Pope Francis New Year's Address Urges Acceptance, Global Solidarity

By Emma Koonse, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, January 02, 2014

Pope Francis issued a blessing on New Year's Day Wednesday urging listeners to accept one another's differences.

It was the pontiff's first New Year blessing in front of huge crowds on St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, and the 77-year-old emphasized strength, courage, hope, and recognizing enemies as brothers.

"We are all children of one heavenly father, we belong to the same human family and we share a common destiny," Francis said, according to the Associated Press.

"This brings a responsibility for each to work so that the world becomes a community of brother who respect each other, accept each other in one's diversity, and takes care of one another," the pope continued.

Then, Pope Francis detailed his growing concern over the violence found in the world.

"We have to stop on this road of violence! What is happening in the heart of man," he asked on New Year's Day, also known as Catholic World Peace Day. "What is happening in the heart of humanity? It's time to stop."

Furthermore, Francis said he hoped that a "cry for peace" in the world would make way for communication that would "tear down walls that prevent enemies from seeing each other as brothers," according to Yahoo News.

"I, too, believe that is will be good for us to stop ourselves in this path of violence and search for peace," Francis added.

The 266th Pope of the Catholic Church began his papacy on March 13, 2013. Francis' predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, resigned as a result of "advanced age," becoming the first pope to resign in almost 700 years.

Pope Francis from Buenos Aires, Argentina is the first Pope from the Americas, the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European Pope since Pope Gregory III, 1272 years earlier.

Upon his election, Pope Francis has become very popular for his grounded demeanor and commitment for reforming the Vatican. Francis' popularity is especially meaningful since the Catholic Church has seen shocking child sex abuse scandals and diminishing numbers of church-goers in the West.