In a taped speech played on BBC Radio 4, Pope Francis talked of building “a world full of hope and kindness,” reports Breaking News.
As he delivered the Thought for the Day on Saturday, the leader of the Catholic Church wished those listening “peace, fellowship, and gratitude” in the next year.
Francis started the festivities for the Church’s Holy Year jubilee, which is a centuries-old custom that currently takes place every 25 years and includes pilgrims travelling to Rome, reports Breaking News.
Thought for the Day is a regular feature on BBC Radio 4’s Today show, which airs at 7.45 am Monday through Saturday, and invites listeners of all major religions to offer their thoughts on the world.
The vice chancellor of the University of Oxford and the program’s guest editor, Professor Irene Tracey, asked Francis to give a speech, reports Breaking News.
Born in Argentina, the 88-year-old recorded his message in Italian and had it translated into English for listeners in the UK.
In the message, Francis said: “Hope and kindness touch the very heart of the Gospel and show us the path to follow in our behaviour. A world full of hope and kindness is a more beautiful world. A society that looks to the future with confidence and treats people with respect and empathy is more humane,” reports Breaking News.
Focusing on the theme of hope, His Holiness said: “Even though we do not know what tomorrow may hold for us, we should not look to the future with pessimism and resignation. Wars, social injustices, and the many forms of violence we are exposed to every day should not dishearten us nor draw us towards scepticism and discouragement,” reports Breaking News.
Francis said kindness was “not a diplomatic strategy” but instead represented a “form of love that opens hearts to acceptance, and helps us all to become more humble”, reports Breaking News.
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