Good weather marked the Angelus prayer presided over by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square. This Sunday, January 24, the Church also celebrates the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and patron of Catholic schools.
Today's Angelus prayer at the Vatican was marked by the presence of a large group of young people and children who participated in the Caravan for Peace organized by Catholic Action in Rome.
In his words before the Marian prayer, the Pope, looking at this Sunday's Gospel, stressed that "what the devil wants is to put our souls in chains. The devil always takes away freedom. Francis encouraged us to "name" some of the many chains with which the devil binds us in our lives: addictions, dominant fashions, consumerism and hedonism, as well as other temptations such as "conditioning that undermines self-esteem, serenity and the ability to choose and love life; fear and intolerance".
The Pope has repeatedly stressed that we must never dialogue or negotiate with the devil. The pontiff highlighted the example of Christ himself who never dialogues with the devil. When tempted in the desert, Christ responds with words from the Bible; never a dialogue".
"You cannot dialogue with the devil because if you enter into dialogue with him, he always wins. Be attentive," the Pope firmly repeated, encouraging the faithful to invoke Jesus in the face of temptations and to have a sincere attitude to ask themselves if they really want "to be freed from the chains that imprison my heart.
Petition for peace and respect
After praying the Angelus, Francis turned his attention to the long conflict in Myanmar. Once again, Francis reiterated his invitation "to all the parties involved, to take steps of dialogue and to clothe themselves with understanding, so that the land of Myanmar may reach the goal of fraternal reconciliation".
The Pope also asked that "humanitarian aid be allowed to pass through to guarantee the needs of every person". Not only in Myanmar but also in "the Middle East, Palestine and Israel, and wherever there is fighting." Francis has again demanded that people be respected, recalling the many victims of conflicts such as those in Ukraine.
In addition to calling strongly for peace for all these areas, he added the request for "the release of all those who are still kidnapped and an end to all forms of violence; that everyone offer their contribution to the peaceful development of the country, for which renewed support from the international community is needed."
The pontiff also recalled the attack perpetrated this weekend against the church of Santa Maria Draperis in Istanbul, which caused one death and several wounded.
In addition to this recurring plea for peace, the Pope, on the occasion of today's World Leprosy Day, encouraged a greater commitment to aid and social reintegration of those who suffer, even today, from this disease "which affects the poorest and most marginalized".
