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CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES WILL seem empty in a world which has chosen “war and hate,” Pope Francis said today.
In a sermon that began with the words “Jesus wept,” the Pontiff continued:
Christmas is approaching. There will be lights, parties, Christmas trees and nativity scenes… It’s all a charade.
The world continues to go to war. The world has not chosen a peaceful path.
“There are wars today everywhere, and hate,” he said after the worst terror attack in French history, the bombing of a Russian airliner, a double suicide bombing in Lebanon, and a series of other deadly strikes.
We should ask for the grace to weep for this world, which does not recognise the path to peace. To weep for those who live for war and have the cynicism to deny it.
Francis repeated: “God weeps, Jesus weeps.”
The sermon threw a shadow over the start of the festive season at the Vatican, where a giant Christmas tree was unveiled.
The 25-metre (82-foot) high pine hails from former pope Benedict XVI’s homeland, the German state of Bavaria.
The tree, which will be decorated in time for the start of the Vatican’s Holy Year on 8 December, will be festooned with ornaments made by children from cancer wards in hospitals across Italy.
This year’s nativity scene will be made up of 24 life-size figures, sculpted from wood and hand-painted.
In a nod to Pope Francis’s humble style, alongside the figures from the story of Jesus’s birth will be sculptures of ordinary people, including a man supporting an elderly person in need.
Contains reporting by AFP.
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Please follow up on this story when they meet next month. I’d love to see how it goes!
Well done Air New Zealand
It is good to read a happy story .
The story of the year so far…
Ah that’s fantastic.
Don’t forget to bring one pill in particular old man
A very touching story. When Air New Zealand stepped in the donations page closed because all the costs had been covered. This is highly commendable https://www.gofundme.com/hm9y6p2c.
I can see a chick flick in the offing.
He is gonna get LAID big time
Once it’s not Jack Russell on the leg kinda stuff, I think we’re all happy with that.
The story of the year so far…
You can say that again
this just made my weekend.
Hollywood guys ready to zoom in on this one! Pity they might not have time to enjoy the royalties.
On a separate note though, I really don’t think he is holding up the photo like it says under the image,unless he’s really bendy.
No no… his identical twin, Southgrove, just happened to be in the background when Norwood was holding up the photo.
Nice to see someone on a webcam with their clothes on
have your say