Pope Francis: God will never abandon us

Our only certainty is that our life is in the hands of the Lord, and that God will never abandon us, Pope Francis saidin his address to pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square for the Angelus on Sunday. Even the most sacred human constructions are "transitory" he said, warning them not to place their faith in them or in "false messiahs" who speculate on people's needs.

Nothing can be lost if we place our lives in the hands of the Lord, Pope Francis said, as he reflected on the Gospel reading of the day which tells of the destruction of the Temple and the signs of the end of times.

Commenting on the many "false messiahs" that exist in the world today - people who speculate on the human need for security - Pope Francis invited the faithful not to be terrified or disorientated by wars, revolutions and calamities "because they too are part of the reality of the world."

He pointed out that the history of the Church is full of examples of people who have endured terrible suffering and tribulations with serenity because they placed themselves fully in God's hands.

"He is a faithful Father, a caring Father, who never abandons his children" he said. "What really counts is to stand firm in the Lord, to walk in hope and to work to build a better world, despite the difficulties and the sad events that mark personal and collective existence."

Pointing out that, on the day in which all the Holy Doors were closed, signaling the end of the Jubilee of Mercy, the Pope said "on the one hand the Holy Year has urged us to keep our eyes fixed on the ultimate fulfillment of God's Kingdom, and on the other, to build a future on earth, working to evangelize the present, so as to make it a time of salvation for all."

After the recitation of the Angelus prayer, the Pope recalled the observance of the Italian Day of Thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and of human labour, and he expressed his hope for a sustainable cultivation of mother earth.

"The Church is close and grateful towards the world of agriculture and exhorts all not to forget those who, in various parts of the world, are deprived of essential goods such as food and water" he said.

Source: Vatican Radio