Important message from the Pope Francis this Sunday at the Prayer of the Angelus from his balcony on the St. Peter's Square.
"Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, dear brothers and sisters, I would like to be the interpreter of the cry that rises from every part of the earth, from every people, from the heart of each one, from the one great family that is humanity, with growing anguish: it is the cry for peace! The cry that says loudly: We want a world of peace, we want to be men and women of peace, we want peace to break out in our society, torn apart by divisions and conflicts.Never again war! Never again war! Peace is too precious a gift to be promoted and protected.
I live with particular suffering and concern for the many situations of conflict in our land, but, in these days, my heart is deeply wounded by what is happening in Syria and distressed by the dramatic developments that are taking place.
How much suffering, how much devastation, how much pain the use of weapons has brought and continues to bring to that martyred country, especially among the civilian and defenseless population! Let us think of how many children will not be able to see the light of the future! With particular firmness I condemn the use of chemical weapons: I tell you that I still have fixed in my mind and in my heart the terrible images of the past days! There is a judgment of God and also a judgment of history on our actions that cannot be escaped! Never does the use of violence lead to peace: war calls for war, violence calls for violence!
With all my strength, I ask the parties to the conflict to listen to the voice of their own conscience, not to be closed in their own interests, but to look at the other as a brother and to courageously and decisively undertake the path of encounter and negotiation, overcoming blind opposition. With the same force I also exhort the international community to make every effort to promote, without further delay, clear initiatives for peace in that nation, based on dialogue and negotiation, for the good of the entire Syrian population.
That no effort be spared to ensure humanitarian assistance to those affected by this terrible conflict, in particular the evacuees in the country and the many refugees in neighboring countries. That humanitarian actors, committed to alleviating the suffering of the population, be assured the possibility of providing the necessary aid.
What can we do for peace in the world? As Pope John said: we all have the task of restoring relations of coexistence in justice and love (cf. Encyclical Letter, Pacem in terris [11 April 1963]: AAS 55 [1963], 301-302).
May a chain of commitment to peace unite all men and women of good will! It is a strong and urgent invitation that I address to the entire Catholic Church, but which I extend to all Christians of the other Confessions, to men and women of every religion and also to those brothers and sisters who do not believe: peace is a good that surpasses every barrier, because it is a good for all humanity.
I repeat loudly: it is not the culture of confrontation, the culture of conflict that builds coexistence within peoples and among peoples, but the culture of encounter, the culture of dialogue: this is the only path to peace.
May the cry for peace be raised high so that it may reach the hearts of all and may everyone lay down their arms and let themselves be guided by the yearning for peace.
For this, brothers and sisters, I have decided to convene for the whole Church on September 7, the eve of the feast of the Nativity of Mary, Queen of Peace, a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, in the Middle East and throughout the world.I also invite non-Catholic Christians, members of other religions and people of good will to join this initiative in the way they consider most appropriate.
On September 7, in St. Peter's Square, here, from 7:00 p.m. until midnight, we will gather in prayer and in a spirit of penance to invoke from God this great gift for the beloved Syrian nation and for all situations of conflict and violence in the world.
Humanity needs to see gestures of peace and to hear words of hope and peace! I ask all the particular Churches, in addition to living this day of fasting, to organize some liturgical act according to this intention.
We ask Mary to help us respond to violence, conflict and war with the power of dialogue, reconciliation and love.
She is Mother: may she help us to find peace. We are all her children. Help us, Mary, to overcome this difficult moment and to strive to build every day and in every environment an authentic culture of encounter and peace.
Mary, Queen of peace, pray for us!
All: Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!"
These are the images:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB4SGm04-Fk&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL6fwHTmIQ4482dfrLFI9BnsjGtn0ubJtd
Let us all be united on September 7, between 7:00 p.m. and midnight for peace in the world.
Let's not miss the opportunity! Let's shout together for peace