Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Les Combes (Agenzia Fides) - At midday today, before praying the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims and local residents at Les Combes in the Italian region of Valle d'Aosta where he is spending a brief vacation, the Pope renewed the appeal he launched last Thursday for a cease-fire in the Middle East. After recalling how, following the worsening of the situation in the Middle East, he had proclaimed this Sunday as a special day of prayer and penance, inviting pastors, faithful and all believers to implore from God the gift of peace, the Holy Father said: "I forcibly renew my appeal to the conflicting parties to begin an immediate cease-fire, to allow the passage of humanitarian aid and, with the support of the international community, to seek ways to begin negotiations. I take this opportunity to reaffirm the right of the Lebanese to the integrity and sovereignty of their country, the right of the Israelis to live in peace in their State and the right of the Palestinians to have their own free and sovereign state.” Benedict XVI then expressed his “particular closeness to the "defenseless civilian population, unjustly involved in a conflict of which they are only victims: both those in Galilee who are forced to live in shelters, and the great multitudes of Lebanese who, once again, are seeing their country destroyed and have been forced to abandon everything to seek refuge elsewhere.”. The Pope said he prayed to God “that the vast majority of people's aspiration to peace may be realized as soon as possible, through the harmonious commitment of leaders. I also renew my appeal to all charitable organizations to bring those people the concrete expression of shared solidarity”.
Benedict XVI then recalled that Saturday was the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, "the Lord's disciple who occupies a leading role in the Gospels” and added that her story reminds everyone of a fundamental truth: “a disciple of Christ is one who has experienced human weakness, had the humility to ask for His help, has been cured by Him and set out to follow him, becoming a witness to the power of his merciful love, stronger than sin and death.” Lastly, the Pope asked for prayers so that “the beloved peoples of the Middle East renounce the path of armed conflict and decide to build with the audacity of dialogue a just and lasting peace”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 24/7/2006 - righe 25, parole 366)
