War is never good!

“The horrors of Hiroshima are a permanent warning against war”
The Pope at the Angelus, 70 years after the atomic attacks in Japan: with violence “we always lose”; “from all lands may one voice rise up: yes to dialogue and to peace!”
Domenico Agasso jr
Sunday 09 August 2015
 
“Seventy years ago, on the 6th and the 9th of August 1945, the terrible atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki took place.  Even after so many years, this tragic event still arouses horror and repulsion. This (event) has become the symbol of mankind’s enormous destructive power when it makes a distorted use of scientific and technical progress and serves as a lasting warning to humanity so that it rejects forever war and bans nuclear weapons and all arms of mass destruction.” Pope Francis’ remarks followed the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square, where crowds applauded him as he noted that “Above all, this sad anniversary urges us to pray and strive for peace, to spread brotherhood throughout the world and a climate of peaceful coexistence between peoples.” Here then is the appeal of the Pontiff: “May one cry rise up from every land, ‘No’ to war and violence and ‘Yes’ to dialogue and to peace!” “With war one always loses,” he chanted, “the only way to win a war is never to wage it.”
Before the Angelus, Pope Bergoglio commenced with a reflection on “the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, where Jesus, having accomplished the great miracle of the loaves, explains to the people the meaning of the ‘sign.’ As he had done earlier with the Samaritan woman, starting from the experience of thirst and the sign of the water, Jesus here starts with the experience of hunger and the sign of bread, to reveal Himself and as an invitation to believe in Him.”
Francis continued: “People look for him, people listen to him, because they were enthusiastic about the miracle - they wanted to make him king; but when Jesus said that the true bread, given by God, is himself, many were shocked, and began to murmur among themselves: ‘Of him - they said - do we not know his father and mother? How then can he say, 'I came down from heaven?’ They begin to murmur. Jesus replied, ‘No man can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me,’ and added: ‘He who believes has eternal life.’”
The Pope observed that “this astonishes us, and makes us reflect on the word of the Lord. It introduces the dynamic of faith, which is a relationship: the relationship between human beings - all of us - and the Person of Jesus, where the Father plays a decisive role, and of course the Holy Spirit - who remains implied here.” But it’s not enough “to meet Jesus to believe in Him, it’s not enough to read the Bible, the Gospel; it’s important, but it’s not even enough to witness a miracle… Many people were in close contact with Jesus and they did not believe in him and actually even despised and condemned him.”
The Pontiff went on to wonder: “Why? This happened because their hearts were closed to the work of the Holy Spirit. And if you have a closed heart, faith does not enter. Instead, faith, which is like a seed in the depths of our heart, blooms when we allow ourselves to be drawn by God towards Jesus, and we go to Him with an open mind and with no prejudices; then we see in his face the Face of God and in his words the Word of God, because the Holy Spirit has made us enter into the relationship of love and life that exists between Jesus and God the Father.”
Here it is that “then, with this attitude of faith, we can understand the meaning of ‘the Bread of life’ that Jesus gives us, and that He expresses like this: ‘I am the living bread come down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.’ In Jesus, in his ‘flesh’ - that is, in his concrete humanity - all the love of God is present, which is the Holy Spirit. Those who let themselves be attracted by this love go to Jesus in faith, and receive from Him life, eternal life.”
The Pope added: “She who has lived this experience in an exemplary way is Mary, the Virgin of Nazareth: the first human being who believed in God by welcoming the flesh of Jesus. Let us learn from Her, our Mother, the joy and gratitude for the gift of faith. A gift that is not “private,” it is not private property, but to share: it is ‘for the life of the world.’”  
After the recitation of the midday Angelus Francis also said “I am following with deep concern the news coming from El Salvador where recently the suffering of the population has worsened owing to the famine, the economic crisis, social clashes and growing violence. I encourage the beloved people of El Salvador to persevere united in hope and urge everybody to pray in order that justice and peace can flower ago in the land of the Blessed Oscar Romero.”
Finally, there was the wish of the Pope for all to “Have a good Sunday. And please, do not forget to pray for me! Have a good lunch and goodbye!”