In these times of pandemic, praying the Angelus is one of the few moments Pope Francis can spend in direct and personal contact with the faithful, even if it's from the window of his study in the Apostolic Palace.
In his words prior to the Marian prayer, he explained the deeper meaning of the miracle of the multiplication of the fishes and loaves. He said it's a gesture that reflects how much God cares for his creatures. He explained that this is the logic that must set Christians apart.
POPE FRANCIS
The logic of taking responsibility for others. The logic of not washing one's hands, the logic of not looking the other way. The logic of taking responsibility for others. That “Let them fend for themselves” should not enter into the Christian vocabulary.
After the Angelus, the pope demonstrated exactly this, that the Christian can't be indifferent toward what happens to others. He showed this by underlining two situations. First, he lamented the destruction of the Cathedral of Managua, in Nicaragua, victim of an act of vandalism. The Central American country has been immersed in a serious social crisis for more than two years.
POPE FRANCIS
Dear brothers and sisters, I think of the people of Nicaragua who are suffering because of the attack on the Cathedral of Managua, where an image of Christ was seriously damaged—almost destroyed.. [This image] is highly venerated and has accompanied and sustained the life of the faithful people for centuries. Dear Nicaraguan brothers and sisters, I am near you and am praying for you.
Pope Francis, also very attentive to the development of the pandemic, focused once more on the economic consequences of the situation, especially for families.
POPE FRANCIS
I hope that, with the converging commitment of all political and economic leaders, work might resume; families and society cannot continue without work. Let us pray for this. It is and will be a problem in the aftermath of the pandemic—poverty and lack of work. A lot of solidarity and creativity will be needed to resolve this problem.
Despite the intense heat in Rome and the health safety measures, hundreds of people accompanied the pope in St. Peter's Square on Sunday.
Ángeles Conde
Translation: CT
