Scottish Catholic Observer

Pope Francis has called for an end to armed conflict and clarified the notion of Franciscan peace during a Mass this morning marking the feast of St Francis in the saint’s hometown of Assisi.

Hundreds of pilgrims gathered to celebrate with the Holy Father in St Francis Square, situated before the world-famous shrine dedicated to the patron saint of the poor.

Following his election in March, the present Holy Father became the first Pope to choose the name Francis—saying he was inspired by the saint’s humility—and he has continually emphasised since that he wants to build a Church for the poor.

St Francis, the Pope said, ‘bears witness to the need to respect all that God has created, and that men and women are called to safeguard and protect, but above all he bears witness to respect and love for every human being.’

“From this city of peace, I repeat with all the strength and the meekness of love: Let us respect creation, let us not be instruments of destruction,” he said in his homily at today’s Mass. “Let us respect each human being.”

He called for an end to armed conflict and for care for those who are suffering and dying because of violence, terrorism or war in the Holy Land, in Syria, throughout the Middle East and worldwide.

St Francis is also the patron saint of Italy, and the country’s Prime Minister, Enrico Letta, was among those present at this morning’s Mass, at which the Holy Father offered a prayer for the nation.

“Let us pray for the Italian nation, for everyone to look at what unites rather than what divides,” the Pope said.

Eight cardinals, who form the Council of Cardinals, handpicked by Pope Francis to review the Vatican’s constitution and advise him over potential reform, joined the Holy Father in Assisi, where he said the Church should also ‘divest’ itself and return to spiritual basics.

“The Church, all of us should divest ourselves of worldliness,” he said. “Worldliness is a murderer because it kills souls, kills people, kills the Church.

“Without divesting ourselves, we would become pastry shop Christians, like beautiful cakes and sweet things but not real Christians.”

The Pope also referred to the migrant shipwreck tragedy off the Italian island of Lampedusa on Thursday in which 111 people are confirmed to have died and scores more are missing.

The world ‘does not care about the many people fleeing slavery, hunger, fleeing in search of freedom,’ he said.

“And how many of them die as happened yesterday?” the Pope highlighted. “Today is a day of tears.”

Earlier today, the Holy Father met with many poor and disabled people being aided by Catholic charities in the central Italian town of Assisi.

He told a group of disabled children that their ‘wounds need to be listened to and recognised.’