Pope Leo, war is back in fashion, let us pray for peace
The Pontiff called on Christians to banish divisions. Kindness and the promotion of Christian values the recipe for a happy life
Key points
"Dear brothers and sisters, let us pray for peace, at a time in history which seems marked by a growing loss of the value of human dignity and in which war is back in fashion". At the general audience on the occasion of greetings to the Portuguese faithful Pope Leo sends out a new heartfelt appeal for peace. "May the humanity of Jesus, who reveals the Father, help us," he stressed, "to find paths of justice and reconciliation".
Christians drive away divisions
"Let us ask the Lord," said Leo during the final greetings to the faithful, "to bestow the gift of his Spirit on all the Churches scattered throughout the world so that, through it, Christians may banish division to form firm bonds of unity.
The recipe for a happy life: kindness and promotion of Christian values
"Let us use every gesture of human kindness and the promotion of Christian values to reveal God to the world, building the Kingdom of Christ. This is a sure recipe for a happy life," said the Pope as he greeted the Polish faithful.
Lambs presented to the Pope in memory of Saint Agnes
Meanwhile, the lambs were presented to the Pope in memory of Saint Agnes. The Vatican portal reports that the ceremony took place in the Chapel of Urban VIII in the Apostolic Palace. In iconography St Agnes is often depicted with these animals, symbolising candour and sacrifice. On today's liturgical feast, 21 January, the day on which the bloody death of the Roman martyr at the beginning of the 4th century is commemorated, the tradition of the presentation of the lambs is therefore renewed. Their wool will be used to make the palli, liturgical vestments consisting of a white wool sash representing the special bond between the Pope and the metropolitan archbishops. The palli are imposed on new archbishops on the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, 29 June.
