Angelus: speaking about Palestine and Israel, pope says ‘joining hands is possible’
Francis marked the tenth anniversary of the Invocation for Peace in the Holy Land with Shimon Peres and Abu Mazen. “[I]t takes courage to make peace, far more courage than to wage war," he said. "I encourage the international community to act urgently,” he added speaking about Tuesday’s summit between Jordan, Egypt, and the UN on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – This morning, after the Angelus, Pope Francis said that “The day after tomorrow, in Jordan, an international conference will be held on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.”
The summit is being organised by King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
For the pontiff, this meeting provides a glimmer of hope for peace in the region. At the same time, “While I thank them for this important initiative, I encourage the international community to act urgently, by all means, to come to the aid of the people of Gaza, exhausted by the war,” Francis said.
Meanwhile, according to Hamas' Ministry of Health, 37,084 people have died since the start of the war; in the last few hours, more than 270 Palestinians were killed in the Nureirot refugee camp.
The pope pleaded that “Humanitarian aid must be able to reach those in need, and no one can prevent it,” using this occasion to note that “Yesterday marked the tenth anniversary of the invocation of peace in the Vatican, attended by the Israeli President, the late Shimon Peres, and the Palestinian President Abu Mazen.”
“That meeting showed that joining hands is possible, and that it takes courage to make peace, far more courage than to wage war," Francis said from the window of the Vatican Apostolic Palace.
“I encourage the ongoing negotiations between the parties, even though they are not easy,” the pope went on to say. “I hope that the proposals for peace, a ceasefire on all fronts and the freeing of hostages will be accepted immediately for the good of Palestinians and Israelis.”
These words come after yesterday's news of the IDF's release of four hostages held in Gaza since 7 October, as part of Operation “Arnon”.
The pontiff also turned his thoughts to “the tormented Ukrainian people who, the more they suffer, the more they long for peace.” Greeting a group of people who carried several yellow and blue flags in St Peter's Square, he said: “I encourage all efforts that are being made so that peace can be built as soon as possible, with international help. And let us not forget Myanmar.”
As usual, before the Marian prayer, Pope Francis gave his thoughts on the Word of the day (Mk 3:22-30). The passage from the Evangelist Mark is centred on the accusation made by the scribes against Jesus that he was "possessed by Beelzebul".
In fact, when Jesus began his public ministry, he experienced a "twofold reaction" from those around him, starting with his relatives, who thought he had lost his mind, and religious authorities “who accused Him of acting under the influence of an evil spirit.”
In reality, “Jesus preached and healed the sick by the power of the Holy Spirit.” And it was precisely the Spirit that was able to make him "divinely free,” that is “capable of loving and serving without measure or conditioning.”
It is on Jesus’s own freedom that the Pontiff dwelt in his reflection this morning. Jesus was first and foremost free from riches, as he left the safety of his home in Nazareth to “embrace a poor life full of uncertainties.” He was also free from power; “indeed, despite calling many to follow Him, He never obliged anyone to do so, nor did He ever seek out the support of the powerful, but always took the side of the last”.
His freedom included the absence of attachment to fame and approval; hence, he never gave up speaking the truth, even at the cost of not being understood”.
The freedom that Jesus experienced and that he made his own is a great teaching since everyone can make it their own, if “we allow God’s freely-given love to fill us and expand our heart” without become slaves to “pleasure, power, money or consensus”.
Lastly, Pope Francis addressed some questions to the crowd on the topic of freedom in life. In one, he asked “do I spread the fresh air of freedom, sincerity and spontaneity?”
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