After praying for peace in Afghanistan, the Pope expressed his closeness with the people of Haiti after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean nation.
POPE FRANCIS
“I want to express my closeness to the dear people hard hit by the earthquake. While I lift up my prayer to the Lord for the victims, I extend my word of encouragement to the survivors, hoping that the interest of the international community to help might move toward them.”
The earthquake's center was about 80 miles west of the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, and was stronger that the 7.0-magnitude earthquake which devastated Haiti in 2010.
The Pope offered a special Hail Mary for Haiti.
POPE FRANCIS
“Let us pray together to our Mother for Haiti. Hail Mary…”
On the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Francis urged us to follow Mary's example of humility to invite God into our lives.
POPE FRANCIS
“Mary’s secret is humility. It is her humility that attracted God’s gaze to her. God does not exalt us because of our gifts, because of our wealth or how well we do things, but because of humility. God loves humility.'
He urged the pilgrims in St. Peter's Square to visit a Marain Shrine, and suggested they pray before one of his favorite Marian icons in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, the Salus Populi Romani.
JM
