First Christmas message of Pope Francis: End all conflicts . Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he delivers his first “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and world) message from the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Wednesday. Celebrating his first Christmas as Roman Catholic leader, Pope Francis called for dialogue to end the conflict in South Sudan and all wars, saying everyone should strive to be personal peacemakers. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Pope Francis on Wednesday sought God’s blessings for Filipinos, especially victims of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
“Lord of heaven and earth, look upon our planet, frequently exploited by human greed and rapacity. Help and protect all the victims of natural disasters, especially the beloved people of the Philippines, gravely affected by the recent typhoon,” he said.
Yolanda had devastated Visayas and Southern Luzon last Nov. 8, leaving more than 6,100 dead.
Also, the Pope asked everyone to “give glory to God, for he is good, he is faithful, he is merciful.”
He voiced his hopes that everyone will “come to know the true face of God, the Father who has given us Jesus,” and that “everyone will feel God’s closeness, live in his presence, love him and adore him.”
True peace
Meanwhile, Pope Francis called for true peace, which he said is not a lovely “façade” that conceals conflicts and divisions.
“Peace calls for daily commitment, starting from God’s gift, from the grace which he has given us in Jesus Christ,” he said.
He lamented too many lives have been shattered in recent times by the conflict in Syria, and asked the faithful to ask God to “spare the beloved Syrian people further suffering, and to enable the parties in conflict to put an end to all violence and guarantee access to humanitarian aid.”
“Let us never lose the courage of prayer! The courage to say: Lord, grant your peace to Syria and to the whole world,” he said.
The Pope likewise sought peace for the Central African Republic, which he said is “often forgotten and overlooked.”
He sought peace as well in Nigeria, which he said is “rent by constant attacks which do not spare the innocent and defenseless.”
“Heal the wounds of the beloved country of Iraq, once more struck by frequent acts of violence,” he added.
On the other hand, the Pope called for the protection of those persecuted for God’s name.
“Grant hope and consolation to the displaced and refugees, especially in the Horn of Africa and in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Grant that migrants in search of a dignified life may find acceptance and assistance. May tragedies like those we have witnessed this year, with so many deaths at Lampedusa, never occur again!” he said.
Human trafficking
The Pope likewise called on God to touch the hearts of those engaged in human trafficking, “that they may realize the gravity of this crime against humanity.”
“Look upon the many children who are kidnapped, wounded and killed in armed conflicts, and all those who are robbed of their childhood and forced to become soldiers,” he added. —KG, GMA News
