God stands alongside his people in moments of difficulty, pope says

Published: 2005-05-25

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- God does not abandon people in moments of difficulty, but stands alongside them, helping them to continue to hope and trust in his power to save, Pope Benedict XVI said. "God is not indifferent to the drama faced by his creatures," the pope said May 25 at his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square. During the audience, the pope marked the annual celebration of Africa Day saying, "My thoughts and prayers are with the beloved people of Africa." He said, "I encourage our Catholic institutions to continue giving generous attention to their needs and I hope and pray that the international community will become ever more involved in the problems of the African continent." At the end of the audience, the pope met with three national delegations from the continent visiting Rome for events related to Africa Day and a weeklong series of events promoting closer ties between Italy and Africa.

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