ANGELUS: A PAPAL PLEA TO ASSIST REFUGEES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 17, 2001 (VIS) - Before reciting the Angelus today Pope John Paul reflected on last Thursday's feast of Corpus Christi, recalling the Mass and procession he presided in Rome that day, and noting that, "for pastoral reasons, this lovely and traditional feast is celebrated today in Italy and many countries."

Addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square below his study window, he added that Corpus Christ is "a feast of joy for the marvelous gift of bread to which Christ linked His promise of eternal life: Bread which is really His flesh, that is, His humanity, through which God sanctifies hearts, persons, communities, nations and the entire world."

"A distinctive mark of the new mankind redeemed by Christ is the fullness of fraternal love, In reality the Eucharist is par excellence the Sacrament of love, understood as a giving of self. Without the spiritual nourishment which comes from the Body and Blood of Christ, human love remains always corrupted by egoism. Communion with the Bread of heaven, on the other hand, converts hearts and fills them with the capacity to love as Jesus loved us."

Following the Angelus prayer, the Pope pointed out that "next Wednesday is the World Day of the Refugee. This underlines the dutiful solidarity with millions of persons who live in difficult conditions as refugees. This social evil has, unfortunately, in recent years been on the increase: as a consequence the need for international protection augments, but also on the increase is the number of countries who tend to limit it. While I hope that the causes of forced migration will be removed, I ask that efforts be renewed so that refugees never lack just understanding and necessary assistance."

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