During one of the last Angelus prayers before the Lenten season, Pope Francis addressed thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square. There, he reminded them of this:
POPE FRANCIS
God is always close to us. God's attitude can be said in three words: closeness, compassion and tenderness. God who comes near to accompany us, tender, and to forgive us. Don't forget this: closeness, compassion and tenderness. This is God's attitude.
The Square featured pilgrims from around the world—including Poland, Spain and Japan. Together, many young people gathered for the World Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking, as recognized by the Pope.
POPE FRANCIS
Even today, many brothers and sisters are deceived with false promises and then subjected to exploitation and abuse. Let us all join together to fight the dramatic global phenomenon of human trafficking.
Before closing, Pope Francis asked for prayers for those suffering from the devastating fires in central Chile.
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