Palm Sunday: Pope in St Peter’s entrusted to the Lord those ‘affected by war, poverty or natural disasters’
Francis appeared in front of 25,000 people without nasal cannula for oxygen, thanking them “for your prayers,” which help him feel “the Lord’s tenderness even more”. In the Angelus, he renewed his plea for peace in Sudan, Lebanon, Ukraine and the Middle East. In the homily read by Card Sandri, Francis said that, “Faced with the appalling injustice of evil, we never carry the cross of Christ in vain”.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis wished “Happy Palm Sunday! Happy Holy Week!” to the people gathered in St Peter's Square on Palm Sunday in his latest public outing at today’s Mass led by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals. This follows last week’s appearance at Rome's largest papal basilica and at Santa Maria Maggiore.
In front of 25,000 people, without a nasal cannula for oxygen, the Holy Father spoke a few words. Allowing himself to greet the people in the front rows, he stopped, shook hands and gave sweets to the children.
“I thank you very much for your prayers. At this time of physical weakness, they help me to feel God's closeness, compassion and tenderness even more,” reads today’s Angelus. “I too am praying for you, and I ask you to entrust all those who suffer to the Lord together with me, especially those affected by war, poverty or natural disasters.”
Francis mentioned the collapse of the nightclub in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) which caused at least 225 victims, as well as the “second sad anniversary of the beginning of the conflict in Sudan," which broke out on 15 April 2023.
In the African country, “thousands have been killed and millions of families have been forced to flee their homes. The suffering of children, women and vulnerable people cries out to heaven and begs us to act.”
For this reason, he issued a plea to “the parties involved that they may end the violence and embark on paths of dialogue,” and “to the international community, so that the help needed may be provided to the populations.”
The pontiff also expressed hope for peace in Lebanon, “where the tragic civil war began fifty years ago: with God's help, may it live in peace and prosperity.” He renewed his call for peace “in martyred Ukraine, in Palestine, Israel, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, South Sudan". Countries where violence is still raging.
In the last few hours in Ukraine, a Russian attack killed more than 20 people and more than 80 injuries in Sumy, while two Israeli missiles hit the Al Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, a few metres from the Church of St Porphyry.
In the homily read by Card Leonardo Sandri, Pope Francis stressed the suffering caused by war. “Can we see the Lord in their faces (the many Simons of Cyrene), marred by the burden of war and deprivation? Faced with the appalling injustice of evil, we never carry the cross of Christ in vain; on the contrary, it is the most tangible way for us to share in his redemptive love.”
Regarding today's Gospel, centred on the Passion of the Lord according to the Evangelist Luke, the pontiff urges the faithful to reflect on the "ambivalent" behaviour of Simon of Cyrene, who was “forced” by the soldiers to help Jesus to carry the cross.
“If we would know whether Simon of Cyrene helped or hated Jesus, in whose suffering he now had to share, whether he ‘took up’ the Lord’s cross or simply carried it, we must look into his heart.”
“Let us imagine ourselves in his place: would we feel anger or pity, compassion or annoyance? When we think of what Simon did for Jesus, we should also think of what Jesus did for Simon – what he did for me, for you, for each of us: he redeemed the world.”
Hence, Francis called on the faithful to follow “Simon's footsteps for he teaches us that Jesus comes to meet everyone, in every situation.”
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19/03/2019 15:11
