MESSAGE FOR THIS NEW YEAR
New Year message: “roll up our sleeves for peace”
(Last year, Pope Francis made a plea for peace in his New Year message. That same plea must be heard in our world as we begin a new year.)
In his New Year message Pope Francis urges everyone to "roll up our sleeves" for peace. He invites the faithful to keep positive while working to build a better society.
Pope marked World Day of Peace. He devoted his Angelus address to encouraging a stop to violence around the world, telling the assembled crowd at Saint Peter's Square to keep peace at the forefront of their thoughts.
"Let's go home thinking peace, peace, peace. We need peace," said the pope, following his Angelus prayer.
"I was looking at the images in the television programme today, about war, displaced people, the miseries. This is happening today in the world. We want peace."
The Pope reminded the faithful that peace required "concrete actions," such as forgiving others and promoting justice.
"And it needs a positive outlook as well, one that always sees, in the Church as well as in society, not the evil that divides us, but the good that unites us!" he said, speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace.
"Getting depressed or complaining is useless. We need to roll up our sleeves to build peace."
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