Acta Francisci Pp. 345

who treasures the peace of Christ as a guiding light and way of life can become a peacemaker.3

At the same time, peace is a daily endeavour, a courageous and au- thentic effort to favour reconciliation, to promote experiences of sharing, to extend bridges of dialogue, to serve the weakest and the excluded. In a word, peace consists in building up a « culture of encounter ».

And so I wish here to express my heartfelt thanks to you, because in the midst of so many trials and sufferings the Church in Nigeria does not cease to witness to hospitality, mercy and forgiveness. How can we fail to remember the priests, religious men and women, missionaries and catechists who, despite untold sacrifices, never abandoned their flock, but remained at their service as good and faithful heralds of the Gospel? To them, most particularly, I would like to express my solidarity, and to say: do not grow tired of doing what is right!

We give thanks to the Lord for them, as for so many men and women of every social, cultural and religious background, who with great willingness stand up in concrete ways to every form of violence, and whose efforts are directed at favouring a more secure and just future for all. They offer us moving testimonies, which, as Pope Benedict XVI recalled at the end of the Synod for Africa, show « the power of the Spirit to transform the hearts of victims and their persecutors and thus to re-establish fraternity ».4

Dear Brother Bishops, in perseverance and without becoming discouraged, go forward on the way of peace.5 Accompany the victims! Come to the aid of the poor! Teach the youth! Become promoters of a more just and fraternal society!

I gladly impart to you my Apostolic Blessing, which I ask you to extend to priests, religious, missionaries, catechists, lay faithful and above all to those suffering members of the Body of Christ.

May the Resurrection of the Lord bring conversion, reconciliation and peace to all the people of Nigeria! I commend you to Mary, Queen of Africa, and I ask you also to pray for me.

From the Vatican, 2 March 2015

FRANCIS PP.

3 Cf. Mt 5: 9. 4 Africae Munus, 20. 5 Cf. Lk 1: 79.