Pope appeals for peace in Nigeria
Pope
Benedict XVI is calling for an end to violence in Nigeria, where
terrorist attacks targeting Christians have been increasing in both
strength and frequency – developments he said he is, “follow[ing] with
deep concern.” The Holy Father’s appeal came during his weekly General
Audience on Wednesday. “While I pray for the victims and for those who
suffer,” said Pope Benedict, “I call upon the perpetrators of violence,
immediately to stop the shedding of innocent people’s blood.” The Holy
Father went on to express the hope that there might be full cooperation
among all members of Nigerian society, that they might eschew the path
of vengeance, and that all citizens might rather work together to build a
peaceful and reconciled society, in which the right freely to profess
one’s faith is fully protected.
These
remarks of the Holy Father followed his catechetical reflections on
prayer in the writings of St Paul the Apostle. This week, Pope Benedict
focused on the great prayer of praise and blessing found at the
beginning of the Letter to the Ephesians.
Paul blesses the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for making known to us “the mystery
of his will” (Eph 1:9), his eternal plan for our salvation. Before the
creation of the world, God “chose us in Christ” (1:4) to be his adopted
children and to receive a glorious inheritance. Through the blood of
Christ’s cross, He showed the depth of His merciful love, forgave our
sins and reconciled us to himself. By the gift of the Holy Spirit, He
gave us the seal and pledge of our definitive redemption in the fullness
of time.
Pope Benedict said Paul’s prayer invites us to
contemplate the unfolding of God’s saving plan in history and to discern
the signs of its presence in our own lives and in the life of the
Church.
In our own prayer, may we praise the mystery of our
election in Christ, and open our hearts and lives ever more fully to the
transforming presence of the Blessed Trinity.
Following the catechesis, Pope Benedict had greetings for pilgrims in many languages, including English: “I
offer a warm welcome to the Forum of Interreligious Harmony from
Indonesia. My greeting also goes to the participants in the Vatican
Observatory Summer School. I likewise greet the “Wounded Warriors”
group from the United States. Upon all the English-speaking visitors
present at today’s Audience, including those from Scotland, Australia,
Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United States, I
invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace!”
Pope Benedict began his
series on the Pauline prayer tradition in mid-May, as part of his larger
catechetical project on prayer in the broad Christian tradition.
