Vatican City, 4 October 2014 (VIS) –
This morning in the Pauline Chapel Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro
Parolin celebrated Holy Mass for the papal representatives in the
Middle East at the end of the meeting convoked at the behest of the
Holy Father, dedicated to the situation faced by Christians in the
region. Extensive extracts from his homily are published below:
“Today we celebrate this Holy
Eucharist with concern for what is happening in various countries in
the Middle East. We are profoundly troubled to see the growing
threats to peace and disturbed by the conditions in which Christian
communities live in the territories from Syria to Iraq, controlled by
an entity that disregards rights and adopts terrorist methods to
increase its power”.
“Such communities, which inhabit
these lands since apostolic times, therefore find themselves facing
situations of grave danger and open persecution, and are frequently
forced to abandon everything and flee from their homes and their
country. It is sad to note how persistent and active the forces of
evil are, and how in some corrupt minds the conviction has taken hold
that violence and terror are methods that can be used to impose one's
will for power over others, under the pretext of affirming a specific
religious concept. It is clearly a perversion of authentic religious
meaning, with dramatic results and to which it is necessary to
respond. The Church cannot remain silent before the persecution of
her sons and daughters, and the international community cannot remain
neutral between victims and the aggressor”.
“'Preserve me, O God, for in you I
take refuge'. Thus the psalmist prays. He, who was no stranger to
difficulty and violent adversaries, confidently turns to the Lord.
The wicked and their machinations do not frighten him, because his
life is in the Lord's hands. He knows that his true strength and
safety is the Lord Who gives him peace and joy and Who prepares a
definitive and joyful future. … It is the joy of every faithful
Christian who knows that History is led by Providence and that the
forces of evil shall not prevail”.
“This certainty that we rejoice in,
far from leaving us as idle or inert spectators, encourages us as
individuals and as a Christian community, as Church, in constant and
trusting prayer and urges us to put into effect all those concrete
initiatives that help influence governments and public opinion.
Nothing must be neglected that it may be possible to do to alleviate
the suffering of our brethren in need and to stop the aggressors.
Providence wishes also to make use of us, of our freedom and our
industriousness, our initiative and our daily efforts”.
“Persecuted Christians and all those
who suffer unjustly must be able to recognise that the Church is the
institution that defends them, that prays and acts for them, that is
not afraid of stating the truth, becoming the word for those without
a voice, defence and support for those who are abandoned, who seek
refuge, who are discriminated against. Indeed, everything depends on
God and His Grace, but it is necessary to act as if it all depended
on us, on our prayer and our solidarity”.
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