"Let No One Be Thrown Away!" – In Quito, Francis' "Moonlight Blessing"

More than any other night since he departed Buenos Aires for the Conclave that, to the shock of the world, made him Pope, tonight, Jorge Mario Bergoglio is home – back on his native continent, the language that surrounded him daily for 76 years again spoken all around.... 

And late on this Ecuadorean evening, all of it showed.

In a striking echo of his first post-election appearance some 28 months ago – and reiterating the loaded message he unleashed earlier today not just for a million in a Guayaquil park, but the entire church – within the hour the 266th Bishop of Rome, far more confident than he was at the start, emerged from Quito Cathedral to offer the following blessing to the throngs assembled outside....

I'm going to give you a blessing – a blessing to each of you, to your families, to all your loved ones, and to all the great and noble Ecuadorean people: that there may not be differences, that there may not be anyone excluded – that there won't be anyone thrown-away! That all may be brothers and sisters, that you might include everyone, that no one will be left out of this great Ecuadorean nation.

To each one of you and your families, I give my blessing, but first let us pray the Ave Maria – Hail Mary....

And the blessing of Almighty God....

And, please, I ask you to pray for me! Goodnight and see you tomorrow!

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