“I am reminded of Albania, of how this country has managed to get back on its feet, in dignity and faith, after so much persecution and destruction. The Israelites experienced the same suffering in exile”, Pope Francis said, speaking off the cuff during today’s catechesis. The Pontiff focused his remarks on chapters 30 and 31 of the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, which make up the so-called “book of consolation”, in which “God’s mercy is revealed as something capable of comforting the afflicted and open their hearts to hope”. “Today, we too want to hear this message of consolation”, Pope Francis told the some 25,000 faithful present, recalling that Jeremiah “addressed these words to the Israelites who had been deported to a foreign land, telling them they would return to their homelands”. “This return is a sign of the infinite love of God the Father who never abandons His children, but cares for them and saves them”, Pope Francis remarked. “The exile had been a devastating experience for the Israelites. Their faith had been shaken, because in a foreign land, with no temple, no worship, after their country had been destroyed, it was difficult for them to continue to believe in the goodness of the Lord”.