Pope Francis called for the release of two religious brothers, members of the Congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, who are still being held hostage in Haiti.
« I have learned with relief that in Haiti, a teacher and four of the six religious brothers of the Frères du Sacré-Cœur Institute, kidnapped last February 23rd, have been freed, » the pope said after praying the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square March 17. « I ask for the release as soon as possible of the other two brothers and all those people still being held hostage in that beloved country, so fraught with violence. »
The kidnappings took place as Catholic religious have become targets for ransom in Haiti by armed gangs. In January, a group of six religious sisters were freed less than a week after being kidnapped by armed assailants. The United Nations said that more than 1,100 people had been killed, injured or kidnapped by gangs in January 2024 alone.
« I invite all the political and social actors to abandon any personal interest and to engage in a spirit of solidarity in the pursuit of the common good, supporting a peaceful transition to a country that, with the help of the international community, may be equipped with solid institutions capable of restoring order and tranquility among its citizens, » the pope said about the crisis in Haiti.
In his main speech, Francis reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from St. John, in which Jesus « tells us something important: that on the cross we will see his glory and that of the father. »
On the cross, the pope said, Jesus shows that « glory, for God, does not correspond to human success, fame and popularity. »
« Glory, for God, has nothing self-referential about it, it is not a grandiose manifestation of power to be followed by public applause, » he said. « For God, glory is to love to the point of giving one’s life. Glorification, for him, means giving himself, making himself accessible, offering his love. »
Francis said that God’s freely given love « reached its culmination on the cross, right there, where Jesus outspread God’s love to the maximum, fully revealing the face of mercy, giving us life and forgiving his crucifiers. »
The Lord’s true glory, « which never fades and makes us happy, is made up of giving and forgiveness, » he said. « Giving and forgiveness are the essence of the glory of God. »
On other hand, worldly glory « fades » and « does not leave joy in the heart; it does not even lead to the good of all, but rather to division, discord and envy, » Francis said, encouraging Christians to remember that « when we give and forgive, God’s glory shines in us. »
