ROME — Pope Francis insisted Wednesday that Christ’s salvation is for all peoples and must be proclaimed to everyone.
“Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany, that is, the manifestation of the Lord to all peoples: in fact, the salvation wrought by Christ knows no boundaries. It is for everyone,” the pope said following the midday Angelus prayer on the Epiphany, which recalls the visit of the three Wise Men to the child Jesus at Bethlehem.
Epiphany celebrates “the light that illumines every man and women, the light to be welcomed in faith and the light to bring to others in charity, through witness, in the proclamation of the Gospel,” he said.
The pontiff went on to assert that the light given by God and destined to enlighten the path of all the peoples “has the power to attract everyone, near and far, everyone sets out on the path to reach it.”
This light “is the Baby of Bethlehem, it is Jesus, even if His kingship was not accepted by everyone,” Francis continued.
“He is the star who appeared on the horizon, the awaited Messiah, the One through whom God would inaugurate His kingdom of love, His kingdom of justice and of peace,” he said. “He was born not only for some, but for all men and women, for all peoples.”
“The light is for all peoples, salvation is for all peoples,” the pope declared.
“Christ’s light spreads through the proclamation of the Gospel. Through proclamation…by word and witness,” he said.
“Christ’s light does not expand only through words, through fake methods, commercial ones,” he added, but only “through faith, word and witness.”
“The star is Christ, but we too can and must also be the star for our brothers and sisters, as witnesses of the treasures of goodness and infinite mercy that the Redeemer offers freely to everyone” he said.
“Christ’s light does not expand through proselytism. It expands through witness, through the confession of the faith. Even through martyrdom,” he concluded.