New and heartfelt appeal from the window of the Apostolic Palace addressed to the governments for peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel and Myanmar. The dramatic humanitarian crisis in Sudan is also remembered. On the solemnity of Corpus Domini: Christians are called to be “eucharistic”, to “make one’s own life a gift for others.”
Vatican City () – “I appeal to the wisdom of the rulers to stop the escalation and put all their efforts into dialogue and negotiation.” On the solemnity of Corpus Christi that is celebrated today in Italy and other countries, a colorful spread of open umbrellas to protect themselves from the rain that falls on Rome at this time welcomed the words of Pope Francis shared from the window of the Vatican Apostolic Palace after to pray the Angelus at 12. The Pontiff asked that the tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel and Myanmar not be forgotten. The square is packed on the day the Feast of the Italian Republic is celebrated, the date of the institutional referendum of 1946, when women were called to vote for the first time.
After praying the Angelus, the Pope also remembered Sudan, “where the war that has been going on for more than a year has not yet found a peaceful solution.” General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane’s army clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In fact, the North African country has been experiencing a very serious humanitarian crisis since April 2023, caused by the consequences of conflicts and widespread famine. The situation is causing a mass exodus of people to neighboring countries and safer areas with better living conditions. UN data speak of 18 million people suffering from hunger and an exorbitant number of children – more than 3 million – suffering from malnutrition. “Let the weapons fall silent and, with the commitment of the local authorities and the international community, help be brought to the population and that the many displaced people, the Sudanese refugees, can find shelter and protection in neighboring countries,” said the Pope. Francisco.
In the commentary on the Gospel of the day (Mc 14, 12-16, 22-26), which narrates the Last Supper of Jesus, he explained that in this famous episode the essential thing is “a gesture of surrender.” “Indeed, in the bread that He breaks and in the cup that He offers to the disciples, it is He Himself who gives Himself for all humanity – stated Bergoglio -. And he offers himself for the life of the world.” The Holy Father then pointed out an “important aspect” of this passage: the words “he gave it to them” (v. 22). The Eucharist “remembers above all the dimension of the gift “, he added, since Jesus does not take the bread to eat it alone, but to share it. “Jesus gave the gift of his entire life.” From these premises, Francis shared a reflection on the celebration of the Eucharist that the Christian people experience every Sunday. “Celebrating the Eucharist and eating this Bread, as we do especially on Sundays, is not an act of worship unrelated to life or a mere moment of personal consolation,” he stated.
Then, recalling Saint Leo the Great, according to whom partaking of the body and blood of Christ serves to “become what we eat” (Sermon XII on the Passion, 7), the Pontiff added that Christians are called “to be Eucharistic, that is, people who no longer live for themselves, nor in the logic of possession and consumption. People who know how to make their lives a gift for others.” “Thanks to the Eucharist we become prophets and builders.” of a new world: when we overcome selfishness and open ourselves to love, when we cultivate bonds of fraternity, when we share the sufferings of our brothers and we share our bread and our resources with those in need.” Finally, Pope Francis provoked the listeners with some questions: “Do I keep my life only for myself or do I give it like Jesus? Do I spend myself for others or do I close myself in on my little self? And, in everyday situations, do I know how to share or do I always seek my own interest? ”.
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