"Urbi et Orbi"
Christmas Message and Blessing of Pope Francis
On Christmas Day Pope Francis prays for world peace and
gives his "Urbi et Orbi" blessing
Pope Francis has appealed for peace and
for a world in which children across the globe may be able to
hope for a future of justice, security and joy.
The Pope's words came on Christmas Day as
he addressed the city and the world during his traditional "Urbi et
Orbi" message from the Central Loggia of St. Peter's Basilica.
Please find below the full text of the Pope's message:
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Christmas!
In
Bethlehem, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. He was born, not by the
will of man, but by the gift of the love of God our Father, who “so loved the
world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should
not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).
This event is renewed today in the Church, a pilgrim in
time. For the faith of the Christian people relives in the Christmas
liturgy the mystery of the God who comes, who assumes our mortal human flesh,
and who becomes lowly and poor in order to save us. And this moves us
deeply, for great is the tenderness of our Father.
The first people to see the humble glory of the Saviour,
after Mary and Joseph, were the shepherds of Bethlehem. They recognized
the sign proclaimed to them by the angels and adored the Child. Those
humble and watchful men are an example for believers of every age who, before
the mystery of Jesus, are not scandalized by his poverty. Rather, like
Mary, they trust in God’s word and contemplate his glory with simple
eyes. Before the mystery of the Word made flesh, Christians in every
place confess with the words of the Evangelist John: “We have beheld his glory,
glory as of the only-begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).
Today, as the winds of war are blowing in our world and an
outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and
environmental decline, Christmas invites us to focus on the sign of the Child
and to recognize him in the faces of little children, especially those for
whom, like Jesus, “there is no place in the inn” (Lk 2:7).
We see Jesus in the children of the Middle East who continue
to suffer because of growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
On this festive day, let us ask the Lord for peace for Jerusalem and for
all the Holy Land. Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may
prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be
reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two States within
mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders. May the Lord also
sustain the efforts of all those in the international community inspired by
good will to help that afflicted land to find, despite grave obstacles the
harmony, justice and security that it has long awaited.
We see Jesus in the faces of Syrian children still marked by
the war that, in these years, has caused such bloodshed in that country.
May beloved Syria at last recover respect for the dignity of every person
through a shared commitment to rebuild the fabric of society, without regard
for ethnic and religious membership. We see Jesus in the children of
Iraq, wounded and torn by the conflicts that country has experienced in the
last fifteen years, and in the children of Yemen, where there is an ongoing
conflict that has been largely forgotten, with serious humanitarian
implications for its people, who suffer from hunger and the spread of diseases.
We see Jesus in the children of Africa, especially those who
are suffering in South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Central African Republic and Nigeria.
We see Jesus in the children worldwide wherever peace and
security are threatened by the danger of tensions and new conflicts. Let
us pray that confrontation may be overcome on the Korean peninsula and that
mutual trust may increase in the interest of the world as a whole. To the
Baby Jesus we entrust Venezuela that it may resume a serene dialogue among the
various elements of society for the benefit of all the beloved Venezuelan
people. We see Jesus in children who, together with their families,
suffer from the violence of the conflict in Ukraine and its grave humanitarian
repercussions; we pray that the Lord may soon grant peace to this dear country.
We see Jesus in the children of unemployed parents who
struggle to offer their children a secure and peaceful future. And in
those whose childhood has been robbed and who, from a very young age, have been
forced to work or to be enrolled as soldiers by unscrupulous mercenaries.
We see Jesus in the many children forced to leave their
countries to travel alone in inhuman conditions and who become an easy target
for human traffickers. Through their eyes we see the drama of all those
forced to emigrate and risk their lives to face exhausting journeys that end at
times in tragedy. I see Jesus again in the children I met during my
recent visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh, and it is my hope that the
international community will not cease to work to ensure that the dignity of
the minority groups present in the region is adequately protected. Jesus
knows well the pain of not being welcomed and how hard it is not to have a
place to lay one’s head. May our hearts not be closed as they were in the
homes of Bethlehem.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The sign of Christmas has also been revealed to us: “a baby
wrapped in swaddling clothes” (Lk 2:12). Like the Virgin Mary
and Saint Joseph, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, may we welcome in the Baby
Jesus the love of God made man for us. And may we commit ourselves, with
the help of his grace, to making our world more human and more worthy for the
children of today and of the future.
Christmas Greetings of the Holy Father
following the Message Urbi et Orbi
I offer a
warm greeting to all of you, dear brothers and sisters from throughout the
world gathered here in this Square, and to all those who in various countries
are joined to us by radio, television and other communications media.
May the
birth of Christ the Saviour renew hearts, awaken the desire to build a future
of greater fraternity and solidarity, and bring joy and hope to everyone.
Happy Christmas!
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét