Pope urges courage for a just peace for Israelis and Palestinians
At the Angelus, Leo XIV encouraged people to nourish the "spark of hope” ignited by the Gaza agreement. His also turned his thoughts to those who have lost loved ones. “We ask God, who is the true Peace of humanity, to heal all wounds” with the power of forgiveness. He expressed closeness to the people of Ukraine, still under Russian attacks, and to the people of Peru. On the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality, the pope urges the faithful to “share in the joy of the Magnificat” and warns against “forms of worship” that “do not foster communion with others” but “can num our hearts”.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Leo XIV spoke today at the Angelus in St Peter's Square at the conclusion of the Jubilee of Marian spirituality, celebrated together with thousands of pilgrims from associations, movements, and communities particularly inspired by Marian devotion.
In his address, he also called for “a just and lasting peace that respects the legitimate aspirations of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples,” urging the parties involved "to continue courageously" after the "spark of hope" given to the Holy Land by the ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages in Gaza.
“Two years of conflict,” said Leo regarding the war in Gaza, “have caused death and destruction throughout the land, especially in the hearts of those who have brutally lost their children, parents, friends and possessions.
“With the entire Church, I am close to your immense pain. The gentle touch of the Lord is directed especially toward you today, in the certainty that even amidst the deepest darkness, he always remains with us: “Dilexi te, I have loved you,” Leo said, citing the apostolic exhortation he released on Thursday.
“We ask God, who is the true Peace of humanity, to heal all wounds and to help us with his grace to accomplish what now seems humanly impossible: to remember that the other is not an enemy, but a brother or sister to be seen, forgiven and offered the hope of reconciliation.”
At the Angelus, Leo XIV also mentioned the latest Russian attacks against several cities and civilian infrastructures in Ukraine, killing innocent people, including children, and leaving many families without electricity and heating.
“My heart goes out to those who suffer, who have been living in anguish and deprivation for years. I renew my appeal to put an end to violence, to stop destruction, to open up to dialogue and peace!”
The pontiff also expressed his closeness to the "dear people of Peru” currently caught up in a delicate political transition after the Peruvian Congress impeached President Dina Boluarte for failure to deal with mounting violence and organised crime.
“I pray that Peru may continue on the path of reconciliation, dialogue and national unity,” said the pope, where he served for many years as a missionary.
During the Eucharistic celebration, which he led in St Peter's Square with the statue of Our Lady of Fatima at the foot of the altar, Leo said in his homily: “Marian spirituality is at the service of the Gospel: it reveals its simplicity”.
“Our affection for Mary of Nazareth leads us to join her in becoming disciples of Jesus. It teaches us to return to him and to meditate and ponder the events of our lives in which the Risen One still comes to us and calls us.
“Marian spirituality immerses us in the history upon which heaven opened. It helps us to see the proud being scattered in their conceit, the mighty being cast down from their thrones and the rich being sent away empty-handed. It impels us to fill the hungry with good things, to lift up the lowly, to remember God’s mercy and to trust in the power of his arm.”
Likewise, “Jesus invites us to be part of his Kingdom, just as he asked Mary for her ‘yes,’ which, once given, was renewed every day.”
Taking inspiration from today's Gospel, in which some lepers do not return to thank Jesus after being healed, Leo XIV said that “God’s grace can touch us and find no response. It can heal us, yet we can still fail to accept it. Let us take care therefore not to go up to the temple in such a way that does not lead us to follow Jesus.”
“Some forms of worship do not foster communion with others and can numb our hearts. In these cases, we fail to encounter the people God has placed in our lives. We fail to contribute, as Mary did, to changing the world, and to share in the joy of the Magnificat.
“Let us take care to avoid any exploitation of the faith that could lead to labelling those who are different – often the poor – as enemies, ‘lepers’ to be avoided and rejected.
“Mary’s path follows that of Jesus, which leads us to encounter every human being, especially the poor, the wounded and sinners. Because of this, authentic Marian spirituality brings God’s tenderness, his way of ‘being a mother,’ to light in the Church.”
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