Pope Francis appeals for prayers for peace
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis
has asked for prayers for peace in a world in which war is everywhere.
Speaking on Sunday morning
after the Angelus prayer, the Pope said that on Tuesday he will travel to the
Umbrian town of Assisi to participate in the Day
of Prayer for Peace.
“Today, more than ever, we
need peace in this war which is everywhere in the world. Let us Pray for
peace!” he said.
Explaining that he is going
to Assisi in the footsteps of Saint John Paul II who called for the World Day
of Prayer for Peace thirty years ago, he invited all parishes, all ecclesial
associations and individual believers across the world to participate in the
event with their prayers.
“Following the example of
Saint Francis of Assisi, a man of brotherhood and meekness, we are all called
to offer a strong testimony to the world of our common commitment twoards peace
and reconciliation between peoples” he said.
And he appealed to everyone
to join in prayer on Tuesday: “may each of us take some time to pray for peace.
The whole world united”.
The World Day of Prayer for
Peace, organized and promoted by the community of Sant'Egidio, is part of
an annual meeting of religious leaders of different faiths who come together to
pray for peace and to discuss critical global issues of peace, unity, and
interreligious dialogue.
During his catechesis before
the recitation of the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis reflected on the readings of
the day, pointing out that “the spirit of the world is not the spirit of
Jesus”.
He said that while worldliness is manifested in attitudes of corruption, deception and abuse of power that lead down the path of sin, a truly Christian lifestyle is “serious, but full of joy, committed to honesty, correctness, respect for others and for their dignity, and to the sense of duty.”
He said that while worldliness is manifested in attitudes of corruption, deception and abuse of power that lead down the path of sin, a truly Christian lifestyle is “serious, but full of joy, committed to honesty, correctness, respect for others and for their dignity, and to the sense of duty.”
The Pope said that as
Christians, we must respond to worldly cleverness with Christian astuteness,
which is “a gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Lamenting the widespread
corruption that pervades our society, he pointed out that it is important “to
decide which direction to take” and said that when we seek to follow the logic
of the Gospel and of brotherhood, “we become artisans of justice and open
horizons of hope for humanity.”
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét