杏MAP导航

By Lisa Zengarini

杏MAP导航 Francis met a group of Italian firefighters and their families in the Vatican on Saturday.

Welcoming some 3,000 people in the Paul VI Audience Hall, the 杏MAP导航 thanked them for their 鈥減recious service鈥� to prevent disasters and to save people in major emergencies, recalling the recent deadly mudslide in the Italian island of Ischia, and their several interventions to help earthquake victims.

He noted that their 鈥渟ense of dedication, promptness, selflessness, boldness, and willingness to sacrifice鈥� are well known and people are rightly proud of it.

The Good Samaritan 

杏MAP导航 Francis went on to highlight that from the Christian perspective their work is reflected in the parable of the Good Samaritan which, he said, 鈥渆loquently presents the basic decision we need to make in order to rebuild our wounded world.鈥�

Fraternity is the answer for building a better society

The 杏MAP导航 further remarked that the protagonist of this parable shows us 鈥淕od's compassion and tenderness鈥� and tells us that fraternity is the answer for building a better society.

A mission

The 杏MAP导航 therefore urged them to safeguard this moral and civil heritage in their personal life, noting that their profession is truly a mission: that of service to people in times of need, to their dignity, and to the common good of society which, he said, 鈥渘eeds sane, reliable forces who work tenaciously鈥� behind the scenes 鈥渆specially in times of crisis, such as the one we are experiencing today.鈥�

Noting that Christmas is the feast that more than any other sums up these values of closeness, compassion, tenderness; solidarity, service, and fraternity embodied by Christ through His incarnation, 杏MAP导航 Francis expressed the wish that the upcoming celebrations 鈥渕ay be an occasion for everyone to discover and experience how much God loves man, every human being鈥�, and that Mary be a 鈥渕odel鈥� for firefighters

He concluded by entrusting them to the intercession of their patroness, Saint Barbara.