We are all
“precious gems in the the hands of the good and merciful Father”. Moreover, we
are “his personal ‘reserve of gold and silver’, such as King David stated he
had given for the construction of the Temple”. This evocative image was offered
by Pope Francis on Wednesday, 27 January, at the General Audience dedicated to
the theme of the Jubilee of Mercy, read in the light of the Bible. With the
faithful who gathered in St Peter’s Square, the Pontiff expanded on the passage
from the Book of Exodus (2:23-25) in which the Lord hears the cry of his people
and establishes a covenant with them. The following is a translation of the
Holy Father’s address, which he delivered in Italian. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning! In Sacred Scripture, God’s mercy is present along the entire
history of the people of Israel. With his mercy,
the Lord accompanies the journey of the Patriarchs, gives them children despite
being barren, leads them on paths of grace and reconciliation, as demonstrated
by the story of Joseph and his brothers (cf. Gen ch. 37-50). I think of the
many brothers and sisters in a family who are distant and do not speak to each
other. This Year of Mercy is a good opportunity to meet again, embrace, forgive
and forget the bad things. But as we know, in Egypt life is hard for the
people. It is precisely when the Israelites are about to give in to
resignation, that the Lord intervenes and works salvation. One reads in the
Book of Exodus: “In the course of those many days the King of Egypt died. And the people of Israel groaned
under their bondage, and cried out for help, and their cry under bondage came
up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with
Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God saw the people of Israel, and God
knew their condition” (2:23-25). Mercy cannot remain indifferent to the
suffering of the oppressed, to the cry of those who are subjected to violence,
reduced to slavery, condemned to death. It is a painful reality that afflicts
every era, including ours, and which often makes us feel powerless, tempted to
harden our heart and thing of something else. However, God “is not indifferent”
(Message for the Celebration of the 2016 World Day of Peace, n. 1). He does not
look away from our human pain. The God of mercy responds and takes care of the
poor, of those who cry out in desperation. God listens and intervenes in order
to save, raising men able to hear the groan of suffering and to work in favour
of the oppressed. And so begins the
story of Moses as the mediator of liberation for the people. He confronts the
Pharaoh to convince him to let Israel depart; and he then leads the people, across
the Red Sea and the desert, toward freedom. Moses — whom just after his birth,
divine mercy saved from death in the waters of the Nile — becomes the mediator
of that very mercy, allowing the people to be born to liberty, saved from the
waters of the Red Sea. In this Year of Mercy we too can do this work of acting
as mediators of mercy with the works of mercy in order to approach, to give
relief, to create unity. So many good things can be done. God’s mercy
always operates to save. It is quite the opposite of the work of those who
always act to kill: for example, those who wage war. The Lord, through his
servant Moses, guides Israel in the desert as if Israel were a son, educates
the people to the faith and makes a covenant with Israel, creating a bond of
the strongest love, like that of a father with his child and of a groom with
his bride. Divine mercy goes
that far. God offers a special, exclusive, privileged relationship of love.
When he gives instructions to Moses regarding the covenant, he says: “if you
will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among
all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of
priests and a holy nation” (Ex 19:5-6). Of course, God
already possesses all the earth because he created it; but his people become
for him a different, special possession: his personal “reserve of gold and
silver” such as King David stated he had given for the construction of the
Temple. So we become thus
for God, by accepting his covenant and letting ourselves be saved by him. The
Lord’s mercy renders man precious, like a personal treasure that belongs to
him, which he safeguards and with which he is well pleased. These are the
wonders of divine mercy, which reaches complete fulfillment in the Lord Jesus,
in the “new and eternal covenant” consummated in his blood, which destroys our
sin with forgiveness and renders us definitively Children of God (cf. 1 Jn
3:1), precious gems in the the hands of the good and merciful Father. And as we
are Children of God and have the opportunity to have this legacy — that of
goodness and mercy — in comparison to others, let us ask the Lord that in this
Year of Mercy we too may do merciful things; let us open our heart in order to
reach everyone with the works of mercy, to work the merciful legacy that God
the Father showed toward us….
