Pope Francis marked the World Day of Prayer for Peace in his homily at Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday morning, before his trip to Assisi. He rejected war and asked people to pray for peace, both in the world and in the hearts of people.
POPE FRANCIS
'May the Lord grant us peace in our hearts. May He take away all desire for greed, covetousness, for fighting. No! Peace, peace! So that our heart is the heart of a man or woman of peace. And beyond the divisions of religions: everyone, everyone, everyone! Because we are all children of God and God is the God of peace. There is no god of war. He who makes war is evil; it is the devil who wants to kill everyone.'
Additionally, he asked for ears to turn toward the cries of pain coming from those who are suffering from war.
EXCERPTS OF PAPAL HOMILY
'There is no god of war. War, the inhumanity of a bomb that explodes, killing and injuring people, and cutting off humanitarian aid so that it cannot get to children, the elderly, the sick, is uniquely the work of the evil one who wants to kill everyone. For this, it is necessary for all faiths to pray, even cry for peace - united in the conviction that 'God is a God of peace.''
'Today's first reading ends like this: 'He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard.â?? If we now shut our ears to the cry of these people who are suffering under the bombs, who suffer the exploitation of arms dealers, it may be that when it happens to us, we will not be heard. We cannot turn a deaf ear to the cry of pain of our brothers and sisters who are suffering from war.'
'May the Lord grant us peace in our hearts. May He take away all desire for greed, covetousness, for fighting. No! Peace, peace! So that our heart is the heart of a man or woman of peace. And beyond the divisions of religions: everyone, everyone, everyone! Because we are all children of God and God is the God of peace. There is no god of war. He who makes war is evil; it is the devil who wants to kill everyone.'
'We think today not only about the bombs, the dead, the wounded; but also about the people - children and the elderly â?? for whom humanitarian aid has yet to arrive so they can eat. Medicines cannot arrive. They are hungry, sick! Because the bombs are preventing the aid from getting to them. And, while we pray today, it would be nice if all of us were to feel ashamed. Ashamed of this: that humans, our brothers, are capable of doing this. Today, a day of prayer, penance, crying for peace; a day to hear the cry of the poor. This cry that opens the heart to compassion, to love and saves us from selfishness.'
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