Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Where the poor are consoled and admitted to the banquet of life, there God's justice is manifested. This is the task that the Lord's disciples are called to undertake even now in the present society,” said the Holy Father Benedict XVI in his address prior to the Angelus on Sunday, February 14. Having just returned from the hostel of "Caritas" of Rome at the Termini Station, the Pope said: “From my heart I encourage those who work in such worthy institutions and those, in every part of the world, who freely engage in similar works of justice and love.” Commenting on the Gospel passage of the Beatitudes, from the Sunday liturgy, the Holy Father mentioned that “the beatitudes are based on the existence of a divine justice, which raises up those who have been wrongly humiliated and casts down those who have been exalted... because, as Jesus states, things will be reversed, the last will be first, and the first last. This justice and this beatitude are realized in the 'Kingdom of Heaven,' or the 'Kingdom of God,' which will be fulfilled at the end of time but is already present in history.”
Benedict XVI then said that he wished to present his Message for Lent, now approaching, to everyone. The message focuses on the theme of justice: “The Gospel of Christ responds positively to the thirst for justice in man, but in an unexpected and surprising way. Jesus does not propose a revolution of a social or political type, but one of love, which he has already realized with his cross and his resurrection. On these are founded the beatitudes, which propose a new horizon of justice, initiated by Easter, by which we can become just and build a better world.”
After the Angelus, the Holy Father expressed his greetings to all those in the world celebrating the Lunar New Year, with these words: “Today in various countries in Asia -- I think of China and Vietnam, for example -- and in many communities scattered throughout the world, the Lunar New Year is celebrated. These are festive days that these people celebrate as privileged occasions to re-solidify family and generational bonds. I hope that all will maintain and foster growth of the rich heredity of the spiritual and moral values that are solidly rooted in the culture of these peoples.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 15/02/2010)
