Editor’s note: On May 16, 2026 at the Parish of Santa Maria Stella in Albano Laziale, Italy, a diocesan prayer service was held with the LGBTQ community for the intention of overcoming homophobia and transphobia, organized in conjunction with La Tenda di Gionata, a group for Italian LGBTQ Catholics. One of the main speakers was Vincenzo Viva, the bishop of Albano, who also knelt in the sanctuary before the vigil and prayed with the group. The original Italian is on the diocesan website here.
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine” (Is 43:1). These are the words that resonate this evening in our Church here in the city of Albano, on the Via Appia Antica, specifically at the 15th mile of ancient Rome’s most famous and important consular road, the “Regina Viarum” (from the Latin, “Queen of Roads”), where we also find the Catacombs of San Senatore, a place particularly dear to this city, which take us back to the roots of our diocesan Church.
And these words, which we find in Deutero-Isaiah, remind us of a central truth that runs throughout Scripture: The people of the covenant are constantly enveloped in the love of their God, who “created” and “formed” them (cf. Is 43:1). These are the very same verbs that the author takes from the Book of Genesis (cf. Gen 1–2), where we are told that God expresses satisfaction with the work of his creation; indeed, he approves of it and takes pleasure in it: God loves His creation and loves every person created in His image.
And precisely when his people are depressed, disoriented and faced with entirely new situations—as in the time of exile—God instills courage and proclaims hope: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine … Because you are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you” (Is 43: 1-4). Note that this is not an isolated statement in the Bible: throughout salvation history, the Lord continually repeats this command “Do not fear.” He says this to different men and women, in different times, but always anew, even on Easter morning, through the words of the angel at Jesus’ tomb (cf. Mt 28:5–7). He says, “Do not fear.” The first word of the resurrection is, therefore, freedom from fear. Just as in the context of exile, the people of the covenant are encouraged to step out of their fears, because the Lord has redeemed these people and called them by name: “You are precious in my eyes; You are mine.”
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