Pope: May the whole Church pray for dialogue and forgiveness in the Holy Land
Francis today received the ambassadors of Singapore, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Algeria, Sri Lanka, Barbados, Sweden, Finland and Nepal for the presentation of their credentials. “I think,” he said, “of the need to confront such pressing global issues as migration and climate change, as well as the humanitarian crises that they often bring in their wake.”
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis received the ambassadors of of Singapore, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Algeria, Sri Lanka, Barbados, Sweden, Finland and Nepal for the presentation of their credential letters.
In his address, the pontiff spoke about the announcement of the truce between Israel and Hamas, thanking “God for the decision to halt the armed conflicts and acts of violence, and I pray for the pursuit of paths of dialogue and peace.”
He went on to announce that the Ordinaries of the Holy Land would come together at the Church of St Stephen in Jerusalem to pray for the gift of peace. “May every community pray to the Holy Spirit so that ‘that Israelis and Palestinians may find the path of dialogue and forgiveness, be patient builders of peace and justice, and be open, step by step, to a common hope, to coexistence among brothers and sisters.’”
Francis also noted that “As a result of the pandemic, the social and economic crisis worldwide has become all the more severe. On a personal level, many have lost loved ones and their means of livelihood. Families in particular are facing grave economic difficulties and often lack adequate social protection. The pandemic has made us more conscious of our interdependence as members of the one human family and our need to be attentive to the poor and the vulnerable in our midst. As we seek to emerge from the present crisis, our societies are challenged to take concrete, and indeed courageous, steps to develop a global “culture of care” (cf. Message for the 2021 World Day of Peace) that can inspire new relationships and structures of cooperation in the service of solidarity, respect for human dignity, mutual assistance and social justice.
“Sadly, the pandemic has also made us acutely aware that the international community is experiencing “a growing difficulty, if not the inability, to seek common and shared solutions to the problems of our world” (Address to the Diplomatic Corps, 8 February 2021). In this regard, I think of the need to confront such pressing global issues as migration and climate change, as well as the humanitarian crises that they often bring in their wake. I think too of the economic debt that burdens many countries struggling to survive and the “ecological debt” that we owe to nature itself, as well as to peoples and countries affected by human-induced ecological degradation and loss of biodiversity. These issues are not simply political or economic; they are questions of justice, a justice that can no longer be ignored or deferred. Indeed, they entail a moral obligation towards future generations, for the seriousness with which we respond to them will shape the world we leave to our children.
“In the development of a global consensus capable of responding to these ethical challenges facing our human family, your work as diplomats is of paramount importance. For its part, the Holy See, through its diplomatic representations, and its activity within the international community, supports every effort to build a world in which the human person is at the centre, finance is at the service of an integral development, and the earth, our common home, is protected and cared for. Through her works of education, charity and healthcare worldwide, the Church seeks to advance the integral development of individuals and peoples, and in this way contribute to the cause of peace.”
Finally, the Pope urged the diplomats to convey his sentiments of esteem and gratitude to their heads of state and assured them of the collaboration and help of the offices of the Holy See in their mission.
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