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Pope Francis’ greeting to a delegation from the Evangelical Baptist Roma Mission in Italy
Thursday, 12th December 2024
Dear brothers and sisters,
I greet you as children of the same Father and brothers in Christ, by whose wounds we have been healed, and as fellow travelers on the pilgrimage of faith, love and hope.
In welcoming you as representatives of the Evangelical Baptist Roma Mission in Italy, I wish to extend a fraternal greeting to all members of the Roma people and to those whom you serve daily.
With this greeting, I would like us to renew our common certainty that nothing and no one can ever separate us from the love of God.
And may this certainty make us credible witnesses through a zealous love, through some shared experiences of prayer and service.
May the Holy Spirit inspire and strengthen in us the courage and joy to proclaim together the Gospel of hope, especially to the Roma communities.
Fraternal cooperation among Christians is in itself a sign, a witness, the first instrument of evangelization for the good of all.
And in a mysterious way, the unity of action inspired by the Gospel brings us closer to the full unity of faith through mutual knowledge and esteem.
Dear brothers and sisters, as we prepare to celebrate the Nativity, may our common earthly pilgrimage be marked by the words of the Psalmist: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart be encouraged; wait for the Lord” (Ps 27:14).
Thank you very much for your visit. And I invite you to pray together the prayer that Jesus taught us. Our Father…
