good wishes of the Pope.

The Word of God in today's liturgy directs us to the very beginnings of evangelisation, to make it clear that you, too, dear brothers and sisters, are called to be sharers in the Gospel and in its blessings.  The very name of your country shows it: Trinidad and Tobago, the country of the Most Holy Trinity! 

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