Pope Francis calls for justice and dialogue in Belarus

Pope Francis offered a prayer for Belarus on Sunday calling for respect for justice and dialogue after a week of violent clashes over the controversial presidential election.

“I closely follow the post-electoral situation in this country and appeal to dialogue, the rejection of violence and respect for justice and the law. I entrust all Belarusians to the protection of Our Lady, Queen of Peace, ”Pope Francis said in his address to the Angelus on August 16.

Protests erupted in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, on 9 August after government election officials announced a landslide victory for Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994.

EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said the elections in Belarus "were neither free nor fair" and condemned the government's repression and arrests of demonstrators.

An estimated 6.700 people were arrested during protests where protesters clashed with police forces, who used tear gas and rubber bullets. The United Nations condemned police violence as it violates international human rights standards.

Pope Francis said he was praying for "dear Belarus" and continues to pray for Lebanon, as well as "other dramatic situations in the world that are making people suffer".

In his reflection on the Angelus, the pope said that everyone can look to Jesus for healing, pointing to the Sunday Gospel account of a Canaanite woman who called Jesus to heal her daughter.

“This is what this woman, this good mother teaches us: the courage to bring her own story of pain before God, before Jesus; it touches the tenderness of God, the tenderness of Jesus, ”he said.

“Each of us has our own story… Many times it is a difficult story, with a lot of pain, many misfortunes and many sins,” he said. “What should I do with my story? Do I hide it? No! We must bring it before the Lord “.

The pope recommended that each person think about their own life story, including the "bad things" in that story, and bring it to Jesus in prayer.

“Let's go to Jesus, knock on Jesus' heart and tell him: 'Lord, if you want it, you can heal me!'

He said it is important to remember that Christ's heart is filled with compassion and that he endures our pains, sins, mistakes and failures.

“This is why it is necessary to understand Jesus, to be familiar with Jesus,” he said. “I always go back to the advice I give you: always carry a small pocket Gospel with you and read a passage every day. There you will find Jesus as he is, as he presents himself; you will find Jesus who loves us, who loves us very much, who wants our well-being tremendously “.

“Let us remember the prayer: 'Lord, if you will, you can heal me!' A beautiful prayer. Carry the Gospel with you: in your purse, in your pocket and even on your mobile phone, to look at. May the Lord help us, all of us, to pray this beautiful prayer, ”he said