After celebrating Mass in St. Peter's Square this November 1, and officially declared St. John Henry Newman the 38th Doctor of the Church, Pope Leo XVI reflected on the joy of the feast in the contrast to the suffering of war.
The "final destiny" of humanity, he said, is a "great celebration" where we will recognize and admire the "multifaceted beauty of faces, all different and all resembling the face of Christ."
Thinking of this future reality makes the suffering of the present times even more painful, he said, urging prayer through the intercession of Our Lady and all the saints.
Before praying the midday Angelus, he said:
Sisters and brothers, the mystery of the communion of saints, which we breathe in deeply today, reminds us of the final destiny of humanity: a great celebration in which we rejoice together in the love of God, present in all, recognizing and admiring the multifaceted beauty of faces, all different and all resembling the face of Christ.
As we anticipate this future reality, we feel even more strongly and painfully how this contrasts with the tragedies that the human family is suffering because of injustice and war. We urgently feel the duty to be builders of fraternity. Let us entrust our prayer and our commitment to the intercession of the Virgin Mary and all the Saints!
