After presiding over Pentecost Mass, Pope Francis prayed the Regina Caeli with thousands of pilgrims present in St. Peter's Square.
He made a special appeal for the victims of the cyclone in Myanmar and Bangladesh, in addition to the dangerous conditions already faced by the Rohingya ethnic group.
POPE FRANCIS
As I reiterate my closeness to these populations, I address the leaders, so that they may facilitate access to humanitarian aid, and I appeal to the sense of human and ecclesial solidarity to come to the aid of these brothers and sisters of ours.
But Pope Francis also warned against allowing the fear of suffering and evil to overcome.
POPE FRANCIS
Brothers, sisters, fear blocks, fear paralyses.
If we give space to these false fears, the doors close: the doors of the heart, the doors of society, and even the doors of the Church! Where there is fear, there is closure. And this will not do.
Before saying farewell, Pope Francis reminded the audience of the moments of prayer planned for Wednesday at Marian shrines around the world in petition for the upcoming Synod of Bishops.
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