Before 20,000 faithful, Pope Francis explained that Jesus lived alongside people, accompanying them through their problems and difficulties.
POPE FRANCIS
“Jesus didn’t come to bring salvation in a laboratory. He doesn’t do laboratory preaching, detached from the people: He is in the midst of the crowd! In the midst of the people!”
As the pope is aware that much suffering still exists today, mainly due to a lack of peace, the Holy Father made this announcement.
POPE FRANCIS
“Faced with the tragic protracted situations of conflict in different parts of the world, I invite all the faithful to take part in a special Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace on February 23rd, the Friday of the First Week of Lent. We will offer our prayers especially for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.”
Pope Francis extends this invitation to people of all religions so that each person might commit himelf or herself to fighting for peace.
POPE FRANCIS
“It's true that we can pray, but not only that. Each one can say 'no' to violence in the way they see fit, because victories won through violence are false victories, while working for peace is good for all!”
The pope also bemoaned the lack of people in the world willing to fight for life, while there are increasingly more weapons and more laws that prohibit the right to life.
