Vatican City, 6 September 2015 (VIS) –
After praying the Angelus, Francis launched a heartfelt appeal to all
the dioceses of Europe to welcome families among the tens of
thousands of refugees seeking to flee the horrors of war and
persecution.
“We recognise God's mercy through our
works, as is shown by the life of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta,
the anniversary of whose death we commemorated yesterday”.
“Faced with the tragedy of tens of
thousands of refugees who flee death from war or hunger, on a journey
towards the hope of life, the Gospel calls to us and asks us to be
close to them, to the smallest and the abandoned; to give them real
hope. Not merely to say; 'be brave, be patient'. Christian hope is
assertive, with the tenacity of those who go towards a certain
destination”.
“Therefore, as we near the Jubilee of
Mercy, I wish to address an appeal to the parishes, religious
communities, monasteries and shrines throughout Europe to express the
concreteness of the Gospel and to welcome a family of refugees. A
concrete gesture in preparation for the Holy Year of Mercy. May every
parish, every religious community, every monastery and every shrine
in Europe host a family, starting with my diocese of Rome”,
“I address my brother bishops in
Europe, true pastors, so that in their dioceses they may hear my
appeal, recalling that Mercy is the second name of Love: 'as you did
it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me'. The
two parishes of the Vatican will also welcome two families of
refugees in these days”.
The Pope then went on to mention that
the bishops of Venezuela and Colombia will meet shortly to examine
together the painful situation that has emerged on the border between
the two countries. “I see in this meeting a clear sign of hope. I
invite all, especially the beloved Venezuelan and Colombian peoples,
to pray that, in a spirit of solidarity and fraternity, the current
difficulties may be overcome”.
He also remarked that yesterday in
Gerona, Spain, the women religious Fidelia Oller, Josefa Monrabal and
Facunda Margenat, “killed for their fidelity to Christ and to the
Church”, were proclaimed blessed. Despite threats and intimidation,
these women bravely stayed where they were to assist the sick,
trusting in God. May their heroic witness, unto the shedding of their
blood, give strength and hope to those who are persecuted today for
their Christian faith. And as we know, there are many of them”.
Finally, he spoke about the
inauguration last Friday in Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of
the Congo, of the eleventh African Games, in which thousand of
athletes from all over the continent will compete. “I hope that
this great festival of sport will contribute to peace, fraternity and
the development of all the countries of Africa”.
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