At the end of today’s general audience, Pope Francis greeted those present in various languages. In his greetings in Arabic, he addressed the faithful of the Holy Land “from where the light of proclamation issued forth to the ends of the earth”, urging them always to be, “despite difficulties, courageous and joyful bearers of the Message of salvation, truth and blessing”.
The Holy Father made the point that the Church “opens her arms to all men; firmly and freely announces the Good News without coercion or duress; and calls all to faith in the Son of God made man, with love, with tenderness and patience.”
Before his greetings in Italian, the Pope spoke about his trip to Albania this coming Sunday, 21 September, and invited the faithful to accompany him in prayer.
“I decided to visit this country because it has suffered greatly as a result of a terrible atheist regime and is now realising the peaceful co-existence of its various religious components,” he said.
