Pope to Catholics in Holy Land: May hope arise from seeds sown in pain

By Christopher Wells

Pope Francis has written to Catholics in the Holy Land, assuring them that they are in his thoughts and prayers daily.

“I embrace you all, in the variety of your rites, dear faithful Catholics living throughout the Holy Land,” he wrote, adding: “In a special way, I embrace those who were most affected by the tragedy senselessness of war: the children robbed of their future, those who cry and suffer, and all those who find themselves prey to anguish and dismay.

In his letter published Wednesday, the Holy Father recognizes the special meaning of Easter for those who live in places sanctified by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Recognizing the desire of Christians to remain in the lands where they have lived for centuries, Pope Francis says it is good that they remain and thanks them for their faith, charity and hope.

The Pope continues by recalling his own pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2014 and repeats the words of Saint Paul VI, who warned of the “constant and serious threat” to peace and security, as well as to human values, of tensions persistent in the country. Middle East.

Pope Francis highlights the role of Christians in the Middle East in guarding the “places of our salvation”, as well as their “lasting witness, through (their) suffering, to the mystery of the Passion of the Lord”. “By your ability to get up and move forward,” he writes, “you have proclaimed and continue to proclaim that the crucified Lord has risen from the dead. »

The Pope continues by sharing the prayer he offers for and with the Christians of the Holy Land:

Lord, you are our peace (cf. Eph 2:14-22). You who have proclaimed the peacemakers blessed (cf. Mt 5:9): free human hearts from hatred, violence and the spirit of vengeance. We look at your example and we follow you, you who are merciful, meek and humble of heart (cf. Mt 11:29). May no one deprive our hearts of the hope of resurrection with You. May we never tire of defending the dignity of every man, woman and child, regardless of religion, ethnicity or nationality, starting with the most vulnerable among us: women, the elderly, children and the poor.

Assuring them once again that they are not alone, the Pope promises that the universal Church will show solidarity through “prayer and practical charity”.

“Soon, we hope to return among you as pilgrims, to draw closer to you, to embrace you, to break the bread of fraternity with you and to contemplate the tender shoots of hope which spring from the seeds which you sow in pain and which you nourish. with patience,” he said.

Then, after thanking “the bishops, priests and religious” for their work with the people, the Holy Father prays that “in the crucible of suffering… the precious gold of unity may be purified and shine” among Catholics and with other Christians. , to whom he expresses his “spiritual closeness and encouragement” and assures them of his prayers.

At the conclusion of his letter, Pope Francis invokes from the Catholics of the Holy Land the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, “daughter of your Land”.

And he calls on Christians around the world “to show you their concrete support and to pray tirelessly so that all the inhabitants of your beloved land can finally live in peace.”

You can read the full text of the Pope's Letter to the Catholics of the Holy Land here.