Pope Francis: the good always wins

Pope Francis delivers his speech as he celebrates a New Year’s Eve vespers mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 31, 2015.

Welcoming the new year, Pope Francis said it is time to end indifference and what he calls “false neutrality” regarding the injustice, persecution, wars and misery in the world.

Although the past year may bring both happy and painful memories, he said, it also challenges Christians to ponder on whether world events occurred according to God’s will or through people’s plans, which are “often loaded with private interests, an unquenchable thirst for power and gratuitous violence”.

The enemy of peace is not merely war, the pope said, “but also indifference that makes one think only of oneself and creates barriers, suspicions, fears and closure”.

Pope Francis smiles as he leads his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican on December 16, 2015.

And he wondered aloud how long human evil will keep sowing violence and hatred.

He did not refer to any particular country, but he has relentlessly urged national governments to help and support the refugees and migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East that have poured into Europe in recent years.

To highlight the benefits springing from forgiveness and reconciliation in the world, Francis declared a Holy Year of Mercy, which began last month and runs through November 2016.

Pope Francis concluded his homily with a few words for the people of the local church of Rome, inviting Romans to “go beyond the difficulties of the present moment”, and never miss the opportunity to be “privileged interpreters of faith, welcome, fraternity, and peace”.