Pope: The Churches of the East are alive, despite persecution and terrorism

Tora Bora caves of symbolic value. Three attackers attacked a Shiite mosque. The Taliban condemn the attack on a place of worship. 

There are good relations between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan. The difficulties were born and nurtured by Saudi Arabia and its Wahhabite Islam, as well as with the Muslim Brotherhoods in Egypt. Sunnism of this ilk are similar to al Qaeda and Daesh. The contribution of Christians to Arab culture involves modernity, education, the role of women in society. Arabic culture unites Christians and Muslims in the East.

"Much of man’s narcissism is born from a feeling of solitude." Lack of love is the source of many apparently inexplicable behaviors: "Not being or not feeling loved as a teenager, can lead to violence."

We ask for grace "to be clinging, rooted in the fullness of the promises in Christ Jesus that is 'yes', our total 'yes', and bringing this fullness with the salt and light of our testimony to others to give glory to the Father who is in heavens. "

Francis' Message for the First World Day of the Poor, instituted by him. "Let us never forget that, for Christ’s disciples, poverty is above all a call to follow Jesus in his own poverty." "Poverty is an interior attitude that avoids looking upon money, career and luxury as our goal in life and the condition for our happiness.  Poverty instead creates the conditions for freely shouldering our personal and social responsibilities, despite our limitations, with trust in God’s closeness and the support of his grace."

"The Christian community, even with all human limits, can become a reflection of the communion of the Trinity, of its goodness and beauty. But this necessarily goes through the experience of God's mercy, of His forgiveness. " Itala Mela proclaimed Blessed yesterday, in La Spezia.

Francis visits Italian president. "Generating and accompanying processes that give rise to new opportunities for dignified employment". "Stable employment, along with a political commitment to the family, is the first and most important place for the formation of intra-personal relations and the conditions for genuine sustainable development."

The pontiff met with the participants to the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, focused on ‘The role of women in education towards universal fraternity”. For Francis, women play an "inestimable" role in education and " offer an important input in dialogue, with their capacity for listening, acceptance, and opening up generously to others."

At the general audience, Francis recalls the Vatican meeting with Peres and Abbas. God never abandons us. "We can be distant, hostile, we can also profess" a world without God, "but the Gospel reveals that" God cannot be without us: He will never be a God without man. "

The meeting with Pope Francis marked the recognition of the movement, described as a "current of grace". Three groups from Lebanon met in Rome. Unexpected rapprochement occurs between groups of different confessions. For Pope Francis, “Unity is for the mission, to proclaim that Jesus is the Lord”. The pontiff also looks at the ecumenism of blood.

Following the example of Jesus, the language of Christians must be truthful. "The language of hypocrisy is the language of deceit, it is the same language that the snake uses with Eve, it is the same." It begins with adulation and then destroys people and "is capable of killing a community."

"A work of mercy is not doing something to assuage our consciences, to make us feel better...". And "so many times it means taking a risk. Think of here, in Rome. During the war: those who risked, beginning with Pius XII, to hide the Jews. "

Francis calls on the Consolata missionaries carry out a careful discernment on the situation of peoples among whom they carry out their mission and to bring comfort to those who are marked by great poverty, for example in Africa and Latin America.

The Church is missionary by nature. The world is “marked by confusion, disappointment and frustration, and torn by numerous fratricidal wars,” and “vitally needs the Gospel of Jesus Christ”. Indeed, “the Gospel helps to overcome narrowness, conflict, racism, tribalism, and to promote everywhere, and among all, reconciliation, fraternity, and sharing.” But “being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a Person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction”.

During Pentecost Mass, Pope Francis noted that the universal Church is both diversity and unity. He slammed the temptation to "take sides and form parties”, to be “supporters for one side", and “become Christians of the ‘right’ or the ‘left’, before being on the side of Jesus, unbending guardians of the past or the avant-garde of the future before being humble and grateful children of the Church.” For him, “forgiveness is gift to the highest degree; it is the greatest love of all. It preserves unity despite everything, prevents collapse, and consolidates and strengthens.” At least 150,000 people were present at the service. A children’s choir from Carpi sang with disabled members miming the words. The pontiff announced his Message for World Mission Day, and mentioned the victims of last night’s London attack.