The social and political problems plaguing modern society can be resolved only by allowing the Holy Spirit to heal humanity’s inner turmoil, Pope Francis said. Source: CNS.
“Around us, we can say there is external chaos, social chaos, political chaos. We think of wars, we think of so many children who do not have enough to eat, so many social injustices. This is the external chaos,” he said at his general audience in St Peter’s Square yesterday.
“But,” he said, “there is also internal chaos. Within each of us, we cannot heal the former if we do not begin to heal the latter.”
Beginning a new series of audience talks, “The Spirit and the Bride”, on the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Church, the bride of Christ in Christian theology, Pope Francis asked Christians to turn their “inner confusion into clarity through the Holy Spirit”.
“It is the power of God that does this,” he said. “Let us open our hearts so that he may accomplish it.”
After his speech, Pope Francis spoke about the Church’s first celebration of World Children’s Day, hosted in Rome May 25-26, and about meeting Ukrainian children who were injured in the war.
“War is always cruelty; these children must start to walk (with artificial legs), to move with artificial arms; they have lost their smile,” he said.
“It is awful, very sad, when a child loses his or her smile. Let us pray for Ukrainian children.”
The Pope also asked for prayers for Palestine, Israel and Myanmar and other countries at war.
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Look inward to resolve war, famine, injustice, Pope says (By Justin McLellan, CNS)
