Vatican City (AsiaNews) – In a video message to the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina ahead of his visit to Sarajevo, Pope Francis said that he hopes his visit will support interfaith dialogue between and among Christians and Muslims, encourage peaceful coexistence for all of the country’s citizens and confirm Catholics in their faith as “witnesses to their fellow citizens of the faith and love of God.”
In the message, which comes a few days before the trip next Saturday, the pope stressed the motto of the visit, ‘Peace be with you’. “With the help of God,” he said, “I come among you to confirm the faith of Catholics, to support ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, and especially to encourage peaceful coexistence in your country. I invite you to join me in prayer, so that this Apostolic Visit may produce the desired fruits for the Christian community and the entire society.
“’Peace be with you’. This is the motto of my visit. They are the words with which the risen Jesus greeted His disciples when He appeared among them in the Upper Room, on the evening of Easter. It is He, the Lord, our strength and our hope, who gives us His peace, that we might welcome it into our hearts and spread it with joy and with love.
“For my part, I am preparing to come among you as a fellow messenger of peace, to express to everyone – everyone! – my respect and my friendship. I would like to express to every person, every family, and every community the mercy, tenderness and love of God.
"Dear brethren of Bosnia and Herzegovina, I assure you all of my affection and my strong spiritual closeness. I encourage Catholics to be witnesses to their fellow citizens of the faith and love of God, working for a society that makes ways towards peace in brotherhood and in mutual cooperation.”