CNA Newsroom, 02 February, 2025 / 7:30 pm (ACI Africa).
In a profound reflection delivered during Sunday’s Angelus prayer, Pope Francis emphasized how Jesus Christ reveals the ultimate criterion by which all history is judged: love.
“Whoever loves lives, whoever hates dies,” the pope told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Feb. 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
The Holy Father also renewed his urgent appeal for peace in conflict zones worldwide, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province, where armed groups continue to terrorize communities and millions have been displaced. “War destroys, devastates everything, takes lives, and leads to a disregard for life itself,” he said, adding that “war is always a defeat.”
Drawing from the Gospel of Luke (2:22-40), which recounts Mary and Joseph bringing the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem, Pope Francis focused his catechesis on three significant aspects of Christ revealed through Simeon’s prophecy: salvation, light, and a sign of contradiction.
“God is present among his people — not because he dwells within four walls, but because he lives as a man among men,” Francis explained, highlighting the radical newness of this moment in salvation history.