Pope Francis in Bari: ‘May the
Middle East be an ark of peace, not war!’
 |
| Pope Francis gives a speech in Bari, flanked by the heads of Eastern Churches.- AFP |
At the end of a closed-door dialogue with leaders of
Catholic and Orthodox Christians on Saturday, Pope Francis greets the faithful
gathered in the Square outside the Basilica of St Nicholas of Bari, and invites
them to pray for peace in the Middle East. (With photo gallery)
By Sr. Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp
Pope Francis addressed the faithful gathered in the square
outside of the Basilica of St Nicholas, in the Italian city of Bari, on
Saturday after meeting with Catholic and Orthodox leaders. He reflected on the
Middle Eastern origins of the Christian tradition, and of the commitment undertaken
by the religious leaders to walk, pray, and work together “in the hope that the
art of encounter will prevail over strategies of conflict”.
Jesus comes from the Middle East
The Pope began by recalling the middle-eastern origins of
Jesus and Christianity. Instead of using weapons, Jesus asked his disciples to
put them away, he said. A renewed conversion to the Gospel is the only means by
which to confront the agony that the Middle East lives daily. In imitation of
Jesus, our response cannot be “flight or the sword that
will lead to the radiant dawn of Easter.” Like Jesus, our response must be the
gift of self, the Pope said.
Middle East birthplace of Christianity
Gospel conversion “invites us to find our safety and
consolation in [Jesus] alone, and to make him known”, the Pope continued.
Rooted in the Middle East, the font of faith provides us with water to drink to
be purified with.
Hope in the power of signs
It is peace that needs to be “cultivated in the parched soil
of conflict and discord”. There is no alternative, Pope Francis said. Listening
and dialogue, not “truces maintained by walls” lead to peace. Pope Francis said
he hopes that “signs of power will yield to the power of
signs – as men and women of different beliefs open themselves to
dialogue, and the ideas of others.
Exploitation of the Middle East
Pope Francis called an end to the exploitation of the Middle
East.
Let there be an end to the few profiting from the
sufferings of many! No more occupying territories and thus tearing people
apart! … Let there be an end to using the Middle East for gains
that have nothing to do with the Middle East! …Enough of the thirst for profit
that surreptitiously exploits oil and gas fields without regard for our common
home, with no scruples about the fact that the energy market now dictates the
law of coexistence among peoples!
Peace for the sake of children
Pope Francis concluded his words evoking the sign of the
doves that would be released by children. For the sake of the children, “who
have spent most of their lives looking at rubble instead of schools, hearing
the deafening explosion of bombs rather than the happy din of playgrounds, …may
the longing for peace rise higher than any dark cloud”, in the expectation of
receiving the olive branch. May the Middle East be an ark of peace,
not an ark of war, he prayed.
Beloved Middle East, may you see dispelled the darkness
of war, power, violence, fanaticism, unfair gains, exploitation, poverty,
inequality and lack of respect for rights. ‘May peace be upon you” (Ps
122:8), may justice dwell within your borders, and may God’s blessing come to
rest upon you’.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét