In Palermo, Italy, in a solemn ceremony, Father Ibrahim Sabbagh was awarded the prize.
This commemoration is the 14th anniversary of the martyrdom of Father Pino Puglisi, the priest who sacrificed himself on the altar of the service of the Lord and the service of the other.
The celebration began with the words of His Holiness Pope Francis, who recalled the smile of Father Puglisi, the smile with which he faced his killers … in which he said that the world today needs priests who bear this smile … and give themselves for the love of the other.
This year’s celebration bears a special theme, the theme of childhood suffering, the childhood served by the utopian Pino and cared about it to keep it away from the homelessness and falling into the hands of the mafia, which was hunting the homeless children to turn them into criminals… with his hard work in the follow-up of children and young people, raising them with science and ethics, and helping them differentiate the invitations, his pastoral work contributed to attracting young people to the world of good.
Among the seven people who took the prize this year was Father Ibrahim, he even was the first to be invited to the theater to receive the award.
After a few scenes from Aleppo, from the suffering and the pain and the work that Father Ibrahim has done until today and continues to do, to spread the joy, the joy of hope in the hearts, then Father Ibrahim was given the microphone to give his speech, after the announcers announced the reason for his selection for the award.
Father Ibrahim began by giving thanks for inviting to get the award and announced that he would accept it not only on the behalf of all the priests in Aleppo who offer their lives every day in the service of the suffering people but in the name of all the bishops, consecrated, seculars and good-willed people and everyone consecrating all his power in the service of the suffering people.
Father Ibrahim remembers and draws attention to the suffering of the children in Aleppo, he goes back in his memories to those who were crushed under the rubble of their homes as a result of the rockets fired by the armed groups. As well as children who have suffered and continue to suffer from every disease because of what happened and happens in Syria in general and in Aleppo in particular.
All those children, and indeed every human being deserves to be given a helping hand and to receive a smile that gives him hope …
The smile of Father Puglisi was an expression of hope filling the heart of that priest and declaring that good will ultimately triumph over evil because Jesus Christ rose and overtook evil with love…
He was then asked by an announcer about the people who did not want to help the people in western Aleppo, and he said that unfortunately, some would not want to help for one reason or another. But more importantly, there are many who help, pray for us and help with practical love to ease suffering …
The first of them is His Holiness Pope Francis, who spoke yesterday about a Syria in pain and launched another peace appeal …
Father Ibrahim expressed his thanks to all who pray for Syria and for all who help … and conveyed his gratitude to the whole Church and to every human being who helped and helps.
After that, Father Ibrahim received the award which is a circular plate of porcelain, with the smiling face of father Puglisi and his hand extended towards the hand of a person in pain and in need. This event was held at the Politeama Theater, one of the oldest and oldest theaters in Palermo…
Congratulations to Father Ibrahim, whom we know doesn’t give as much importance to the award as to continue his service and his pastoral work humanly and spiritually…
God bless you, dear father…
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