We are all
“precious gems in the the hands of the good and merciful Father”. Moreover, we
are “his personal ‘reserve of gold and silver’, such as King David stated he
had given for the construction of the Temple”. This evocative image was offered
by Pope Francis on Wednesday, 27 January, at the General Audience dedicated to
the theme of the Jubilee of Mercy, read in the light of the Bible. With the
faithful who gathered in St Peter’s Square, the Pontiff expanded on the passage
from the Book of Exodus (2:23-25) in which the Lord hears the cry of his people
and establishes a covenant with them. The following is a translation of the
Holy Father’s address, which he delivered in Italian. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning! In Sacred Scripture, God’s mercy is present along the entire
history of the people of Israel. With his mercy,
the Lord accompanies the journey of the Patriarchs, gives them children despite
being barren, leads them on paths of grace and reconciliation, as demonstrated
by the story of Joseph and his brothers (cf. Gen ch. 37-50). I think of the
many brothers and sisters in a family who are distant and do not speak to each
other. This Year of Mercy is a good opportunity to meet again, embrace, forgive
and forget the bad things. But as we know, in Egypt life is hard for the
people. It is precisely when the Israelites are about to give in to
resignation, that the Lord intervenes and works salvation. One reads in the
Book of Exodus: “In the course of those many days the King of Egypt died. And the people of Israel groaned
under their bondage, and cried out for help, and their cry under bondage came
up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with
Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God saw the people of Israel, and God
knew their condition” (2:23-25). Mercy cannot remain indifferent to the
suffering of the oppressed, to the cry of those who are subjected to violence,
reduced to slavery, condemned to death. It is a painful reality that afflicts
every era, including ours, and which often makes us feel powerless, tempted to
harden our heart and thing of something else. However, God “is not indifferent”
(Message for the Celebration of the 2016 World Day of Peace, n. 1). He does not
look away from our human pain. The God of mercy responds and takes care of the
poor, of those who cry out in desperation. God listens and intervenes in order
to save, raising men able to hear the groan of suffering and to work in favour
of the oppressed. And so begins the
story of Moses as the mediator of liberation for the people. He confronts the
Pharaoh to convince him to let Israel depart; and he then leads the people, across
the Red Sea and the desert, toward freedom. Moses — whom just after his birth,
divine mercy saved from death in the waters of the Nile — becomes the mediator
of that very mercy, allowing the people to be born to liberty, saved from the
waters of the Red Sea. In this Year of Mercy we too can do this work of acting
as mediators of mercy with the works of mercy in order to approach, to give
relief, to create unity. So many good things can be done. God’s mercy
always operates to save. It is quite the opposite of the work of those who
always act to kill: for example, those who wage war. The Lord, through his
servant Moses, guides Israel in the desert as if Israel were a son, educates
the people to the faith and makes a covenant with Israel, creating a bond of
the strongest love, like that of a father with his child and of a groom with
his bride. Divine mercy goes
that far. God offers a special, exclusive, privileged relationship of love.
When he gives instructions to Moses regarding the covenant, he says: “if you
will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among
all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of
priests and a holy nation” (Ex 19:5-6). Of course, God
already possesses all the earth because he created it; but his people become
for him a different, special possession: his personal “reserve of gold and
silver” such as King David stated he had given for the construction of the
Temple. So we become thus
for God, by accepting his covenant and letting ourselves be saved by him. The
Lord’s mercy renders man precious, like a personal treasure that belongs to
him, which he safeguards and with which he is well pleased. These are the
wonders of divine mercy, which reaches complete fulfillment in the Lord Jesus,
in the “new and eternal covenant” consummated in his blood, which destroys our
sin with forgiveness and renders us definitively Children of God (cf. 1 Jn
3:1), precious gems in the the hands of the good and merciful Father. And as we
are Children of God and have the opportunity to have this legacy — that of
goodness and mercy — in comparison to others, let us ask the Lord that in this
Year of Mercy we too may do merciful things; let us open our heart in order to
reach everyone with the works of mercy, to work the merciful legacy that God
the Father showed toward us….
