Pope: I Urge Everyone to Reject Violence and Respect the Dignity of Every Person

Following Angelus, Prays for Young Boy Killed in Venezuela

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Decrying the violence, kidnapping, and harassment in Syria and Iraq, Pope Francis has launched an appeal for all human lives to be respected.

Following the Angelus prayer, the Holy Father said, “I urge everyone to reject violence and respect the dignity of every person and the sanctity of human life.”

“I encourage you,” he added,  “to take a journey together for the good of the country, opening spaces for encounter and sincere and constructive dialogue.”

“We want to assure those involved in these situations that we do not forget them, but we are close to them and pray insistently, to put an end to the intolerable brutality of which they are victims.”

The Holy Father noted how he, along with members of the Roman Curia, offered the last Mass of the Spiritual Exercises, Friday, to this intention.

“At the same time, I ask everyone,” he urged, “to work to alleviate the suffering of those who are being afflicted, because of their faith.”

In addition to condemning the tragic events in the Middle East, the Holy Father said, “Let us also remember Venezuela,” the Pope said, “which is living again moments of acute tension.

“I pray for the victims and, in particular,” he said, “for the boy killed a few days ago.”

Earlier this week, a 14-year-old boy was shot in the head during an anti-government protest in the city of San Cristobal and died. The nation’s president condemned the attack and San Cristobal’s residents expressed their outrage.

Before concluding, the Pope gave his usual greetings to various groups present, including a group from San Francisco, California. He also wished all the pilgrims a good Sunday, lunch, and reminded them to pray for him.

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Deborah Castellano Lubov

Deborah Castellano Lubov is Senior Vatican & Rome Correspondent for ZENIT; author of 'The Other Francis' ('L'Altro Francesco') featuring interviews with those closest to the Pope and preface by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin (currently published in 5 languages); Deborah is also NBC & MSNBC Vatican Analyst. She often covers the Pope's travels abroad, often from the Papal Flight (including for historic trips such as to Abu Dhabi and Japan & Thailand), and has also asked him questions on the return-flight press conference on behalf of the English-speaking press present. Lubov has done much TV & radio commentary, including for NBC, Sky, EWTN, BBC, Vatican Radio, AP, Reuters and more. She also has contributed to various books on the Pope and has written for various Catholic publications. For 'The Other Francis': http://www.gracewing.co.uk/page219.html or https://www.amazon.com/Other-Francis-Everything-They-about/dp/0852449348/

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