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Skriven 2005-02-14 23:16:26 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45.1)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service (Press Release)
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Hello All!

              The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                        Vatican Information Service.
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               VIS-Press releases

I NEED YOUR HELP TO ACCOMPLISH MY MISSION

VATICAN CITY, FEB 13, 2005 (VIS) - At midday today, the Pope appeared at the
window of his private study to pray the Angelus with thousands of people
gathered below in St Peter's Square.

Prior to the Marian prayer, Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, substitute of the
Secretariat of State, read a text prepared by the Holy Father.

"I would like to thank you all," the Holy Father writes, "including those who
are following us on radio and television, for your closeness, affection and,
above all, your prayers during the days I spent in the Gemelli Polyclinic. I
always feel the need for your help before the Lord, in order to carry out the
mission that Jesus has entrusted to me."

After recalling that Lent began last Wednesday with the imposition of ashes,
John Paul II affirms that this liturgical time "reminds us of a fundamental
truth: we do not enter eternal life without carrying our cross together with
Christ. We do not achieve happiness and peace without courageously facing the
interior struggle. This struggle is won with the arms of penitence: prayer,
fasting and works of mercy. And all must be done secretly, without hypocrisy,
in a spirit of sincere love towards God and our brothers and sisters."

Before closing, the Pope asks the faithful to pray for him and his
collaborators in the Roman Curia during their week of spiritual exercises which
begins this evening. "In silence and meditation I will pray to the Lord for all
the needs of the Church and of the world."

Following the Angelus, Archbishop Sandri added in the Pope's name: "As I
continue to pray for peace in the Middle East, I make a heartfelt appeal for
the liberation of the Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, and of all those
kidnapped in Iraq."

The Holy Father pronounced the blessing and added before leaving: "I wish
everyone a happy Sunday. Thank you."
ANG/LENT:SPIRITUAL RETREAT/... VIS 050214 (330)

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