Vatican City, 4 December 2015 (VIS) –
“Men speak much of light, but often they prefer the deceptive
tranquillity of the dark. We talk a lot about peace, but often resort
to war or choose complicit silence, or do nothing to build peace”,
said Pope Francis upon appearing at the window of his study to pray
the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square on the
first Sunday of the year. “The heart of man can refuse light and
prefer the shadows, because the light lays bare his wicked works. He
who does evil hates the light; he who does evil, hates peace”.
“A few days ago we began the new year
in the name of the Mother of God, celebrating World Day of Peace with
the theme: “No longer slaves, but brothers and sisters”. My hope
is that the exploitation of man by man may be overcome. This
exploitation is a social evil that extinguishes social relationships
and impedes a life of communion characterised by respect, justice and
charity. Each person and every people hungers and thirsts for peace;
therefore it is necessary and urgent to build peace”.
Francis continued, “Peace is not just
the absence of war, but a general condition in which the human person
is in harmony with himself, with nature and with others. …
Nevertheless, silencing arms and stopping outbreaks of war remain the
unavoidable conditions for embarking on a journey towards the
attainment of peace in its different forms. I think of the conflicts
that still cause bloodshed in too many regions of the planet, of
tensions in families and communities – in how many families,
communities, and even parish communities, there is war! – as well
as the sharp divisions in our cities and towns between groups of
different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. We must
convince ourselves that, despite all appearances to the contrary,
harmony is always possible, at every level and in every situation.
There is no future without proposals and projects for peace! There is
no future without peace!”.
The Pope commented that peace is
proclaimed as a special gift from God, in the birth of the Redeemer:
“Peace on earth to those on whom His favour rests”. He added,
“This gift must be incessantly sought in prayer and nurtured each
day with commitment, in the situations in which we find ourselves. At
the dawn of this new year, we are all called to rekindle in our
hearts an impulse of hope, that should result in concrete works of
peace … at home, in your community, at work … works of peace,
reconciliation and fraternity. Each one of us must carry out these
acts of fraternity towards others, especially those who are suffering
as a result of family tensions or disputes of various kinds. These
small gestures have great value: they can be the seeds that give rise
to hope, that can open up roads to and the prospect of peace”.
He concluded by encouraging those
present to invoke Mary, Queen of Peace, “who, during her earthly
life, encountered no lack of difficulties in the daily burdens of
existence. But she never lost her peace of heart, the fruit of her
trusting abandonment to God's mercy. We ask that Mary, our tender
Mother, show the entire world the sure path of love and peace”.
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