(Vatican Radio) The Papal legate to the 51st International Eucharist Congress (IEC), Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, said the divide between rich and poor does not exist because of a lack of resources, but because of “poor distribution.”
Cardinal Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar, spoke to Vatican Radio in Cebu, Philippines, during the IEC, where he has called for a “World War III against poverty.”
“The whole world and the whole global people should participate in solving this poverty,” he said.
Listen to the interview by Seàn-Patrick Lovett with Cardinal Charles Maung Bo:
“The Poor and the Rich are there, not because we do not have the natural resources, not because there is not enough food…but because of the poor distribution,” he said.
“There should be a system in all the religions, and all the Churches, and in all the countries with the governments … they should set up a system that we have sharing with all the other people,” Cardinal Bo added, pointing to the leadership provided by Pope Francis.
The Cardinal also spoke to Vatican Radio about the political changes happening in Myanmar – also known as Burma – where Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won a landslide victory late last year.
The country had been under military rule for over 50 years, and the November elections have been viewed as the most important step so far in the transition to democracy.
“Of course, we have to pray very hard that the transition is very smooth and peaceful because the military – once you have power for half-a-century – it is difficult for them to hand over power.” Cardinal Bo said.
“Aung San Suu Kyi herself, although she won, is trying to compromise [and] have an understanding with the military so they won’t have a very aggressive, violent movement in the country,” he continued. “So we have to work very hard on that, so the transition is smooth.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The need for “substantive” and “sustained” peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians and the conviction that this week’s peace negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland are the “best chance the International Community has to bring a stable and lasting peace to Syria and to the region:” those are the key points made by a top Vatican diplomat in an address Tuesday at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on the situation in the Middle East.
Direct peace negotiations needed between Israelis, Palestinians
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the U.N. in New York, said acts of violence in the Holy Land “continue to spiral, bringing many to doubt seriously the continued validity of the Oslo Accords.” He called for direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians “with the strong support of the international community.” Such talks, he added, require “courageous decisions from both Parties” and demand “fair mutual concessions.”
Vatican/Palestine Accord offers a model for other Arab, Muslim countries
The chief of Vatican diplomacy in New York also expressed hope that the Comprehensive Agreement recently signed between the Holy See and the State of Palestine may serve as an example of dialogue and cooperation…for other Arab and Muslim majority countries” where in “some countries” Christians have suffered persecution. The accord, signed June 26, 2015, entered into force on January 2 this year and concerns the life and activity of the Church in Palestine.
Syrian conflict: stop the flow of arms, step up humanitarian action
“Unspeakable acts of horror” have been “committed against the civilian population in Syria and in parts of Iraq” by foreign fighters from “all over the globe,” Archbishop Auza observed, adding that these have led to sectarian violence and persecutions of religious and ethnic minorities.
Recalling Pope Francis’ conviction that “only common and agreed political action can stem the spread of extremism and fundamentalism that spawn terrorist acts,” the Vatican diplomat appealed for “all those concerned to stop the flow of arms into the region and intensify humanitarian action” that will allow refugees and the displaced to remain as close as possible to their homeland.
Peace/Humanitarian conferences best chance to settle conflict and ease suffering
The Holy See, he concluded, “looks forward” to peace talks scheduled to begin Friday in Geneva as the “best chance the International Community has to bring a stable and lasting peace to Syria and to the region.” Archbishop Auza also expressed hope that the Fourth Humanitarian Conference 4 February 2016 will “ease the suffering of the people in the region and contribute to the overall settlement of the conflict.”
Below, please find the full text of Archbishop Auza’s intervention:
Mr. President,
The Holy See commends the Presidency of Uruguay for bringing the topic of the Middle East to the attention of the international community through this Security Council Open Debate.
My delegation wishes to address first the stalled peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians. With the lack of substantive negotiations taking place, acts of violence continue to spiral, bringing many to doubt seriously the continued validity of the Oslo Accords.
