The pope marked the start of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity by asking for prayers for those suffering from violence in the African nation.<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged prayers for peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as violence in the country\u2019s east continues to drive families from their homes and across borders.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany have been forced to flee their country \u2013 especially to Burundi \u2013 due to violence, and they are facing a serious humanitarian crisis,\u201d the pope said after praying the Angelus in St. Peter\u2019s Square on Jan. 18. \u201cLet us pray that dialogue for reconciliation and peace may always prevail among the parties in conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo also assured those affected by severe flooding in southern Africa of his prayers.<\/p>\n
The pope also marked the start of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring these days, I invite all Catholic communities to deepen their prayers for the full, visible unity of all Christians,\u201d Leo said, recalling that \u201cthe origins of this initiative date back two centuries,\u201d and noting that Pope Leo XIII \u201cgreatly encouraged it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The theme for this year\u2019s observance is drawn from St. Paul\u2019s Letter to the Ephesians: \u201cThere is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling\u201d (4:4). The prayers and reflections, the pope said, were prepared by \u201can ecumenical group coordinated by the Armenian Apostolic Church\u2019s Department of Interchurch Relations.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his reflection before praying the Angelus, Leo connected the call to peace and unity with a warning against what he described as a culture of appearances, urging the faithful to follow the example of St. John the Baptist, who stepped aside once he had pointed others to Christ.<\/p>\n
The day\u2019s Gospel reading (Jn 1:29-34), the pope noted, shows John identifying Jesus as the Messiah: \u201cBehold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!\u201d (v. 29). John\u2019s humility remains a needed witness, Leo said, because \u201capproval, consensus and visibility are often given excessive importance, to the point of shaping people\u2019s ideas, behaviors and even their inner lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis causes suffering and division, and gives rise to lifestyles and relationships that are fragile, disappointing and imprisoning,\u201d the pope said.<\/p>\n
Instead of chasing what he called \u201csubstitutes for happiness,\u201d Leo said Christians should remember that \u201cour joy and greatness are not founded on passing illusions of success or fame, but on knowing ourselves to be loved and wanted by our heavenly Father.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo emphasized that God\u2019s love is not about spectacle but about closeness and compassion: \u201cThe love of which Jesus speaks is the love of a God who even today comes among us, not to dazzle us with spectacular displays, but to share in our struggles and to take our burdens upon himself.\u201d<\/p>\n
He concluded by urging believers to resist distractions and cultivate prayer and simplicity: \u201cLet us not waste our time and energies chasing after appearances,\u201d he said, encouraging Catholics to make time each day, when possible, for silence and prayer \u2014 \u201cto withdraw into the desert,\u201d in order to meet the Lord.<\/p>\n
This story was first published in\u00a0two\u00a0parts\u00a0by ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.<\/p>\n