By Charles Igwe
During his Angelus address on Sunday morning, Pope Francis underscored the importance of inclusivity, stating, “God does not discriminate against anyone because He loves everyone.”
Drawing on the day’s Gospel, Pope Francis reflected on the two intertwined miracles: the healing of a woman with a hemorrhage who touched Jesus’ cloak, and the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter. He emphasized the significance of physical touch in these stories, noting that both involved individuals considered ritually unclean. “Even before the physical healing,” the Pope said, Jesus “challenges a religious misconception, according to which God separates the pure on one side and the impure on the other.”
The Holy Father invited the faithful to embrace the image of God as one who takes us by the hand and lifts us up, who allows Himself to be touched by our pain, and who touches us to heal and give us life again. Despite life’s sufferings and even in the face of sin, the Pope stressed, “God does not keep us at a distance. He draws near to let Himself be touched and to touch us, and He always raises us from death.”
Pope Francis called on the faithful to “look to the heart of God” and to foster a Church and society that excludes no one. He urged for a community where no one is treated as impure and where everyone, with their unique stories, is welcomed and loved without labels or prejudices.
