Vatican City (Monday, November 10, 2014 Gaudium Press) “Where there is a wall, there is closure of the heart. We need bridges, not walls!” Those were the Pope’s words on Sunday from the window of the Papal studio above St Peter’s Square where he recalled the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9th 1989.
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Following the recitation of the Angelus prayer and on the 25th anniversary of this momentous event in history, Pope Francis described the wall as a symbol of the ideological division of Europe and the world which for so long had cut the city of Berlin in two.”The fall happened unexpectedly, but it was possible thanks to the long and hard work of many people who fought for it, they prayed and suffered, some even sacrificing their lives. Among these, Pope Saint John Paul II had a leading role” the Pope stated.
Pope Francis called upon Christians to promote a culture of unity that demolishes walls and builds bridges.
“Let’s pray so that, with the help of God and the collaboration of all the men of good will, a culture of unity spreads and takes down all the walls that still divide the world, and so that innocent people are never again persecuted for their beliefs and their religion” the Pope said.
The day also coincided with the feast for the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of Rome. The Pope said that every Christian is part of “God’s building” which brings with it the responsibility of living with coherence. “This is a Christian. Not because of what he says, but rather because of what he does, for his actions. This coherence, which gives us life, is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and we must ask for it” he concluded.
He also said that the “institutional elements, the structures and the pastoral organisms” must work in order to “give a testimony of faith,” a faith which is shown through charity.
