TIRANA, December 24 – The Archbishop of the Diocese of Shkodër-Pult, Angelo Massafra, on Saturday congratulated the Catholic, Orthodox believers and all Albanians for the Christmas holiday, calling on everyone to build a culture of peace.
“I wish all those who will receive this message for peace that Jesus Christ brought, coming to this world with his birth. The traditional Christmas message that I usually send before the solemnity of Christmas can have no other theme than that of peace at the end of a year marked by the sad war, which is marring the beautiful face of our Europe with deep scars. While the world powers are trying to assess the consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine and look for concrete ways to resolve the conflict, the world economy is suffering its effects with the further impoverishment of the poorest classes; Eastern European countries, including Albania, feel it in a special way,” Massafra said in his congratulations.
Further the Archbishop put the following questions: “How many wars exist every day within us and around us? Is it not a war the inability to forgive the insults received, the blood feud and murder that still continues in our country, the lack of communication within families that leads to hatred and the breakdown of family ties, the rejection of newborn life or the neglect of the elderly, frauds to the detriment of the state or criminal organizations that kill for interest? Isn’t the cause of war and killings the planting and selling of drugs? Isn’t disrespecting human rights, the rights of workers, the rights of the sick (without asking for and claiming benefits!), of the common good, of our common home, which is the created world, a war? These are some of the areas where each of us can bring peace, but on the condition that we are reconciled inside first,” said Massafra, appealing to everyone’s heart and good will to make peace. /Argumentum.al