The Holy See believes that the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians can move forward only if it is directly negotiated between the Parties, with the strong support of the international community. This certainly requires courageous decisions from both Parties and demands fair mutual concessions. But there is no alternative, if both Israel and Palestine are to enjoy security, prosperity and peaceful co-existence, side by side with internationally recognized borders. Certain elements among both peoples have suffered too long from the misguided view that force will resolve their differences. Only sustained negotiations, entered into in good faith, will resolve their differences and bring peace to the peoples of Israel and Palestine.
Pope Francis, in his 11 January 2016 Address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, spoke of this failure to bring forward the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians. He expressed the hope that the New Year that has begun “can heal the deep wounds dividing Israelis and Palestinians, and enable the peaceful coexistence of two peoples who – of this I am sure – in the depth of their hearts ask only for peace.” Acts of violence and inflammatory rhetoric must be set aside in favor of the voices of dialogue to give both peoples that peace for which their hearts long.
Mr. President,
The Comprehensive Agreement signed between the Holy See and the State of Palestine on June 26, 2015 entered into force on January 2, 2016. It basically concerns the life and activity of the Church in Palestine. In the complex reality of the Middle East, where, in some countries, Christians have suffered persecution, the Holy See hopes that the Agreement may serve as an example of dialogue and cooperation, in particular for other Arab and Muslim majority countries.
Mr. President,
The nearly five-year conflict in Syria rages on. More than being a conflict between Syrians, foreign fighters coming from all over the globe continue to commit unspeakable acts of horror against the civilian population in Syria and in parts of Iraq. The influence of these foreign elements, has led to sectarian violence and persecutions of religious and ethnic minorities.
Pope Francis, calling upon the International Community in his 11 January 2016 address, expressed the conviction that only common and agreed political action can stem the spread of extremism and fundamentalism, that spawn terrorist acts which reap countless victims, not only in Syria and Libya, but in other countries in the region and in North Africa.
My delegation will not repeat the litany of horrendous acts of violence against the people of Syria, already mentioned by various delegations, but would rather reiterate its appeal to all those concerned to stop the flow of arms into the region and intensify humanitarian action, in order to give the desperate refugees, and all those displaced, the wherewithal to remain in their country, or as near as possible to their homeland, with adequate food, medical supplies, water, electricity, access to education for the young, and those elements necessary for a stable and secure life in their own homeland.
Mr. President,
My delegation expresses its support for resolution 2254 of this Council, which calls for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and for a political settlement to the conflict in Syria. The Holy See looks forward to the talks scheduled to begin in Geneva later this week. In spite of the many strong differences still to be found among the parties to the talks, the Holy See believes that these negotiations are the best chance the International Community has to bring a stable and lasting peace to Syria and to the region. The Holy See also looks forward to the Fourth Humanitarian Conference scheduled for 4 February 2016 and hosted by the United Kingdom, Germany, Kuwait, Norway and the United Nations, hoping that it will ease the suffering of the peoples in the region and contribute to the overall settlement of the conflict.
Thank you, Mr. President.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis made a special appeal for suffering Christians in the Middle Ease on Wednesday, during the course of his weekly General Audience in St. Peter’s Square. “God does not remain silent before the suffering and cries of His children,” he said, “nor does He remain silent before injustice and persecution: He rather intervenes and gives, by His mercy, rescue and salvation.”
“God uses patience with the sinner,” the Holy Father continued, “to induce him to conversion, and he searches for the lost sheep, for, “[God] will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim 2:4)”
Pope Francis has been a vocal advocate for the rights of religious minorities around the world, and particularly of Christians in the Middle East, where ancient Christian communities are suffering often brutal and deadly persecution, particularly at the hands of militants fighting for the so-called Islamic State.
Pope Francis concluded his remarks to Arabic-speaking pilgrims with a blessing and an invocation of Divine protection. “God bless you all,” he said, “and protect you from the Evil One.”
(from Vatican Radio)…