Dear friends,

I am pleased to welcome you to Rome and here to the Vatican this morning, and I hope that you have had, or will have, time to visit the various holy places associated with the early Christians and martyrs, whose witness of faith in our Lord continues to be a lasting source of inspiration, encouraging us too to give our lives for the glory of God and for the good of our brothers and sisters.

There is no doubt that in our day we face difficult challenges, as the world is passing through a particularly turbulent period. There seems to be growing animosity between peoples, evident not only in international conflicts and disputes, as you have observed, but also within individual countries, as shown by the bitterness that so often marks political and social debate.

Given our fallen human condition, it is all too easy to adopt an attitude of hostility towards those with whom we disagree. For this reason, a concerted effort is needed to seek concrete paths of reconciliation and fraternity. In this regard, Jesus shows us another way, revealing that "goodness and charity have the power to disarm". I am therefore sincerely grateful for your presence here and for your shared desire to seek ways of building communion. Indeed, even small gestures can inspire and guide us along the path of reconciliation.

As we well know, our Lord prayed to his heavenly Father for the unity of his disciples: "that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" (Jn 17:23). On the basis of our common Baptism and our shared mission in the world, I pray that we may always grow together in our service to the promotion of peace and justice.

As we continue along this path, we can look to the example of the early martyrs and saints, such as Saint Olav and Saint Sunniva, whose lives, devoted to God and neighbour, helped to unite peoples and bear lasting witness to the transforming power of charity.

And so, dear friends, dear brothers and sisters, I thank you once again for coming this morning and for your closeness. Let us ask for God's blessing, so that, in his infinite goodness and wisdom, he may help us to live ever more authentically as brothers and sisters and thus to bear common witness to our Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you.