2011-08-01 13:27:19

Pope prays for Somalia famine victims


(August 01, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday appealed for solidarity for those in the Horn of Africa who are "suffering the dramatic consequences of famine, exacerbated by war and the lack of solid institutions”. Addressing three thousand people in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, during the Sunday Angelus, he commented on the Gospel passage of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. "Jesus,” he added in French, “confronts us with our responsibility: to do everything in our power to bring assistance to those who suffer from hunger and thirst." In the Gospel, the Pope said, "the incarnation of God and the work of redemption are intertwined. In fact, Jesus '' ‘disembarks’ from the boat to meet his disciples. Here the Lord gives us a good example of his compassion for people. The Pontiff then said: “Christ is attentive to material needs, but wants to give more, because man is always 'hungry for something more, he needs something more. In the bread of Christ, the love of God is present, in our encounter with Him, we nourish ourselves, so to speak, with the same living God himself, and we truly eat the bread from heaven. "In the Eucharist,” continued Pope Benedict XVI, “Jesus also makes us witnesses of God's compassion for every brother and sister. St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, who the Church remembers on the 31st of July also, bore witness to this. Ignatius chose, in fact, to live looking for God in all things, loving Him in all creatures." We entrust our prayer to the Virgin Mary, concluded the Pope, in order to open our hearts to compassion for others and fraternal sharing.








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