The rainy weather didn't stop Koreans from attending the Mass for peace and reconciliation presided by Pope Francis in the Cathedral of Seoul.
During his homily, Pope Francis explained that the celebration was mainly 'a prayer for the reconciliation of the Korean familyâ?. He asked Koreans to faithfully follow the Gospel in order to obtain this harmony.
POPE FRANCIS
'It calls you, as Christians and Koreans, firmly to reject a mindset shaped by suspicion, confrontation and competition, and instead to shape a culture formed by the teaching of the Gospel and the noblest traditional values of the Korean people.â?
The Pope said that forgiveness and reconciliation go hand in hand and that Christian witness is key in spreading peace.
POPE FRANCIS
'Jesus asks us to believe that forgiveness is the door which leads to reconciliation. I ask you to bear convincing witness to Christâ??s message of forgiveness in your homes, in your communities and at every level of national life.â?
Pope Francis said again that Koreans are one people and one family, as well as asking for prayers that there may be a dialogue between the two Koreas.
POPE FRANCIS
'Let us pray, then, for the emergence of new opportunities for dialogue, encounter and the resolution of differences, for continued generosity in providing humanitarian assistance to those in need, and for an ever greater recognition that all Koreans are brothers and sisters, members of one family, one people.â?
The Pope concluded his homily by thanking the country as well as the South Korean president for welcoming him. He also underlined the role of South Korean priests as builders of reconciliation and peace.
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