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APPEAL
With great distress and anxiety I continue to follow the situation in Syria. The increasing violence in a war between brothers and sisters with the escalation of massacres and acts of atrocity that we have all been able to see in the appalling images of the past few days impels me once again to raise my voice so that the clash of weapons may be silenced. It is not conflict that offers prospects of hope for solving problems, but rather the capacity for encounter and dialogue.
From the depths of my heart I would like to express my closeness with prayers and solidarity to all the victims of this conflict, to all who are suffering, especially the children, and ask them to keep the hope of peace ever alive. I appeal to the international community to show itself increasingly sensitive to this tragic situation and to muster all its strength to help the beloved Syrian nation find a solution to this war that is sowing destruction and death. All together, let us pray, all together let us pray to our Lady, Queen of Peace: Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us. Everyone: Mary Queen of Peace, pray for us.
After the Angelus
I greet with affection all the pilgrims present: the families, the numerous groups and the Associazione Albergoni. In particular I greet the Teaching Sisters of St Dorothy, the young people from Verona, Syracuse, Nave, Modica and Trent; the confirmands of the Unità Pastorali of Angarano and Val Liona; the seminarians and priests of the Pontifical North American College; the workers from Cuneo and the pilgrims from Verrua Po, San Zeno Naviglio, Urago d’Oglio, Varano Borghi and São Paulo, Brazil. For many people these days mark the end of the summer holiday period. I wish everyone a calm and committed return to normal daily life, looking to the future with hope.
I wish everyone a good Sunday and a good week! Have a good lunch and goodbye!
Acknowledgment: We thank the Vatican Publisher for allowing us to publish the Homily of Pope Francis I, so that it could be accessed by more people all over the world; as a source of God’s encouragements to all of us. |
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8 September 2013 |