In his maiden Christmas Mass sermon, yesterday, Pope Francis dedicated most of his prayer to African countries torn by crisis, calling for tolerance and peace. In the sermon, known as Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world), which he delivered at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican, the pontiff singled out some African countries and invoked the name of Jesus to restore peace and stability.
In his maiden Christmas Mass sermon, yesterday, Pope Francis dedicated most of his prayer to African countries torn by crisis, calling for tolerance and peace.
In the sermon, known as Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world), which he delivered at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican, the pontiff singled out some African countries and invoked the name of Jesus to restore peace and stability.
He prayed for peace in DR Congo, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Nigeria and the Horn of Africa, among others.
Specifically referring to Central African Republic, he sad this was a country that is often forgotten and overlooked, a country of poverty ridden with homeless people.
The predominantly Christian State is embroiled in a conflict that is threatening to degenerate into genocide.
Rwanda, last week, said it would deploy peacekeepers to the war-torn country as part of an African Union-backed peacekeeping force.
Social harmony
Pope Francis also called for social harmony for South Sudan, "a young State, with already many tensions.”
"Grant hope and consolation to the displaced and refugees, especially in the Horn of Africa and in the eastern part of DR Congo,” he prayed.
The pope prayed for access of humanitarian aid to Syria, and condemned atrocities committed on migrants heading to Europe, and human trafficking.
Christmas Eve homily
In his Christmas Eve homily, Pope Francis challenged the world to embrace love and peace.
The Pope used two concepts of the darkness and the light to attract the attention of the crowd.
According to the full text of his homily, the pontiff referred the faithful to the Isaiah 9:1, which reads: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”
He said while God is solely light, human being is always identified with two facets of darkness and light.
He called darkness hatred and the light, a synonym of love, saying: "If we love God and our brothers and sisters, we walk in light; but if our heart is closed, we are dominated by darkness.
Pope Francis was elected to replace Benedict XVI, who chose to retire this year due to ill health, as the head of the world’s largest religion with more than two billion faithful.