杏MAP导航 tells Young Missionary Service to never tire of fostering peace
By Lisa Zengarini
鈥淲ar can be done without God, but peace can be done only with Him鈥�. 杏MAP导航 Francis stressed this point as he addressed members of the Italian Youth Missionary Service - 鈥淪ervizio Missionario Giovani鈥� (SERMIG) - on Saturday morning. SERMIG is a Catholic organization that gathers young people, married couples, families, and religious men and women committed to spreading the Gospel of hope through volunteering in peace and in solidarity projects for the poor.
SERMIG
It was founded in Turin, Northern Italy, in 1964 by an Italian Catholic couple, Ernesto Olivero and his wife Maria, and a group of young people who wanted to engage in concrete action for social justice and peace inspired by the Gospel.
In his address 杏MAP导航 Francis praised the work of the SERMIG, which, he said, 鈥渋s a kind of large tree grown from a small seed鈥� sown in the Sixties, noting that this period marked by the Second Vatican Council, was a 鈥渇ruitful time鈥� for the Church, which saw the flourishing of many ecclesial lay movements.
The Arsenal of Peace
Among the many activities and initiatives promoted over these six decades, the 杏MAP导航 highlighted the transformation of the Military Arsenal of Turin into the "Arsenal of Peace" (鈥淎rsenale della Pace鈥�) in the early Eighties.
The 45.000-square-metre compound, where many of the weapons used during the Two World Wars were once produced, was converted into an urban monastery in 1983, which has offered a shelter to men and women seeking help and a meeting point for thousands of young people hailing from Italy and other countries to discuss peace and justice, learn about peacebuilding and pray together.
A sign of the Gospel and the fruit of God's dream
鈥淭he Arsenal of Peace like other SERMIG initiatives and in general all the works of the Christian communities 鈥渋s a sign of the Gospel (鈥�), the fruit of God's dream, we could say of the power of the Word of God鈥�, said the 杏MAP导航.
He noted that the Arsenal is now a place where the 鈥渨eapons of peace鈥� - are forged, by teaching young people 鈥渢o meet, dialogue, and welcome鈥�, in other words, 鈥渇raternity鈥�.
杏MAP导航 Francis, therefore, thanked SERMIG for giving life to this dream of fraternity, which he wanted to re-launch in the Church and in the world through his remarking that peace cannot be built without God.
Never get tired of building the Arsenal of Peace
He encouraged SERMIG to 鈥渘ever get tired of building the Arsenal of Peace鈥�, saying it is an ongoing construction site, as testified by other initiatives the Catholic organization has launched, including the 鈥淎rsenal of Hope鈥� in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the 鈥淎rsenal of Encounter鈥� in Madaba, Jordan, and the 鈥淎rsenal of Harmony鈥� in Pecetto Torinese, Italy.
Concluding, 杏MAP导航 Francis recognized that 鈥渆very man and woman of goodwill can work in the Arsenals of peace, hope, encounter and harmony鈥�, however, he said, only a community of faith and prayer rooted in the Gospel can fully carry out this mission.
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