Pope Francis arrives to celebrate a Mass in St. Peter s Basilica at the Vatican May 16, 2021. Celebrating Mass with the Myanmar community living in Rome, the pope prayed for an end to violence in their country. (CNS/Vatican Media)
Vatican City Celebrating a Mass for peace in Myanmar, Pope Francis urged the country s Catholics to keep the faith. To keep the faith is to keep our gaze lifted up to heaven, as here on earth, battles are fought and innocent blood is shed, he said at the Mass May 16. To keep the faith is to refuse to yield to the logic of hatred and vengeance, but to keep our gaze fixed on the God of love, who calls us to be brothers and sisters to one another.
People hold a banner reading Pray For Myanmar, Grazie in St. Peter s Square as they wait for Pope Francis to lead the Regina Coeli at the Vatican April 25, 2021. (CNS photo/Remo Casilli, Reuters)
Pope Francis brought consolation and hope to Catholics and countless people of other religions in Myanmar when he celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica this Sunday morning for peace in their troubled homeland, which was robbed of democracy by a military coup on Feb. 1.
More than 170 women religious, priests, seminarians and laypeople from Myanmar who are living in Rome and other parts of Italy joined him for the eucharistic celebration. Young women religious from that country read the Scriptures, prayers of the faithful and the responsorial psalm in Burmese. Francis was deeply moved, and this came through also when he delivered his homily, which he addressed not only to those present but also to the some 750,000 Catholics, as well as other Christians and the followers of different