Pope
Francis: family a place of consolation
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis held his weekly General Audience
on Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square. In remarks to the pilgrims and tourists
gathered for the occasion, the Holy Father continued his series of catechetical
reflections on the family. Specifically, this Wednesday’s meditation was
devoted to the theme of loss in the family: the pain and suffering that the passing
of a family member can bring, and the duty we have to comfort and console those
who mourn.
Please find the official English summary of
the Holy Father’s remarks, below
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Dear Brothers and
Sisters,
In our ongoing catechesis on the family, I wish to reflect on one of the more
dramatic and painful events that every person, without exception, has to deal
with, namely, the death of a family member. Jesus has compassion on those
who mourn, as today’s Scripture reading reminds us, because the death of a
loved one is never without pain for families; this is especially true of
parents who lose a child. Jesus’ presence with the widow at Na’in assures us
that he is with us in our darkest moments and that he is with us in our loss
and mourning. Through faith in him, in his Resurrection and his abiding
presence, we can face our loss, “the sting of death”, as Saint Paul calls it,
make sense of it, and have confidence that death does not have the last word.
May we, with Christ-like tenderness and compassion, know how to be close and
offer consolation to families suffering the loss of a loved one. Above all, may
we always be witnesses to the love which Christ revealed through his cross and
resurrection, a love stronger than death. Let us also be grateful for our faith
in him, which is the only adequate response to our deepest needs in the face of
the death of a loved one.
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