Pope Francis launched an appeal to the whole world this Saturday, January 1. On the occasion of the 55th World Day of Prayer for Peace, he took the opportunity to encourage everyone to work to stop violence in the world, especially that against women.
“There is no need to get down on yourself and complain, but to roll up your sleeves to build peace. Let’s go home with peace, peace, peace in mind. We need peace ”, hammered the Pope at the end of the first prayer of the Angelus, pronounced on this first day of the year.
It was in front of a large crowd that the head of the Catholic Church spoke from his window in the Apostolic Palace. He called on the faithful present and beyond to start “concrete actions”. According to him, peace is built “with attention to the little ones, with the promotion of justice, with the courage of forgiveness, who were the fire of hatred”.
But this year, Pope Francis, who celebrated his 85th birthday on December 17, gave more depth to his speech, recalling that violence against women is “like an insult to God”, during mass in honor of the Virgin Mary, given earlier in St. Peter’s Basilica.
“The Church is mother, the Church is woman. And while mothers give birth and women keep the world, let’s all make sure to promote mothers and protect women, ”he asked, before denouncing the abuse they are victims of. “How much violence there is against women! Enough ! To hurt a woman is to insult God who took the humanity of a woman, ”he finally estimated.
