Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hello!
Hello!
Today, dear brothers and sisters, I wish to make add my voice to the
cry which rises up with increasing anguish from every part of the world, from
every people, from the heart of each person, from the one great family which is
humanity: it is the cry for peace! It is a cry which declares with force: we
want a peaceful world, we want to be men and women of peace, and we want in our
society, torn apart by divisions and conflict, that peace break out! War never
again! Never again war! Peace is a precious gift, which must be promoted and
protected.
There are so many conflicts in this world which cause me great
suffering and worry, but in these days my heart is deeply wounded in particular
by what is happening in Syria and anguished by the dramatic developments which
are looming.
I appeal strongly for peace, an appeal which arises from the deep
within me. How much suffering, how much devastation, how much pain has the use
of arms carried in its wake in that martyred country, especially among civilians
and the unarmed! I think of many children will not see the light of the future!
With utmost firmness I condemn the use of chemical weapons: I tell you that
those terrible images from recent days are burned into my mind and heart. There
is a judgment of God and of history upon our actions which are inescapable!
Never has the use of violence brought peace in its wake. War begets war,
violence begets violence.
With all my strength, I ask each party in this conflict to listen to
the voice of their own conscience, not to close themselves in solely on their
own interests, but rather to look at each other as brothers and decisively and
courageously to follow the path of encounter and negotiation, and so overcome
blind conflict. With similar vigour I exhort the international community to make
every effort to promote clear proposals for peace in that country without
further delay, a peace based on dialogue and negotiation, for the good of the
entire Syrian people.
May no effort be spared in guaranteeing humanitarian assistance to
those wounded by this terrible conflict, in particular those forced to flee and
the many refugees in nearby countries. May humanitarian workers, charged with
the task of alleviating the sufferings of these people, be granted access so as
to provide the necessary aid.
What can we do to make peace in the world? As Pope John said, it
pertains to each individual to establish new relationships in human society
under the mastery and guidance of justice and love (cf. John XXIII, Pacem in
Terris, [11 April 1963]: AAS 55, [1963], 301-302).
All men and women of good will are bound by the task of pursuing peace.
I make a forceful and urgent call to the entire Catholic Church, and also to
every Christian of other confessions, as well as to followers of every religion
and to those brothers and sisters who do not believe: peace is a good which
overcomes every barrier, because it belongs all of humanity!
I repeat forcefully: it is neither a culture of confrontation nor a
culture of conflict which builds harmony within and between peoples, but rather
a culture of encounter and a culture of dialogue; this is the only way to peace.
May the plea for peace rise up and touch the heart of everyone so that
they may lay down their weapons and be let themselves be led by the desire for
peace.
To this end, brothers and sisters, I have decided to proclaim for the
whole Church on 7 September next, the vigil of the birth of Mary, Queen of
Peace, a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, the Middle East, and
throughout the world, and I also invite each person, including our fellow
Christians, followers of other religions and all men of good will, to
participate, in whatever way they can, in this initiative.
On 7 September, in Saint Peter’s Square, here, from 19:00 until 24:00,
we will gather in prayer and in a spirit of penance, invoking God’s great gift
of peace upon the beloved nation of Syria and upon each situation of conflict
and violence around the world. Humanity needs to see these gestures of peace and
to hear words of hope and peace! I ask all the local churches, in addition to
fasting, that they gather to pray for this intention.
Let us ask Mary to help us to respond to violence, to conflict and to
war, with the power of dialogue, reconciliation and love. She is our mother: may
she help us to find peace; all of us are her children! Help us, Mary, to
overcome this most difficult moment and to dedicate ourselves each day to
building in every situation an authentic culture of encounter and peace. Mat,
Queen of Peace, pray for us!
1 september 2013
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento