At the end of the Eucharistic celebration in Martyrs’ Square in Carpi, before reciting the midday Angelus, Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the inhabitants of the town of Mocoa in Colombia, devastated by a landslide that claimed and hurt many victims.
The Pope also appealed for peace in the region of Kasai in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and encouraged prayer for difficult situations in Venezuela and Paraguay.
At the end of the Angelus, four cornerstones–for the parish of St. Agatha in Carpi, the retreat house in Novi, the ‘Citadel of Charity’ in Carpi and a structure of San Martino Corona of Mirandola–were presented to the Pope for his blessing.
We publish below the appeals and the words the Pope pronounced the Marian prayer:
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Appeals of the Holy Father:
I am deeply saddened by the tragedy that struck Colombia, where a giant mudslide caused by torrential rains, hit the city of Mocoa, causing numerous deaths and injuries. I pray for the victims and assure you of my and your closeness to those who are mourning the death of loved ones, and I thank all those who are working to bring relief.
There continue to be reports of bloody armed clashes in the region of Kasai in the Democratic Republic of Congo, clashes are causing deaths and displacement and which also affect people and property of the Church: churches, hospitals, schools. I assure you of my closeness to this nation, and I invite all to pray for peace so that the hearts of the architects of such crimes do not remain slaves of hatred and violence, why more hatred and violence destroy.
In addition, I follow with great attention to what is happening in Venezuela and Paraguay. I pray for those people, very dear to me, and I urge everyone to persevere tirelessly, avoiding any violence and in the search for political solutions
[Original Text: Italian]
[Working translation by Deborah Castellano Lubov]
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
Angelus Address Translation: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-angelus-in-carpi/
Homily Translation: https://zenit.org/articles/trust-he-who-says-get-up-rise-popes-homily-in-italian-town-of-carpi/
