Pope Francis has spoken of the “rivers of blood and tears” that flow in Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion.
Speaking after the Angelus in Rome, he said: “It is not just a military operation, but a war, which sows death, destruction and misery. Victims are increasingly numerous, as are people on the run, especially mothers and children. In that tormented country the need for humanitarian assistance is increasing dramatically by the hour.”
He revealed that two cardinals have been sent to Ukraine to serve to help. Almoner Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, from Poland, Almoner, is intended to bring aid to the needy, has been sent along with Cardinal Michael Czerny SJ, interim prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Pope Francis said: “This presence of the two Cardinals there is the presence not only of the Pope, but of all the Christian people who want to come closer and say, war is madness. Stop, please. Look at this cruelty.”
As the second attempt to evacuate thousands of people from Masiupol collapsed after Russian forces once again resumed their bombardment, Pope Francis continued: “I address my heartfelt appeal for the humanitarian corridors to be truly secured, and for aid access to the besieged areas to be guaranteed and facilitated, to offer vital aid to our brothers and sisters oppressed by bombs and fear.”
Thanking those who have welcomed refugees, he added: “Above all, I implore that armed attacks cease and negotiation prevail, and common sense prevails as well. And return to respect international law.”
With Sky News journalists among those who have come under fire in Ukraine, Pope Francis thanked the journalists who put their lives at risk to guarantee information.
I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from Italy and from various countries. In particular, I greet the faithful of Concord - California, those of various cities in Poland and those of Cordoba and Sobradiel in Spain. I greet the community of the French Seminary in Rome with their families; the faithful of Vedano al Lambro; the boys from Saronno, Cesano Maderno, Baggio and Valceresio, diocese of Milan, and those from Papiano and Cerqueto, diocese of Perugia. I greet the Volunteer Donors of the Italian State Police, as well as the participants in the pilgrimage in memory of my visit to Iraq, which took place just one year ago.
This afternoon, together with the collaborators of the Roman Curia, we will begin the Spiritual Exercises. Let us bring in our prayer all the needs of the Church and of the human family. And you too, please, pray for us.
I wish you all a happy Sunday and a fruitful Lenten journey! Have a good lunch and goodbye.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
The Gospel of today's liturgy, the first Sunday of Lent, takes us into the desert, where Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit, for forty days, to be tempted by the devil ( cf.Lk4.1-13). Jesus too was tempted by the devil, and he accompanies us, each of us, in our temptations. The desert symbolizes the struggle against the seductions of evil, to learn to choose true freedom. In fact, Jesus lives the experience of the desert just before starting his public mission. It is through that spiritual struggle that He decisively affirms what kind of Messiah he intends to be. Not a Messiah like this, but like this: I would say that this is precisely the declaration of the messianic identity of Jesus, of the messianic way of Jesus. “I am Messiah, but on this path”. So let's take a closer look at the temptations he fights against.
The devil twice turns to him saying: "If you are the Son of God ..." (vv. 3.9). That is, he proposes to him to exploit his position: first of all to satisfy the material needs that he feels (cf. v. 3) - hunger -; then to increase his power (cf. vv. 6-7); finally to have a prodigious sign from God (cf. vv. 9-11). Three temptations. It is as if he were saying: “If you are the Son of God, take advantage of it!”. How many times does this happen to us: “But if you stay in that position, take advantage of it! Don't let go of the opportunity, the opportunity ”, that is,“ think about yoursprofit". It is a seductive proposal, but it leads you to the slavery of the heart: it makes you obsessed with the desire to have, it reduces everything to the possession of things, of power, of fame. This is the core of temptations: "the poison of passions" in which evil takes root. Let's look inside and find that our temptations always have this pattern, always this way of acting.
But Jesus is victoriously opposed to the attractions of evil. How does he do it? Responding to temptations with the Word of God, which he says not to take advantage of, not to use God, others and things for oneself, not to exploit one's position to acquire privileges. Because true happiness and freedom lie not in possessing, but in sharing; not in taking advantage of others, but in loving them; not in the obsession with power, but in the joy of service.
Brothers and sisters, these temptations also accompany us on the journey of life. We must be vigilant, not be afraid - it happens to everyone - and be vigilant, because they often present themselves under an apparent form of good. Indeed, the devil, who is cunning, always uses deception. He wanted to make Jesus believe that his proposals were useful to prove that he was truly the Son of God.
And I would like to emphasize one thing. Jesus does not dialogue with the devil: Jesus never spoke with the devil. Either he chased him away, when he healed the possessed, or in this case, having to answer, he does it with the Word of God, never with his word of him. Brothers and sisters, never enter into dialogue with the devil: he is smarter than us. Never! To be clinging to the Word of God like Jesus and at most always respond with the Word of God. And on this path we will not go wrong.
So does the devil with us: he often arrives "with sweet eyes", "with an angelic face"; he even knows how to disguise himself with sacred, apparently religious motives! If we give in to his flattery, we end up justifying our falsehood, masking it as good intentions. For example, how many times have we heard this: "I did strange business, but I helped the poor"; "I took advantage of my role - as a politician, as a ruler, as a priest, as a bishop - but also for a good purpose"; “I gave in to my instincts, but basically I didn't hurt anyone”, these justifications, and so on, one after the other. Please: with evil, no compromises! With the devil, no dialogue! With temptation we must not dialogue, we must not fall into that sleep of conscience that makes us say: “But, after all, it's not serious, everyone does this”! We look to Jesus, that does not seek accommodation, does not make deals with evil. To the devil he opposes the Word of God, which is stronger than the devil, and so he overcomes temptations.
May this time of Lent also be a desert time for us . Let us take the spaces of silence and prayer - a little bit, it will do us good -; in these spaces let us stop and look at what is stirring in our heart, our inner truth, what we know cannot be justified. Let us make interior clarity, placing ourselves before the Word of God in prayer, so that a beneficial struggle against the evil that enslaves us, a struggle for freedom, may take place in us.
We ask the Holy Virgin to accompany us in the Lenten desert and to help our journey of conversion.
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After the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters,
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