Pope Francis reminded the families of the victims of an “unprecedented catastrophe”. He then referred to his recent apostolic trip to Canada, an occasion for reflection, repentance and reconciliation. He asked that he pray “for peace in the world and especially in Ukraine”.
Vatican City () – On the eve of the second anniversary of the explosion in the port of Beirut, Pope Francis wanted to express his closeness to those affected by this unprecedented catastrophe that cost the lives of 220 people and left more than 6,000 injured. . “My thoughts go to the families of the victims of that disastrous event and to the dear Lebanese people,” the holy father said at the end of the audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall. “I pray that everyone can be comforted by faith and comforted by justice and truth, which should never be hidden. I hope that Lebanon, with the help of the international community, will continue to walk the path of “rebirth”, remaining faithful to its vocation to be a land of peace and pluralism, where communities of different religions can live in brotherhood”.
This morning’s hearing – the first in August after the July break – was devoted to the recent trip to Canada (July 24-30). It was a papal trip different from the others, to express closeness and pain to the original populations and “ask forgiveness for the damage done to them by those Christians, including many Catholics, who in the past collaborated in the policies of forced assimilation and liberation of the governments of the time. The pontiff recalled that in Canada the Church, together with the indigenous peoples, has begun “a path of reconciliation, of healing, which presupposes historical awareness, listening to the survivors, awareness and, above all, conversion, change of mentality”. It has been, therefore, a penitential pilgrimage, characterized by a tone of reflection, repentance and reconciliation.
The great stages of the pilgrimage were dedicated to memory, reconciliation and finally healing. The first, in Edmonton, in the west of the country; the second, in Québec, in the east; the third in the north, in Iqaluit, 300 km from the Arctic Circle. In Masqwacis, together with the members of the main indigenous peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit), “we remembered the ancient history of these peoples, in harmony with their land, and we have also collected the painful memory of the abuses suffered, also in residential schools, due to policies of cultural assimilation”, the Pope recalled. The second stage focused on reconciliation, “which is not an agreement between us but allowing ourselves to be reconciled by Christ, who is our peace (cf. Eph 2:14)”. The third step was on the shores of Lake Santa Ana, because for Jesus the lake was a familiar environment. “We can all drink from Christ, the source of living water, and there, in Jesus, we have seen the closeness of the Father who gives us the healing of wounds and also the forgiveness of sins.”
“From this journey of remembrance, reconciliation and healing springs hope for the Church, in Canada and everywhere,” Francis said. Before the governors, indigenous leaders and the diplomatic corps, the Pope reaffirmed the active will of the Holy See and local Catholic communities to promote original cultures, with appropriate spiritual paths and with attention to the customs and languages of the peoples. At the same time, the Holy Father wanted to open his eyes “to ideological colonization, which threatens the traditions, history and religious ties of peoples” and invited “to recover the harmony between modernity and ancestral cultures, between secularization and values spiritual”. It is a challenge that directly challenges the mission of the Church, sent throughout the world to bear witness and “sow” a universal brotherhood that respects and promotes the local dimension with its many riches. The Pope wanted to thank the bishops of Canada for their unity: “Where there is unity, we can go forward.” In the end he remembered the last meeting, in which he heard stories of elderly people who had abused and missing relatives: “It was a very painful moment, but we had to face it. We have to face our mistakes, our sins.”
At the end of the audience, the Pope greeted the Polish pilgrims and recalled that in August many people go on foot to Jasna Góra and other Marian shrines: “I ask you to also offer the effort of the journey for the Church and for peace in the world especially in the Ukraine – he said -. I greet the Sisters of Saint Elizabeth, who are living here in Rome the time of spiritual renewal: many of them work in the Ukraine. May the Mother of God obtain abundant divine graces for them and for the people those who help”.
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