Pope Francis said Saturday that he was saddened by the Paris attacks that killed 129 people and injured 352 others and asked people to join him in “prayer for the victims and their families”.
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“Of those Americans who say they’ve been influenced, half (50 percent) say the Pope’s position on global warming made them more concerned about global warming, while fewer than 1 in 10 (8 percent) say they became less concerned”.
The proclamation of the Gospel “is not reserved to a few ‘mission professionals, ‘ but should be the profound aspiration of all lay faithful who are called to evangelize by virtue of their baptism”, he said.
Pope Francis has warned against idolizing the “beauty of earthly things” as well as “habitual” ways of living, urging instead to gaze upon God “whose glory never fades”.
The pontiff said there could be “no justification, religious or human” for the massacre in the French capital last night. Never fear, and do not be sad, so long as your remorse does not dry up, God forgives everything. There is no sin on the whole Earth that God will not forgive if you show true remorse.
Pope Francis has similarly referred to Dostoyevsky in Lumen fidei, speeches, and multiple interviews. “Man is unable to commit a sin that is too great for God’s unending love”.
While Francis has cast himself as a reformer who is seeking to portray the church as a less rigid and less dogmatic institution, which stands with people who live on the margins of society, there are factions in the church that are vigorously resisting his plea for the church to be more flexible and open.
Referring to Holy Communion, when Christians believe they have the body of Jesus when they eat blessed bread, Francis said, “The Eucharist reminds us that our bread is meant to be shared with all”.
These people “have not recognized that this beauty is a sign of another greater beauty that lies ahead”, he said, “the beauty of God”.
“Perhaps we can apply Guardini’s reflections to our own time, seeking to uncover the hand of God in current events”, he concluded. We must be certain, he stressed, that if life is attractive then its end will be just as handsome as well.
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Pope Francis’s visit to the U.S in September drew in crowds by the millions.
