Speaking about the Holocaust, the pontiff said that “In the face of such an enormous tragedy, indifference is not admissible and we must remember”. "Never Again" should be everyone’s prayer tomorrow. Francis also urged a prayer “for the people who have become ill because of the virus that has spread in China. May the Lord welcome the dead in his peace, comfort the families and support the great work already put in place by the Chinese community to fight the outbreak.”
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis spoke after the Angelus about the Holocaust (Shoah), urging everyone to include ‘Never Again’ in their prayer on the day of the tragedy’s remembrance.
Tomorrow, said the pontiff, “marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, symbol of the Holocaust. In the face of such an enormous tragedy, indifference is not admissible and we must remember. Tomorrow we are all invited to pray and meditate, saying in our own heart: Never Again!”
In his address, Francis also prayed "for the people who have become ill because of the virus that has spread in China. May the Lord welcome the dead in his peace, comfort the families and support the great work already put in place by the Chinese community to fight the outbreak.”
Before the Marian prayer, Francis spoke to some 20,000 people in St Peter's Square about the start of Jesus' preaching and call to conversion “for the kingdom of heaven is nigh. This announcement is like a powerful beam of light across the darkness that cuts through the fog.”
"The appeal to conversion, which Jesus addresses to all people of good will, is fully understood precisely in the light of the event of the manifestation of the Son of God.”
"Many times it is impossible to change one’s life, abandon the path of selfishness, evil and sin, because the commitment to conversion focuses only on oneself and one’s own strength, not on Christ and his Spirit. But our joining the Lord cannot be reduced to a personal effort. This would be a sin of pride. Instead, it must be expressed in a confident opening of the heart and mind to welcome the Good News of Jesus.
“The Gospel changes the world and hearts! We are therefore called to trust the word of Christ, open ourselves to the Father's mercy and allow ourselves to be transformed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. This is where the real path of conversion begins.”
Following the Angelus, Francis noted that today is First Day of the Word of God as well as World Leprosy Day. “Let us be close,” he said, “to all people affected by Hansen's disease and those who, by various means, take care of them.”