Pope prays for all exploited women and girls days after visiting group of ex-prostitutes
Categories: Articles:Human Rights |
Published: 16/08/2016 |
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Pope Francis prays for all exploited women and girls just three days after visiting a group of young women rescued from the sex trade. Pope Francis celebrated the feast of the Assumption by praying for all exploited women and girls. (The Tablet)
"The Lord bows down to the lowly in order to raise them up as is proclaimed in the Magnificat," Mary's hymn of praise to God, the Pope said today (15 August).
"Mary's canticle leads us to think of many painful situations today and particularly those of women overpowered by the burdens of life and the drama of violence, women who are slaves of the abuse of the powerful, girls forced into inhuman work, women forced to surrender body and spirit to the greed of men," Pope Francis told thousands of people gathered to pray the Angelus with him.
The Pope prayed that exploited women soon would be able to live "a life of peace, justice and love in expectation of the day they finally will feel held by hands that do not humiliate them, but tenderly lift them and lead them on the path to life".
Pope Francis also prayed on the feast day that Mary would intercede to bring "compassion, understanding and agreement" to the many places in the world experiencing war and violent conflicts.
"My thoughts particularly go to the inhabitants of North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, recently struck by new massacres," he said, referring to reports that suspected rebels killed 42 people in the town of Beni on 13 August. Such massacres, he said, have been occurring for months in "shameful silence."
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