L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO
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FORTIETH YEAR
N. 8 (1982) - 21 February 2007
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ANGELUS: SUNDAY, 18 FEBRUARY
Tackling evil only with love and truth
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This Sunday's Gospel contains some
of the most typical and forceful words
of Jesus’ preaching: “Love your ene-
mies” (Lk 6:27). It is taken from Luke’s
Gospel but is also found in Matthew’s
(5:44), in the context of the program-
matic discourse that opens with the fa-
mous “Beatitudes”. Jesus delivered it in
Galilee at the beginning of his public
life: it is, as it were, a “manifesto” pre-
sented to all, in which he asks for his
disciples' adherence, proposing his mod-
el of life to them in radical terms.
But what do his words mean? Why
does Jesus ask us to love precisely our
enemies, that is, a love which exceeds
human capacities?
Actually, Christ's proposal is realistic
because it takes into account that in the
world there is too much violence, too
much injustice, and therefore that this
situation cannot be overcome except by
countering it with more love, with more
goodness. This “more” comes from God:
it is his mercy which was made flesh in
Jesus and which alone can “tip the bal-
ance” of the world from evil to good,
starting with that small and decisive
“world” which is the human heart.
Fighting evil with love and truth
This Gospel passage is rightly consid-
ered the magna carta of Christian non-
violence. It does not consist in succumb-
ing to evil, as a false interpretation of
“turning the other cheek” (cf. Lk 6:29)
claims, but in responding to evil with
good (cf. Rom 12:17-21) and thereby
breaking the chain of injustice.
One then understands that for Chris-
tians, non-violence is not merely tactical
behaviour but a person's way of being,
the attitude of one who is so convinced
Moral€&€Political€Science PAGE€2 Disease€relief€project
Moral€Law€Congress
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UNICUIQUE SUUM NON PRAEVALEBUNT
Dear brothers and sisters,€Lent, which
On Sunday, 18 February, prior to the recitation of the Angelus with the will begin this Wednesday with the Rite
faithful in St Peter's Square, the Holy Father reflected on Jesus' injunc- of Ashes, is the favourable season in
tion to love our enemies, and to counter the excess violence and injustice which all Christians are asked to con-
in the world with “more love” and “more goodness”. The following is a vert ever more deeply to Christ's love.
translation of the Pope's Reflection, given in Italian. Let us ask the Virgin Mary, docile disci-
ple of the Redeemer who helps us to al-
low ourselves to be won over without
reserve by that love, to learn to love as
he loved us, to be merciful as Our Fa-
ther in Heaven is merciful (cf. Lk 6:36).
After the Angelus the Pope said:
In various countries of the East, the
new lunar year is celebrated today with
joy and within the intimacy of families.
I warmly wish all those great peoples
serenity and prosperity.
I would then like to express my spir-
itual closeness to an African Country
that is living through an especially diffi-
cult moment: Guinea. The Bishops of
that Nation have expressed to me their
apprehension at the situation of social
paralysis, together with general strikes
and violent reactions that have taken a
heavy toll of victims. In asking for re-
spect for human and civil rights, I as-
sure them of my prayers that the com-
mon commitment to take the way of di-
alogue will€lead€to overcoming€the crisis.
I greet all the English-speaking pil-
A man tries to stop demonstrators in Conakry, Guinea, West Africa, the scene of two grims and visitors present at today’s An-
weeks of strikes and violence. The Pope has called for “respect for human and civil
rights” in the Nation as well as a “common commitment to take the way of dialogue”.
gelus, including a group of American
confirmation candidates from Hohenfels
of God’s love and power that he is not rely ultimately on human resources but and Garmisch in Germany. As we pre-
afraid to tackle evil with the weapons of is a gift of God which is obtained by pare to enter the holy season of Lent,
love and truth alone. trusting solely and unreservedly in his let us recognize our sins and weakness-
Love of one's enemy constitutes the merciful goodness. Here is the newness es, and deepen our desire to forgive and
nucleus of the “Christian revolution”, a of the Gospel which silently changes the to grow in compassion. Upon all of you
revolution not based on strategies of world! Here is the heroism of the “low- and your loved ones, I invoke the joy
economic, political or media power: the ly” who believe in God's love and spread and peace of Christ the Lord!
revolution of love, a love that does not it, even at the cost of their lives. I wish everyone a good Sunday!
‘They shall
look on him
whom they
have pierced’,
the Holy
Father's 2007
Lenten
Message,
calls
Christians to
renew their
lives in Jesus
during this The Pontiff praises the variety
sacred of input, ‘zeal’ and ‘creativity’
season. in charity of Christian volunteers.
See€pages€6-7. See page 5.
At the GENERAL AUDIENCE on Wednesday, 14
PAGE€4 February, the Holy Father concluded his series of Cate-
cheses on the Apostles of the Church with a Commen-
tary on the women who generously put their lives at
PAGE€3 Ecumenical€relations PAGE€9 the service of the Gospel. The Pontiff cites examples of
those who served Jesus and the early Christian com-
munity, giving thanks for the “feminine genius” that has
assisted the Church throughout history.
PAGE€4 U.N.€interventions PAGE€10 PAGE€11