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| H.E. Berhaneyesus D. Cardinal Souraphiel |
The Archbishop of Addis Ababa, H.E. Berhaneyesus D. Cardinal Souraphiel has called on the faithful of Ethiopia to remain strong in faith and prayer despite of the challenges of life they are facing as they prepare for the New Year celebrations on September 12.
In his 2008 New Year’s blessing and message (According to the Ethiopian calendar, the year 2007 is ending and 2008 is about to begin) Cardinal Berhaneyesus, who is also chairman of AMECEA said that remaining strong in faith in the family does not mean that there are no problems in marriages. “Couples go through many challenges in their married lives; thus we must pray for Christian families who are facing problems that the Lord may bless them and have Mercy on them,” he said.
“When a year ends and a new one begins we must always remember that we live in God’s gift of Mercy; when we live in the world that He has created for us and a new year He has given us, we must grow more spiritually and need to live as His faithful children,” he said.
He called on the faithful to pray for all Catholic families. He said that the universal Church is currently preparing for the upcoming Synod on Family and the Catholic Church in Ethiopia is praying for all families in preparation for the Synod.
“The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Teachings of the Catholic Church remain the same always. Our Church gives special attention to families as family is a foundation of a society and of the Church. A marriage is between a man and a woman (Mt. 19: 4-6). It is a sacrament and as such in a Catholic marriage, there is no divorce,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of peace for the development and prosperity of a nation. “Co-existing peacefully with all neighboring countries is a benefit for all of us. Thus I ask that we continue our efforts of peace building and pray that Jesus Christ, the King of Peace, may bless us and our neighbouring countries with His peace,” he said.
Finally, he advised that it is important for all people to make proper use of the time given by God “In our family and professional life we must fulfill our responsibility devotedly and with thoughtfulness. It is important to be happy with the time God has given us, and to put Him first before all our activities asking him to bless all our activities and New Year resolutions.”
By Makeda Yohannes, CBCE Communications and Public Relation Office, Ethiopia.