Women who fight and pray



Pope Francis expressed his appreciation to those “who fight for their families, who pray and never grow weary”, these women who “by their attitude provide us with a true witness of faith and courage, and a  model of prayer”. The Holy Father said this at the Angelus on Sunday, 21 October, in St Peter's Square, drawing on the Gospel parable of the widow, “who by pleading with a dishonest judge succeeds in obtaining justice from him”. The Pope also spoke about World Mission Day, recalling the testimony of Afra Martinelli, who died recently when her house in Nigeria was attacked. Martinelli had lived in Nigeria for more than 30 years. “The method of the Christian mission”, he said, “is not proselytism but rather to sharing the flame that warms the soul”, and this murdered missionary “spread the flame of faith” and “fought the good fight”. Furthermore the Pontiff  expressed his solidarity with the people of the Philippines who were struck by the expressed. He also greeted the participants of the “100 metre sprint of faith”, an initiative of the Pontifical Council for Culture.

--2013-10-22 L’Osservatore Romano
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