WHY DO POPES AND BISHOPS KISS THE GROUND?
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Someone once sent me a message:
👉 “Please, I saw the Pope kiss the ground when he arrived in a new country, and even my Bishop did the same when he visited our diocese. Why do they do this? Is it just a ritual or a tradition?”
I smiled and replied:
“My child, that kiss is not just a ritual. It is a sermon without words.”
Let me explain.
1️⃣ IT’S AN ACT OF HUMILITY
Scripture reminds us: “The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground” (Gen 2:7).
When a Pope or Bishop bends down to kiss the soil, he is acknowledging:
👉 “I am dust. I stand on the soil from which God made us. I am no greater than the people of this land.”
It is a gesture of humility, reminding us that no matter how high one’s office, before God we all return to the same earth.
2️⃣ IT’S AN ACT OF REVERENCE
When Moses approached the burning bush, God said: “Remove your sandals, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground” (Ex 3:5).
Every land that receives a shepherd becomes holy ground.
When a bishop or pope kisses the soil, he is silently declaring:
👉 “This land is blessed. This soil is sacred. God is here already.”
3️⃣ IT’S AN ACT OF LOVE FOR THE PEOPLE
The land holds the sweat, the tears, the joys, and the hopes of the people who live there.
By kissing it, the shepherd is embracing not just the ground but the lives of the faithful upon it.
It is as though he is kissing the forehead of his children and saying:
👉 “I love you. I honor your story. I am one with you.”
4️⃣ A LESSON FROM ST. JOHN PAUL II
St. John Paul II made this gesture famous. Each time he visited a new country, he bent down and kissed the soil.
It was his way of proclaiming without words:
👉 “This nation belongs to Christ. This land is entrusted to God. I come not as a foreigner but as a servant and a father.”
That single kiss once shook nations, gave courage to the oppressed, and reminded the world that God dwells not only in heaven but also in the dust of our streets.
5️⃣ SO:
So why do Popes and Bishops kiss the ground?
Not out of superstition. Not out of empty ritual.
But out of humility before God, reverence for creation, and love for the people they are sent to serve.
It is not just a kiss on the soil.
It is a kiss on the soul of the nation.
Next time you see it, whisper a prayer:
“Lord, bless this land. Bless this people. Let Your kingdom come here.”
God bless yo
#catholicsonlineclass
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