"May the approach of Christmas strengthen the commitment to open paths of peace". Again today, the third Sunday of Advent, at the end of the Angelus, Pope Francis, born in Buenos Aires exactly 87 years ago, launched a new appeal to intensify efforts to achieve peace in the countries of the world gripped by conflicts.
“Let us not forget our brothers and sisters who suffer from war. In Ukraine, in Palestine, in Israel and in other areas", said the Pontiff. Also listening to him in St. Peter's Square were many children and young people from the parishes of Rome, with the animators of the Centro Oratori Romani, for the traditional pre-Christmas blessing of the Infant Jesus for their homevnativity scenes.
“I continue to receive very serious and painful news from Gaza,” continued Bergoglio. “Unarmed civilians are subjected to bombings and shootings, and this has even happened within the parish complex of the Holy Family.” The complex in recent weeks has hosted many displaced and fragile people in need of help.
“Families, children, sick people with disabilities, nuns,” he added.
The first tragic news that the Holy Father recalled this morning is the killing of two women, Nahida Khalil Pauls Anton “Umm Emad” and her daughter Samar Kamal Anton, whose name was chanted from the window of the Apostolic Palace, taken by targeted by Israeli “sharpshooters” “while we were going to the bathroom”.
The second news concerns the damage to the house of Mother Teresa's nuns, which hosts 54 children with disabilities: "Their generator was hit", said the Pope, speaking of "war" and "terrorism". “The Scripture says that God stops wars, breaks bows, and breaks spears. Let us pray to the Lord for peace."
At the next speech the recitation of the Marian prayer was followed by the blessing of the Infant Jesus. A stage was set up in St. Peter's Square for the occasion to animate the many young people present who raised the statuettes depicting baby Jesus to the sky.
At the end of this Bergoglio turned to them asking them to pray in front of the nativity scene "for the children who will experience a difficult Christmas, in places of war, in refugee camps, in situations of great misery". Children for whom he asked the faithful gathered for applause after Christmas greetings.
Another applause also rose from St. Peter's this morning: that for Cardinal Edoardo Pironio (1920-1998), "humble and zealous pastor, witness of hope, defender of the poor" of Friulian origins, beatified yesterday in Argentina, at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Luján.
“He collaborated with Saint John Paul II in the promotion of the laity and in the World Youth Days,” commented Pope Francis. “May his example help us to be an outgoing church that becomes a traveling companion for everyone, especially the weakest”.
Finally, he also remembered "the thousands of migrants who try to cross the Darién jungle, between Colombia and Panama". “These are often families with children,” he added. Deceived by those who falsely promise them the short and safe path, mistreated and robbed."
Faced with this exodus, Pope Francis called for a "joint effort from the countries most directly affected and the international community", to break the silence on this reality and "to give a humanitarian response together".
In the commentary on today's Word (Jn 1,6-8.19-28) which speaks of the mission entrusted to John the Baptist, sent by God to "bear witness to the light" (v. 8), Pope Francis first explored the way to testify of the prophet and then what the light he shows means. John the Baptist is “an extraordinary man,” he said. “His testimony comes through the frankness of his language, the honesty of his behavior, the austerity of his life”.
Characteristics that make him different from the "powerful people of the time", who invested in "appearance". People like John the Baptist are "luminous figures" who "stimulate us to rise above mediocrity and to in turn be models of a good life for others", said Bergoglio.
The light that bears witness is "Jesus, the Lamb of God", the one who "redeems, liberates, heals and illuminates". For Francis, the example of John teaches two things: "that we cannot save ourselves alone", and that each of us can be a "shining lamp" to "help others find the way to meet Jesus".
The Holy Father concluded the comment with a question addressed to those listening: "How can I, in the environments in which I live, not a distant day but already now, in this Christmas, be a witness of light, a witness of Christ?".