Day for Life: Pope expresses gratitude to the families who welcome this gift
Today, the feast day of the Presentation in the Temple, Francis expressed closeness to bishops to encourage “young couples not to be afraid of bringing children into the world.” Tomorrow the Vatican will host an international summit on children's rights in the presence of world leaders, including from the Middle East and the rest of Asia, centred on “the most pressing questions regarding the life of the little ones.” The pontiff also reiterated his opposition to war, which “destroys everything, it destroys life and induces us to disregard it.”
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis appeared at the window of the Vatican Apostolic Palace for the customary recitation of the Sunday Angelus on the feast day of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. Popularly known as Candlemas, it is observed today, 40 days after Holy Christmas.
“I join with the Italian bishops in expressing gratitude to the many families who eagerly welcome the gift of life and in encouraging young couples not to be afraid of bringing children into the world,” the pontiff said, marking the 47th Day for Life, which also falls today, centred on the theme "Transmitting life, hope for the world."
Francis greeted the Italian Pro-Life Movement, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The association, whose delegation was present in St Peter's Square overflowing with people, aims to "promote and defend the right to life and the dignity of every person, from conception to natural death”.
In his address, the Pope mentioned the World Meeting on Children's Rights, entitled "Love them and protect them", set to take place tomorrow in the Vatican.
The event will be attended by world leaders and international public figures, including Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan and Megawati Sukarnoputri, the fifth president of Indonesia. The pontiff will open and close the event.
“It is a unique opportunity to bring the most pressing questions regarding the life of the little ones to the centre of the world’s attention. I invite you to join in prayer for its success,” Francis said.
“And with regard to the primary value of human life, I reiterate a “no” to war, which destroys,” he added. “[I]t destroys life and induces us to disregard it. And let us not forget that war is always a defeat.”
The pontiff immediately renewed his appeal, addressed especially to “Christian governors”, to seize the opportunity of the Jubilee Year to put an end to wars, “and do their utmost in the negotiations to bring all the ongoing conflicts to an end. Let us pray for peace in tormented Ukraine, in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan and North Kivu.”
Before reciting the Marian prayer, Pope Francis commented on the Gospel of the day (Lk 2:22-40), which tells of the presentation of Jesus in the temple.
Mary and Joseph took “the infant Jesus to the Temple of Jerusalem. In accordance with the Law, they present Him in God’s dwelling, to recall that life comes from the Lord,” Francis explained.
There, something happened that "had never occurred before": the two elderly Anna and Simeon, with “heartfelt voices”, prophesied "announcing the fulfilment of Israel's expectations.”
"In Simeon and Anna’s old age, the novelty takes place that changes the history of the world,” the pope added. Simeon calls Jesus in three "beautiful ways": salvation, light, and a sign of contradiction.
Salvation is the way “because in Jesus dwells the fullness of God”; light, because "like the sun that rises over the world, this child will redeem it from the darkness of evil, pain and death," and finally, a sign of contradiction in which “Jesus reveals the criterion for judging the whole of history and its drama, and also the life of each one of us. And what is this criterion? It is love: those who love, live; those who hate, die.”
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01/02/2020 20:56
31/01/2021 13:14
