Rome, April 18 (LaPresse) – Jesus’ exhortation “do not be afraid” “takes on a broad dimension, also at a social and political level, as encouragement to face problems and challenges – particularly those related to poverty and justice – together, with civic awareness and responsibility. Faith does not separate the spiritual from the social; on the contrary, it gives Christians the strength to engage with the world, to respond to the needs of others, especially the weakest.” This was said by Papa Leone XIV in the homily of the Mass he presided over at the Yaoundé-Ville airport in Cameroon. “Jesus comes close to us: he does not immediately calm the storms, but reaches us in the midst of danger, and invites us as well, in joy and in suffering, to stay together, in solidarity, like the disciples, in the same boat; not to look from afar at those who suffer, but to become neighbors, to draw close to one another,” the Pope added. “No one must be left alone to face life’s adversities, and every community has the task, in this regard, of creating and supporting structures of solidarity and mutual aid in which, in the face of crises – whether social, political, health-related or economic – everyone can give and receive help, according to their abilities and needs.”
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