In his text prepared for the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis invites everyone to care for those who are ill, and prays for the many people suffering due to violent conflicts.
By Devin Watkins
As he recovers from bilateral pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, Pope Francis released the text prepared for the Sunday Angelus prayer, which was published by the Holy See Press Office.
He recalled the Church’s Lenten journey toward Easter, inviting Christians to make it “a time of purification and spiritual renewal, a path of growth in faith, hope, and charity.”
The Pope said he is thinking especially of the many people who care for those who are sick, saying they represent a sign of the Lord’s presence for those under their care.
“During my prolonged hospitalization here,” he said, “I too experience the thoughtfulness of service and the tenderness of care, in particular from the doctors and healthcare workers, whom I thank from the bottom of my heart.”
He called for a “miracle of tenderness” to accompany everyone facing adversity, so that they might perceive “a little light in the night of pain.”
The Pope then thanked everyone who has been praying for him, adding that he wishes to join spiritually with officials of the Roman Curia for their annual Spiritual Exercises.
Volunteers showcase freely-given service
Pope Francis went on to recall the Jubilee for the World of Volunteering, which was held over the weekend in Rome.
“In our societies, too enslaved to market logic, where everything risks being subject to the criterion of interest and the quest for profit,” he said, “volunteering is prophecy and a sign of hope, because it bears witness to the primacy of gratuitousness, solidarity, and service to those most in need.”
He thanked everyone who volunteers in their local communities out of the goodness of their hearts, saying their care can help to reawaken hope in others.
Prayers for peace in conflict-ridden places
In conclusion, Pope Francis prayed for the gift of peace for “martyred Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
He also expressed concern for recent outbreaks of violence in Syria, calling for “full respect for all ethnic and religious components of society, especially civilians.”
