Pope Francis called for prayer for the perecuted church (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

We must become aware of what is going on in the world. While Christians in our own countries are experiencing increasing difficulties, they are yet at nothing compared with what our Christian brothers and brothers are experiencing elsewhere in the world. Lest it be thought that we are focusing too much on the subject [see previous blog post here], this is what our Holy Father Pope Francis has to say on the matter:

The Catholic Herald

The pope has asked people to pray for persecuted Christians in the world, days after the worst massacre of the faithful at a Church in Pakistan.

At his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square today Pope Francis continued his series of audience talks about the creed – looking at what Catholics believe about the church – and focused on the Catholic belief in “one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.” and he called for people to care for the persecuted faithful, to be “genuinely concerned about their plight, just as one would be for a family member in distress

Catholics of every culture, language and part of the world are united in their common baptism and in sharing the church’s one faith and sacramental life, the pope said.

This unity in faith, hope, the sacraments and ministry “are like columns that support and hold together the one great edifice of the church,” he said. And it also helps Catholics feel like members of one family, “united no matter the distance” between them.

But the pope asked people to reflect upon whether they live out this unity or are they uninterested, preferring to be closed off from others, isolated within their own community, group of friends or nation.

“It’s sad to see a ‘privatised’ church because of egoism and this lack of faith,” he said. It’s especially sad when there are so many fellow Christians in the world who are suffering or being persecuted because of their faith, he said.

“Am I indifferent or is it like someone in the family is suffering?” he asked.

He asked everyone to be honest with themselves and respond in their hearts: “How many of you pray for Christians who are persecuted” and for those who are in difficulty for professing and defending the faith?

“It’s important to look beyond one’s own fence, to feel oneself as church, one family of God,” he said.

But throughout history and even today, people within the church have not always lived this unity, he said.

“Sometimes misunderstandings, conflicts, tensions and divisions crop up that harm (unity), and so the church doesn’t have the face we would want, it doesn’t demonstrate love and what God wants.”

“And if we look at the divisions that still exist among Christians, Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants, we feel the hard work (needed) to make this unity fully visible.”

The world today needs unity, he said: “We need reconciliation, communion, and the church is the home of communion.”

Building unity starts with oneself and starts at home, the pope said.

“Everyone ask yourselves: Do I build unity in my family, parish and community or am I a gossiper? Am I the reason for division and difficulty?”

 (The text of the pope’s audience remarks in English is available online here.)