At general audience Pope's sorrow for Egypt's Christians

(October 12, 2011) Every week on Wednesday, the Pope holds a public meeting called the general audience, during which pilgrims and tourists who come to Rome have a chance of seeing him and hearing him speak in several languages. The general audience of Oct. 12 was held in the open in St. Peter’s Square. It began with the reading of a scripture passage in several languages. An aide greeted the Pope on behalf of the English-speaking pilgrims, and presented the various groups to him. Pope Benedict then spoke in English.

Listen:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In our continuing catechesis on Christian prayer, we now turn to Psalm 126. This Psalm is a joyful prayer of thanksgiving for God’s fidelity to his promises in bringing about Israel’s return from the Babylonian Exile: “The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced” (v. 3). A similar spirit of joy and thanksgiving should mark our own prayer as we recall the care which God has shown to us in the events of our lives, even those which seem dark and bitter. The Psalmist implores God to continue to grant Israel his saving help: “May those who sow in tears, reap with shouts of joy” (v. 5). This imagery of the seed which silently grows to maturity reminds us that God’s salvation is at once a gift already received and the object of our hope, a promise whose fulfilment remains in the future. Jesus will use this same imagery to express the passage from death to life, from darkness to light, which must take place in the lives of all who put their faith in him and share in his paschal mystery (cf. Jn 12:24). As we pray this Psalm, may we echo the song of the Virgin Mary by rejoicing in the great things which the Almighty has done for us (cf. Lk 1:49) and by awaiting in hope the fulfilment of God’s promises.
I welcome all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, especially the members of the NATO Defence College, and pilgrims from England, Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, Lebanon, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Canada and the United States of America. Upon all of you I invoke God’s abundant blessings of joy and peace!

At the end of the general audience, Pope expressed deep sadness over violent events in the Egyptian capital Cairo last Sunday. The military’s brutal use of force against protesting Coptic Christians has left some 26 dead, mostly Christians. They were protesting against security forces for allowing repeated attacks on Christians to go unpunished. “I unite myself with the pain of the families of victims and of the entire Egyptian people, lacerated by attempts to undermine peaceful coexistence among its communities, which needs to be protected, especially at this time of transition,” the Pope said speaking in Italian. The Pope urged prayers so that Egypt may enjoy true peace based on justice, respect for the freedom and dignity of every citizen. He expressed support for the efforts of Egypt’s civil and religious authorities for a society where the human rights of all are respected, particularly of minorities, for the benefit of national unity.