Pope
sends message of solidarity to Ethiopian Patriarch
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a “message of
solidarity” to the orthodox patriarch of Ethiopia, Abune Mathias, on the
occasion of the killing of Ethiopian Christians in Libya. A video, which
allegedly shows the beheading of twenty Ethiopian Christians, was released last
Sunday by the so-called “Islamic State” terror group.
In his message, the Holy Father expressed his “distress and
sadness” at hearing of the latest atrocities committed against innocent
Christians, who were killed, for the sole reason that they are followers of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Pope Francis again
spoke about the unity of Christians who suffer for their faith in Jesus. “It
makes no difference whether the victims are Catholic, Copt, Orthodox or
Protestant. Their blood is one and the same in their confession of Christ! The
blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to
be heard by everyone who can still distinguish between good and evil.” This
cry, he said, must be heard especially by those who have the destiny of peoples
in their hands.”
Although we are
“filled with the Easter joy of the disciples to whom the women had brought the
news that ‘Christ has risen from the dead’,” this year, “that joy – which never
fades – is tinged with profound sorrow.” And yet, the Pope continued, “we know
that the life we live in God’s merciful love is stronger than the pain all
Christians feel, a pain shared by men and women of good will in all religious
traditions.”
Below, please find the
full text of Pope Francis’ message to Abune Mathias, Patriarch of the Ethiopian
Tewahedo Orthodox Church:
Message of solidarity
of Pope Francis to the Orthodox Patriarch of Ethiopia
To His Holiness Abuna
Matthias
Patriarch of the
Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox Church
With great distress
and sadness I learn of the further shocking violence perpetrated against
innocent Christians in Libya. I know that Your Holiness is suffering deeply in
heart and mind at the sight of your faithful children being killed for the sole
reason that they are followers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I reach out
to you in heartfelt spiritual solidarity to assure you of my closeness in
prayer at the continuing martyrdom being so cruelly inflicted on Christians in
Africa, the Middle East and some parts of Asia.
It makes no difference
whether the victims are Catholic, Copt, Orthodox or Protestant. Their blood is
one and the same in their confession of Christ! The blood of our Christian
brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to be heard by everyone who
can still distinguish between good and evil. All the more this cry must be
heard by those who have the destiny of peoples in their hands.
At this time we are
filled with the Easter joy of the disciples to whom the women had brought the
news that “Christ has risen from the dead”. This year, that joy – which never
fades – is tinged with profound sorrow. Yet we know that the life we live in
God’s merciful love is stronger than the pain all Christians feel, a pain
shared by men and women of good will in all religious traditions.
With heartfelt
condolences I exchange with Your Holiness the embrace of peace in Christ Our
Lord.
From the Vatican, 20
April 2015
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