Vatican City ( AsiaNews) - The
Lord too "is a prisoner, no? Of our selfishness, our systems, of many
injustices that are easy to punish the weak, no? But the big fish go free"
.
These
were Pope Francis words as he confirmed a phone call with some people "I
know in Buenos Aires, who are in prison , on Sunday", as he received, the
200 participants at the National Conference of Chaplains Italian
prisons this morning before the general audience. The course is taking place in Sacrofano, near
Rome , on the theme " Justice: punishment or reconciliation. Free to
liberate". The Pope urged the chaplains to tell the prisoners that God is
close to them. "But
tell them with gestures, with words, with the heart, that the Lord is not standing
outside of their cell, outside the prison: He is with them inside, He is
there." "
No cell is so isolated it can exclude the Lord , no : He's there , crying with
them, working with them, hoping with them."
"Please
tell them that I pray for them : I have them at heart. I pray to the Lord and
the Virgin Mary hat they can successfully overcome this difficult period of
their lives. If they are discouraged, not to quit ." "His
paternal and maternal love reaches everywhere," continued the Pope, who
prayed "that they each open their hearts to the love of the Lord ."
And
speaking of his phone calls with detainees he added: "Then , when I finish
, I think, ' Why is he there and not me, and am I so much more deserving than
him to stay there ? ' . And that is good for me? Why did he
fall and not I? Because the weaknesses that we have, are the same and for me it
is a mystery that makes me pray and makes me closer to them. It's good to say
this too".
Pope
Francis also prayed for the chaplains, for their ministry, "which is not
easy," but it is "very challenging and very important" because
it "expresses one of the works of mercy " , and "shows that the
presence of the Lord in prison " :
"You
are a sign of Christ's nearness to these brothers who are in need of hope.
Recently, you spoke of a justice of reconciliation, no? Even a justice of hope,
open doors, horizons ... This is not a utopia: it is possible. It's not easy,
because of our weakness everywhere, even the devil is everywhere , temptations
are everywhere ... but always look for the one , right? " .