The saints were revolutionaries who lived the virtues, says the Pope | Tech Reddy

By Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Saints are not “starched,” picture perfect conformists, Pope Francis said; they are “countercultural and revolutionary.”

The multitude of men and women honored on All Saints’ Day lived according to the eight virtues, which made them irrelevant in the world, Pope Francis said before reciting the Angelus prayer on November 1.

Thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square, including runners participating in the All Saints’ Day race, and Pope Francis encouraged people not only to visit their loved ones’ burial sites, but the next day, All Souls Day. , but go to Mass and pray for them too.

Pope Francis spoke about the saints and the daily reading of the Gospel, and he especially focused on the theme “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Everyone says they want peace, he said, but mostly they want “peace, no problems, just peace.”

However, if one reads the gospels of the gospel, they will see that Jesus did not say, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” but rather, “Blessed are the peacemakers, the builders, the peacemakers.”

“The reality is that peace must be built, and like any construction, it requires effort, cooperation and patience,” he said. And it requires justice and mercy.

Today, many people try to convince everyone that strength and power alone can guarantee peace, but the teachings of Jesus and the example of the saints show that “peace is not achieved by conquering or conquering someone, it is never violence, it is never armed.”

To begin sowing peace, Pope Francis asked the people to look at themselves: “Do we bring tension, hurtful words, poisonous rumors, divisive arguments to the places where we live, study and work? Or do we pave the way for peace: do we correct injustice by forgiving those who hurt us, caring for the marginalized, and helping the less fortunate? This is peace building.”

At the end of his luncheon, the Pope asked for prayers for his visit to Bahrain on November 3-6, so that his meetings with local Christian and Muslim leaders would work “in the name of God, for brotherhood and peace. , our time is very necessary and urgently needed.”

And “please,” he said, “don’t forget the martyred Ukraine; Let us pray for peace, let us pray for peace in Ukraine.