Pope at Angelus: let us not forget the Ukrainian people, afflicted by war
The Pope remembers Sister Luisa killed in Haiti, her life "a gift unto martyrdom." At the Angelus the episode in the village of the Samaritans and the invitation to shun revenge, privileging "merciful Love." Yesterday afternoon the homily at the concluding Mass of the Tenth World Meeting of Families, in which he extolled the "courage to marry" and "going out to welcome the other."
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - In Ukraine "bombings continue" that cause "death and destruction and suffering for the population: please, let us not forget this people afflicted by war, let us not forget them in our hearts and with our prayers." Taking his cue from the flags present in a packed St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis made a new appeal at the Angelus today for an end to the conflict on Europe's doorstep, triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. At the conclusion of the Marian prayer, the pontiff said he was following "with concern" what is happening in Ecuador, urging the parties to "abandon violence and extreme positions," relaunching "dialogue" and "social peace," paying attention to the "marginalized and poor" populations while respecting the "rights of all and the institutions of the country."
The pope then expressed deep "closeness" to the family members and sisters of Sister Luisa Dell'Orto, of the Little Sisters of the Gospel fraternity who was killed yesterday in Port-au-Price, capital of Haiti, where she had lived for more than 20 years, murdered for robbery. The 65-year-old nun, as the pope recalled, cared "above all for street children: I entrust her soul to God," he continued, "and I pray for the Haitian people, especially for the little ones" that they may enjoy "a more serene future. Of Sister Lucia he added that "she made her life a gift for others, even to the point of martyrdom."
In introducing the Marian prayer, the pontiff recalled Jesus' "great journey" to the holy city mentioned in today's Gospel of Luke, which "requires a special decision because it is the last." "The disciples," he explained, "full of enthusiasm that is still too worldly, dream that the Master is going to meet triumph; Jesus, on the other hand, knows that rejection and death await him in Jerusalem," and is aware that "he will have to suffer much" and this requires a "firm decision.
In his reflection, the pontiff traces the episode recounted by the Evangelist of a village of Samaritans who "do not welcome" Jesus knowing he is headed to Jerusalem, an "opposing" city. "The apostles James and John, outraged, suggest to Jesus that He punish those people" with fire, but "the 'fire' He came to bring to earth is the Father's merciful Love," and to make it grow requires "patience and constancy."
"James and John, on the other hand, get caught up in anger. This happens to us, too, when although we do good, perhaps with sacrifice, instead of welcome we find a closed door. Anger then comes: we even try to involve God Himself [...] Jesus," the pope says, "walks another path, that of firm resolve, which, far from translating into harshness, implies calm, patience, longsuffering, without, however, in the least slackening in our commitment to do good.
Pope Francis believes this way of being and acting "does not denote weakness but, on the contrary, great inner strength." The same strength we must ask Jesus to be like him and "to follow him with firm resolve. Not to be vindictive and intolerant," he explained at the conclusion of the reflection, "when difficulties arise, when we spend ourselves for good and others do not understand.
Finally, yesterday afternoon Pope Francis concelebrated the concluding Mass of the 10th World Meeting of Families in St. Peter's Square. Presiding over the rite was Card. Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, as the pontiff delivered the homily during which he recalled the need to defend the "beauty" of the family, preserving it "from the poisons of selfishness, individualism, the culture of indifference and discarding." Today, the "courage to marry" is needed more than ever and, to couples, he asked them "not to use your freedom for yourselves, but to love the people God has placed beside you."
Speaking about young people, the pope emphasized that God "loves them" but "does not thereby preserve them from every risk, every challenge, and every suffering. God is not anxious and overprotective; on the contrary, he trusts them and calls each one to the high measure of life and mission." The family, he concluded, is "the place of encounter, of sharing, of going out of oneself to welcome the other and to be close to him," and it is also "the first place where one learns to love."
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