VATICAN CITY, 6 SEP 2009 (VIS) - At the end of this morning's Eucharistic celebration in the Italian city of Viterbo, the Holy Father prayed the Angelus. Before the Marian prayer he recalled how the local diocese has long been distinguished for its "unique bond of affection and communion with Peter's Successor".
The Pope also made mention of the saints and Popes who were born in this area of northern Lazio, such as St. Leo the Great, Pope Sabinian who succeeded St. Gregory the Great, and Paul III. He also recalled the period in the second half of the thirteenth century during which Viterbo became the residence of Roman Pontiffs "Five of my predecessors were elected here, and four of them are buried here", he said.
"Viterbo is rightly called the 'city of Popes' and this for you is a further stimulus to live and bear witness to your Christian faith".
After praying the Angelus, the Pope greeted participants in the international "Men and Religions" congress currently being held in the Polish city of Krakow on the theme "Faith and cultures in dialogue". Representatives of various religious are attending the meeting at the invitation of the archdiocese of Krakow and the Sant'Egidio Community.
The aim of the congress is to reflect and pray in favour of peace, seventy years after the outbreak of World War II. "We cannot but remember", said the Pope, "the dramatic events that marked the beginning of one of the most terrible conflicts in history, which caused tens of millions of deaths and caused so much suffering to the beloved people of Poland; a conflict that witnessed the tragedy of the Holocaust and the extermination of so many innocents.
"May the memory of these events impel us to pray for the victims and for those who still bear the wounds in their bodies and hearts", he added. "May it also be a warning to everyone not to repeat such barbarities and to intensify efforts to build in our own time, still marked by conflicts and contrasts, a lasting peace, transmitting, above all to new generations, a culture and lifestyle characterised by love, solidarity and respect for others.
"In this context, the contribution religions can and must make is particularly important: promoting forgiveness and reconciliation against the violence, racism, totalitarianism, and extremism that disfigure the image of man's Creator, cancel the horizon of God, and lead to scorn for man himself. May the Lord help us to build peace, on the basis of love and mutual understanding".
PV-ITALY/ANGELUS/VITERBO VIS 20090907 (430)
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