Photo by Taylor Brandon on Unsplash
CV NEWS FEED // On the October 7 anniversary of Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel, Pope Francis wrote a letter to Christians suffering in the Middle East and told them, “I am with you.”
The Pope thanked Catholics in the Middle East “for being able to pray and love despite everything,” and urged them, “do not let yourselves be engulfed by the darkness that surrounds you.”
He urged Catholics to observe a day of prayer and fasting to implore God’s peace and defeat the “spirit of evil” behind the war.
Pope Francis then addressed everyone in the Middle East suffering from the war: “I am close to you, I am with you.”
I am with you, the people of Gaza, long embattled and in dire straits. You are in my thoughts and prayers daily.
I am with you, who have been forced to leave your homes, to abandon schooling and work and to find a place of refuge from the bombing.
I am with you, the mothers who weep while looking at your dead or wounded children, like Mary at the sight of Jesus; with you, the children of the great lands of the Middle East, where the intrigues of those in power deprive you of your right to play.
I am with you, who are afraid to look up for fear of fire raining down from the skies.
I am with you, who have no voice, for despite all the talk of plans and strategies, there is little concern for those who suffer the devastation of war, which the powerful impose on others; yet they will be subject to the inflexible judgement of God (cf. Wis 6:8).
I am with you, who thirst for peace and justice, and refuse to yield to the logic of evil and, in the name of Jesus, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:44).
The Pope thanked all of those seeking peace “for consoling the heart of God, wounded by the evil of humanity.” He also thanked those who have assisted those suffering in the Middle East, and urged Christians to continue aiding the needy.
