Pope's pain for terrorist attacks in Somalia, Afghanistan and New York

At Angelus, Pope Francis asks for prayers so that "the Lord convert the hearts of terrorists and free the world from hatred and murderous folly that abuses the name of God to sow death." The Solemnity of All Saints, "is our feast". "Whoever is with Jesus is blessed, he is happy. Happiness is not in having something or becoming someone, no, the real happiness is to being with the Lord and living for love. " Tomorrow the visit and prayer at the American Cemetery at Anzio and Fosse Ardeatine. "Wars produce nothing but cemeteries and deaths."

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - ". Pope Francis has told the pilgrims in St. Peter's Square for the the Angelus prayer that he is "deeply sorrowful for the recent terrorist attacks in Somalia, Afghanistan and yesterday in New York".

Yesterday in the central Manhattan, a 29-year-old Uzbek, Sayfullo Saipov, ploughed  his truck into passers-by and cyclists, killing eight people and wounding 11. The young man was shot in the stomach by police and is now in hospital critical condition. According to eyewitnesses, getting out of his vehicle, armed with guns, heshouted "Allah Akhbar!", a fact that has not yet been confirmed officially.

In Afghanistan, on October 25, a suicide attack claimed by Daesh killed 13 people and injured 20. The attack took place in a heavily controlled area, where there are the headquarters of many embassies, including the US.

In Somalia, on October 14, al-Shabaab terrorist group (linked to al-Qaeda) led an attack by exploding two trucks in a crowded area of ​​the city of Mogadishu. The death toll is over 300 dead.

After a moment of silence, the pontiff added: "In deploring such acts of violence, I pray for the deceased, for the wounded and their family members. We ask the Lord to convert the hearts of terrorists and free the world from hatred and murderous folly that abuses the name of God to sow death. "
Previously, Francis had explained the meaning of today's solemnity, All Saints: "It is our 'feast: not because we are good but because God's holiness has touched our lives. Saints are not perfect models, but people illuminated by God. We can compare them to church stained glass windows, which bring light into different shades of color. "

"Whoever is with Jesus is blessed, he is happy. Happiness is not in having something or becoming someone, no, the real happiness is in being with the Lord and living for love.

The Gospel, the Good News "is the Way of Happiness". He added, "Do you believe this?" Then the ingredients for happiness are called beatitudes: Blessed are the simple, the humble who make room for God, who know how to weep for others and their mistakes, remain mild, fight for justice, I am merciful toward everyone, who keep purity of the heart, who always work for peace and remain in joy, who do not hate, and even when they suffer,  respond to evil with good. "

The Beatitudes, they say, "do not require exaggerated gestures, they are not for supermen, but for those who live daily trials and struggles. As are the saints: they breathe air polluted by evil that is in the world the same as everyone else, but on the road they never lose sight of the path of Jesus, the one in the beatitudes that are like the map of Christian life. Today is the feast of those who have reached the goal indicated by this map: not only the saints of the calendar, but many brothers and sisters "next door"  who we may meet and know: it is a family celebration of so many simple and hidden people who help God to carry on the world and still do today!"

The Pope then commented on "the first beatitude", "blessing the poor in spirit" (Mt 5,3). "What does it mean? Do not live for success, power, and money, know that those who accumulate treasures for themselves do not enrich themselves before God (cf. Lk 12:21) believe that the Lord is the treasury of life and love is the only true source of earnings. Sometimes we are dissatisfied with something that is missing or worried if we are not considered as we would like, let us remember that our beatitude is not here, but in the Lord and in love: only with Him only in loving are we blessed. "

"Finally, I would like to quote another beatitude, which is not in the Gospel but at the end of the Bible and speaks of the term of life:" Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord "(Acts 14,13) Tomorrow we will be called upon to accompany our deceased with prayer so they may always have the Lord. We pray to our loved ones and pray for them. "

After Marian prayer, Francis recalled that tomorrow, commemorating all the deceased faithful, he will pray at the American cemetery of Anzio and then at the Fosse Ardeatine. "I ask you," he added, "to accompany me with prayer in these two phases of memory and suffrage for the victims of war and violence. Wars produce nothing but cemeteries and death: for this I wanted to give this sign, when our humanity seems to have not learned the lesson or does not want to learn".