Vatican City, 30 November 2015 (VIS) –
After celebrating Holy Mass, the Pope left the Cathedral of Bangui to
greet the young people who awaited him outside the Cathedral for a
night-long prayer vigil. Francis addressed some extemporaneous
remarks to them, setting aside the discourse he had prepared, which
is reproduced at the end of this article.
Beforehand one of the young people had
commented that their symbol was the banana tree on account of its
resistance, referring also the many difficulties they encounter in
this period of war and division.
“The banana tree is a symbol of
life”, said Francis. “It always grows, it always reproduces, it
always bears nourishing fruit. The banana tree is also resistant. I
think that this clearly shows the way for you in this difficult
moment of war, hatred and division: the path of resistance”.
“Your friend said that some of you
want to go away from here. Fleeing from the challenges of life is
never a solution! It is necessary to resist, to have the courage to
resist, to struggle for good! Those who flee do not have the courage
to give life. The banana tree gives life and continues to reproduce
and give more life as it resists, it remains, it stays there. Some of
you will ask me, 'But Father, what can we do? How can we resist?'. I
will tell you two or three things that may perhaps be useful for you,
to resist”.
“First of all, prayer. Prayer is
powerful. Prayer conquers evil. Prayer draws us closer to God, who is
Almighty. … Secondly, work for peace. And peace is not a document
that is signed and stays there. Peace is made every day! Peace is a
craft, it is made by hand, with one's own life. But some may say,
'Tell me, Father, how can I be an artisan of peace?'. First: never
hate. If someone harms you, try to forgive. No hatred! Forgiveness!
Let us say this together: No hatred! Forgiveness! If you do not have
hatred in your heart, if you forgive, you will be victorious, because
you will be victorious in the most difficult battled of life:
victorious in love. And through love comes peace”.
“Do you want to be defeated, or do
you want to win in life?” asked the Pope. “You can win only by
taking the path of love. The path of love. And can you love your
enemy? Yes. Can you forgive those who have wronged you? Yes. In this
way, with love and forgiveness, you will be victorious. With love,
you will be victorious in life and will always give life. Love will
never let you be defeated”.
The following is the discourse prepared
by Pope Francis:
“Dear Young Friends, good evening! It
is a great joy for me to be here with you this evening, as we enter
upon a new liturgical year with the beginning of Advent. Is this not,
for each one of us, an occasion to begin anew, a chance to 'go across
to the other side?'.
“During this, our meeting, I will be
able to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation with some of you. I
encourage each of you to reflect on the grandeur of this sacrament,
in which God comes to meet us personally. Whenever we ask, He comes
to us and helps us to 'go across to the other side', to that side of
our life where God forgives us and bathes us in His love which heals,
soothes and raises up! The Jubilee of Mercy, which I just opened
particularly for you, dear Central African and African friends,
rightly reminds us that God is waiting for us, with arms wide open,
as we see in the beautiful image of the Father who welcomes the
prodigal son.
“The forgiveness which we receive
comforts us and enables us to make a new start, with trusting and
serene hearts, better able to live in harmony with ourselves, with
God and with others. The forgiveness which we receive enables us in
turn to forgive others. There is always a need for this, especially
in times of conflict and violence, as you know all too well. I renew
my closeness to all those among you who are have experienced sorrow,
separation and the wounds inflicted by hatred and war. In such
situations, forgiving those who have done us harm is, humanly
speaking, extremely difficult. But God offers us the strength and the
courage to become those artisans of reconciliation and peace which
your country greatly needs. The Christian, as a disciple of Christ,
walks in the footsteps of his Master, who on the Cross asked His
Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him. How far is this
sentiment from those which too often reign in our hearts! Meditating
on the attitude and the words of Jesus, 'Father, forgive them', can
help to turn our gaze and convert our heart.
“For many people, it is a scandal
that God came to be one of us. It is a scandal that He died on a
cross. Yes, it is scandalous: the scandal of the cross. The cross
continues to scandalise. Yet it remains the one sure way: the way of
the cross, the way of Jesus Who came to share our life and to save us
from sin. Dear friends, this cross speaks to us of the closeness of
God: He is with us, He is with each one of you, in your joys and in
your trials.
“Dear young people, the most precious
good which we can have in this life is our relationship with God. Are
you convinced of this? Are you aware of the inestimable value that
you have in God’s eyes? Do you know that you are loved and accepted
by Him, unconditionally, as you are?. Devoting time to prayer and the
reading of Scripture, especially the Gospels, you will come to know
Him, and yourselves, ever better. Today too, Jesus’ counsels can
illumine your feelings and your decisions. You are enthusiastic and
generous, pursuing high ideals, searching for truth and beauty. I
encourage you to maintain an alert and critical spirit in the face of
every compromise which runs contrary to the Gospel message.
“Thank you for your creative
dynamism, which the Church greatly needs. Cultivate this! Be
witnesses to the joy of meeting Jesus. May He transform you,
strengthen your faith and help you to overcome every fear, so that
you may embrace ever more fully God’s loving plan for you! God
wills the happiness of every one of His children. Those who open
themselves to His gaze are freed from sin, from sorrow, from inner
emptiness and from isolation. Instead, they can see others as
brothers or sisters, accepting their differences and recognizing that
they are a gift for all of us.
“It is in this way that peace is
built, day by day. It calls for setting out on the path of service
and humility, and being attentive to the needs of others. To embrace
this mindset, we need to have a heart capable of bending low and
sharing life with those most in need. That is where true charity is
found. In this way solidarity grows, beginning with small gestures,
and the seeds of division disappear. In this way dialogue among
believers bears fruit, fraternity is lived day by day and it enlarges
the heart by opening up a future. In this way, you will be able to do
so much good for your country. I encourage you do so.
“Dear young friends, the Lord is
alive and He is walking at your side. When difficulties seem to
abound, when pain and sadness seem to prevail all around you, He does
not abandon you. He has left us the memorial of his love: the
Eucharist and the sacraments, to aid our progress along the way and
furnish the strength we need to daily move forward. This must be the
source of your hope and your courage as you 'go across to the other
side' with Jesus, opening new paths for yourselves and your
generation, for your families, for your country. I pray that you will
be filled with this hope. May you be ever anchored in it, so that you
can give it to others, to this world of ours so wounded by war and
conflicts, by evil and sin. Never forget: the Lord is with you. He
trusts you. He wants you to be missionary disciples, sustained in
times of difficulty and trial by the prayers of the Virgin Mary and
those of the entire Church. Dear young people of Central Africa, go
forth! I am sending you out!”.
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