Pope Benedict XVI prayed for the victims of Japan’s tragic earthquake and tsunami
during his Sunday Angelus. Speaking from his window overlooking St. Peter’s Square,
he said the images of the events in Japan have deeply moved him. “As I greet you
this morning, I ask you to join me in praying for the victims of the recent devastation
visited upon Japan. May the bereaved and injured be comforted and may the rescue
workers be strengthened in their efforts to assist the courageous Japanese people,”
he said. Before reciting the Angelus, the Pope spoke about the Gospel reading for
the first Sunday of Lent, which tells of the temptation of Jesus in the desert by
Satan. He said in the face of moral evil, God opposes the sin and saves the sinner.
He said God intervenes in history, like with the liberation of the Jewish people from
Egypt. God is determined to free his children from bondage, and the most serious
and deepest slavery is that of sin. That is why God sent his Son into the world, to
free people from the dominion of Satan, who is the origin and cause of all sin. Pope
Benedict said entering this liturgical season means siding each time with Christ against
sin, facing - both as individuals and as a Church - the spiritual battle against the
spirit of evil. The Holy Father also announced the members of the Roman Curia are
holding their Lenten spiritual exercises this week. He asked everyone to remember
them in his prayers.