POPE Francis has prayed for world peace and highlighted the plight of migrants including Rohingya Muslims in his Christmas message. It is a big gesture that the pontiff has not forgotten the miseries of the Rohingya as he heard their terrible stories of mass exodus from their homes in Rakhine State to Bangladesh.
The Pope addressed tens of thousands of worshippers gathered at the Vatican, as he called for peace for Jerusalem and the Holy Land and urged the world to see Jesus in the faces of little children caught in the middle of war to avoid cruelties. He specially prayed for peace on the Middle East and emphasized on the need for a two state solution of Israel-Palestinian conflict through negotiations. He has also equally remembered the people in danger in many other countries as they are facing civil war and conflicts. He has denounced the winds of war as it is blowing in our world with an outdated model of development eroding human values and socio-cultural decline. He has prayed for peace in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Nigeria and host of other countries.
He said he sees Jesus in the children of the Middle East who continue to suffer because of growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. On this festive day, he said let us ask the Lord for peace for Jerusalem and for all the Holy Land. Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue should prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders. May the Lord also sustain the efforts of all those in the international community inspired by goodwill to help that afflicted land to find, despite grave obstacles the harmony, justice and security that it has long awaited.
We are very gratified when he mentioned his recent visit to Bangladesh and his felling about the homeless people. He has called upon the international community to come forward to their help and must not cease to work to ensure that the dignity of the minority groups present in the region is adequately protected. Jesus knows well the pain of not being welcomed and how hard it is not to have a place to lay one’s head. He also said his heart goes to Bethlehem where people are living in hostile environment.
We know that Pope is a big personality as his words being heard all over the world. He has spoken for people living through war and conflicts and prayed for end of conflict and ushering of peace. We hope his prayers will bear fruits.
