Pope warns he has seen ‘harbingers of even greater destruction and desolation’ for humanity
- The Pope has warned of “harbingers of even greater destruction and devastation.”
- The Pope said that even worse times will come for humanity in the future
- He spoke at a mass commemorating the appearance of Mary in 1531
The pope has offered a harrowing vision of the future, saying he saw signs of an even darker time for humanity.
At a mass at the Vatican on Sunday, the 85-year-old pope said he had a bleak vision for the world with “harbings of even greater destruction and devastation.”
The Mass commemorated the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It commemorates the appearance of the Virgin Mary to a young man, Saint Juan Diego, in Mexico City in 1531. The day is a national holiday in Mexico.
But despite the current difficult times for the world – with wars, particularly Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, rising living costs, poverty, hunger and an international energy crisis – the Pope said he had a vision that things would only get worse.
At a mass in the Vatican on Sunday, the Pope said he had a bleak vision for the world with “harbings of even greater destruction and devastation.”
The fair commemorated the celebration of Out Lady Guadalupe. It commemorates the appearance of the Virgin Mary to a young man, Saint Juan Diego, in Mexico City in 1531
In his homily, the pope said, ‘It is a bitter time, filled with the rumble of war, growing injustice, famine, poverty and suffering’, but in this ‘dark and troubling’ time there are ‘harbingers of even greater destruction and desolation.’
He added that at Christmas “God’s divine love and His descent to us tell us that this too is an auspicious time of salvation in which the Lord, through the Virgin Mother, continues to give us His Son”.
He urged the Vatican community to “get in touch with one another immediately, to go out and meet our brothers and sisters who have been forgotten and rejected by our consumerist and indifferent societies.”
The Pope related the Bible verse from John 3:16: “God, who so loved the world, sent us his Son, who was born of woman, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but eternal life have life”.
Attendees wave to Pope Francis as he departs in his wheelchair after celebrating Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe on Sunday, December 12
Celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Pope said that the Virgin Mary “invites us to leave behind all the prejudices and fears that crowd our hearts and to trust in the true God for whom we live, the leading us with joy and confidence to affirm our belonging to the Lord.’
The year 2031 will mark the 500th anniversary of Mary’s appearance to the young man in Mexico.
Against this background, in preparation for the 500th anniversary, Pope Francis called “all members of the pilgrim Church in America, pastors and believers, to participate in this solemn journey aimed at creating an encounter with God through Our Lady of God promote Guadalupe’.
“She wants to remind us that it was the gospel that shaped the soul of Latin America and that it is our responsibility as believers in Christ to be credible witnesses of Jesus Christ’s love and key protagonists in building a new culture.”