Pope Francis: “Let us now stop the spiral of war!” War is always a defeat

Pope Francis addresses ROACO, the Holy See’s humanitarian body for the Eastern Churches, and renews his urgent appeal for peace, calling for solidarity with Eastern Christians fleeing conflict.

By Lisa Zengarini

On Thursday, during his meeting at the Meeting of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO), Pope Francis reiterated his sincere appeal for peace in the world, and particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine: “To those who fuel the spiral of conflicts and reap the rewards. take advantage of it, I say once again: Stop! Stop, because violence will never bring peace,” the Pope pleaded while addressing participants in the 97th plenary assembly of the humanitarian branch of the Holy See for the Oriental Churches, which ended Thursday.

Focus on the Middle East and Ukraine

The four-day sessions held at the General Curia of the Society of Jesus in Rome focused on the dramatic situation in the Holy Land, as well as in Ukraine and Ethiopia. Participants also discussed the pastoral care of the many Eastern Catholics outside their territories.

Martyr churches

In his speech, Pope Francis lamented that many Eastern Churches have become “martyr Churches.” “Just as the flesh of the Lord was pierced by nails and a spear, many Eastern communities suffer and bleed from the conflicts and violence they endure,” he said. He recalled the Holy Land and Ukraine, but also Syria, Lebanon, the entire Middle East; the Caucasus and Tigray, Ethiopia. “It is precisely in these places, where there are large numbers of Eastern Catholics, that the brutality of the war is felt most acutely. »

“Many Eastern Churches carry a heavy cross and have become “martyr churches.” »

Hence his new call for solidarity: “We cannot remain indifferent,” declared the Pope, encouraging the members of ROACO, “to persevere” in their support for the Eastern Catholic Churches, “by helping them, in these dramatic times, to remain firmly rooted. in the Gospel. » He further urged the clergy and religious of the Eastern Churches to be always “attentive” to the cries of their flock, “exemplary” in the faith, “placing the Gospel before any form of dissension or personal interest, and united in the service of the common good. GOOD.”

Pope Francis once again warmly thanked the representatives of the various ROACO agencies “for responding to the malicious logic of power with the Christian logic of service.” “The seeds you plant in fields poisoned by hatred and war,” he noted, “will be the prophecy of a different world, a world that does not believe in the strongest, but in the nonviolent power of peace. »

“You are sowers of hope, witnesses called to act, as the Gospel tells us, with kindness and discretion. »

Ceasefire in the Holy Land now!

Referring specifically to the dramatic situation in the Holy Land, Pope Francis reiterated his call to the faithful around the world to show their closeness to Christians in the Middle East, thus encouraging them to “overcome the temptation to abandon their lands torn apart by conflicts “.

He insisted on the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire in the Holy Land and for dialogue to allow the peaceful coexistence of the different peoples of these lands. “This is the only possible path to a stable future,” he said. “With war, a senseless and inconclusive enterprise, no one emerges victorious: everyone ends up defeated, because war, from the start, is already a defeat, always.”

“Let us listen to those who suffer the consequences, the victims and those who have lost everything. Let us listen to the cry of young people, of individuals and ordinary people, tired of the rhetoric of war and empty slogans that constantly shift the blame onto others, dividing the world into good and evil, tired of leaders who find it difficult to sit down at a table, negotiate and find solutions.”

Pray for peace in Ukraine and free the prisoners!

Pope Francis then turned his thoughts to war-torn Ukraine: once again, he called for prayer that “paths of peace may open for this beloved people, that the prisoners of war be released and the children repatriated. He also conveyed his “fraternal greetings” to His Holiness Karekin II and the dear Armenian people facing the conflict.

Supporting Eastern Christians living in the diaspora

To conclude his speech, Pope Francis spoke of the many Eastern Christians fleeing conflicts or migrating in search of work and better living conditions. He recalled the risk that these diaspora communities “lose their religious identity” and that the precious “spiritual heritage” of the East is weakened.

While expressing his gratitude to the Latin dioceses which welcome Eastern Christians, he therefore urged them to show them “particular solicitude”, so that they keep their rites alive and flourishing. He encouraged the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches to work in this direction, “also by establishing principles and norms that can help Latin bishops support Eastern Catholics living in the diaspora.