New appeal at the Angelus: remember Ukraine, Palestine, Israel and Myanmar, and all the other countries at war. In the reflection on the Gospel of the day he spoke about power: “It is caring for the weakest that makes you great.” And also about man’s need for life: power distances us from the truth, discourages “servants” and creates “dominators.”
Vatican City () – “Let the voice of the peoples who ask for peace be heard.” After reciting the Angelus this morning, Pope Francis again called for peace in a world overwhelmed by conflict and suffering. “Let us not forget the martyred Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar, so many countries that are at war,” he said. Returning to his reflection on the Gospel of the day that he read this afternoon before a packed St. Peter’s Square, he said that the way to achieve peace is to be close to the weakest, to those who do not hold power. In Mark 9:30-37 Jesus explains who is “the greatest,” and then calls a child, places him among the disciples and says: “If anyone wants to be first, let him be last.” “True power is to take care of the weakest, that makes you great,” said the Pontiff.
At today’s Angelus – the first day of autumn – a group of Bergoglio’s compatriots from Argentina were present, along with another from Ecuador and many flags from different countries around the world. After finishing the historic apostolic trip to Asia, the Holy Father will visit Belgium and Luxembourg from 26 to 29 September on the 46th tour of his pontificate, putting into practice, despite his age, that “Church on the move” that wants to “announce the Gospel to all peoples” that is so important to him. Because “Jesus – he said this morning – renews our way of life. He teaches us that true power does not reside in the domination of the strongest, but in the care of the weakest.” From this attention also stem the tireless calls for peace – “Let us continue to pray for peace” – accompanied by the invitation to “listen to the peoples.” At the moment, the front between Israel and Lebanon is of great concern, because of the risk that the conflict could spread to the whole region.
Regarding the Gospel of the day, Pope Francis pointed out the silence that falls on the disciples who cross Galilee with Jesus, and when they arrive at Capernaum. “The disciples were silent because they were arguing about who was the greatest (see verse 34). They were silent out of shame. What a contrast with the words of the Lord! While Jesus was entrusting them with the meaning of his own life, they were talking about power,” he said. The Messiah explains to them what seems like a paradox: the great one is the one who makes himself small and puts himself at the service of all. After having transmitted this teaching to them, “he took a child and placed him in the midst of them,” says the Word.
“Children have no power: children have need. When we care for man, we understand that man always needs life. We, all of us, are alive because we have been welcomed, but power makes us forget this truth,” added the Pontiff. Power obfuscates the practices of care, it distances us from being “servants” and pushes us to become “dominators.” This is what happened with the life of Jesus: “When he was delivered into the hands of men, he did not find an embrace, but a cross.” However, there is hope, despite the interference of power. “The Gospel remains a living word and full of hope: He who was rejected has risen, he is the Lord!”
In his final greetings, the Bishop of Rome also said that he had received “with pain” the news of the death of Juan Antonio LĂłpez, “delegate of the Word of God, coordinator of the social pastoral of the Diocese of Trujillo and founding member of the pastoral of integral ecology of Honduras.” He was a victim not of isolated violence but of systematic violence. In reference to what happened, he said he joined in the “mourning of that Church” and again expressed his firm condemnation of all forms of violence. “I am close to those who see their basic rights trampled on and to those who work for the common good in response to the cry of the poor and of the earth.”
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