Pope Francis recalls his visit to
Thailand and Japan
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| Pope Francis at the General Audience (Vatican Media) |
Pope Francis’ catechesis during Wednesday’s General Audience
is devoted to his Apostolic Journey to Thailand and Japan.
The Pope told pilgrims and tourists in St Peter’s Square
that this visit had increased his closeness and affection for the peoples of
both Thailand and Japan.
Thailand and the people with the beautiful smile
Beginning with his journey to Thailand, the Pontiff paid
tribute to the rich spiritual and cultural tradition of the Thai people,
calling them the people with the “beautiful smile”.
Pope Francis recalled the many strands to this visit,
including his meeting with civil authorities, brother bishops, the Supreme
Buddhist Patriarch and the Thai King.
He also said, he “encouraged a commitment to harmony between
the different elements of the nation, as well as towards an economic
development that benefits all and to healing the scourges of exploitation,
especially of women and children.”
In particular, the Pope noted his visit to St Louis
Hospital, to encourage the local Church’s support of the sick and poor and he
spoke of the two celebrations of Mass, commenting that “we saw clearly how the
Gospel is being inculturated among the Thai people.”
To protect life one must love it
Turning to the second leg of his Apostolic Journey, which
was Japan, Pope Francis highlighted the motto for the visit, which was “Protect
All Life”.
He called it “a vital theme for a county that experienced
the devastation of the atomic bomb and more recent disasters.”
“To protect life one must love it”, he said, “and today the
serious threat, in more developed countries, is the loss of a sense of living”.
The Pope went on to say, that the first victims of this are young people, that
is why, he said, he encouraged them to face the future without fear by opening
their hearts to God’s love in prayer and in service of others.
The Pope also looked back at his visit to Nagasaki and
Hiroshima, where he met with survivors and their families. He also recalled his
appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Pope Francis praised Japan for "remaining faithful to
its religious and moral values, and open to the Gospel message, adding, that it
can be a leading country for a more just and peaceful world.
Albania Earthquake
In words to Italian speaking pilgrims, Pope Francis
expressed his closeness to the people of Albania who he said, have suffered so
much as a result of an earthquake that hit the country on Tuesday. The Pope
said he was praying for the dead, the injured and their families. He also noted
that Albania was the first country in Europe that he wanted to visit.
Visit to Greccio
During his audience, the Pope announced that next Sunday he
will go to Greccio in the Lazio region of Italy to pray at the site of the
first Nativity Scene.
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