During his Angelus address for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, Pope Francis made an impassioned plea for women, expressing his hope that women who are “enslaved to the arrogance of the powerful” may be allowed to have a life of “peace, justice and love.”

Vatican Radio is reporting on the address in which he elaborated on the assumption of Mary as a great mystery that pertains to all of us regarding our future.

“The exultation of this humble girl from Galilee, expressed in the canticle of the Magnificat, becomes the song of all mankind, who is pleased to see the Lord reach down to all men and all women, lowly creatures, and take them with him in into heaven,” the Pope said.

Mary suffered much in her life, even as a young girl, which is why the Pope chose to address the suffering of womankind on this solemn feast.

“The Canticle of Mary also leads us to think about many actual sad situations, in particular those women overwhelmed by the weight of life and the drama of violence; of women who are slaves to the arrogance of the powerful; the girls forced into inhumane work; the women forced to surrender in both body and spirit to the avarice of men,” he said.

“May they as soon as possible begin a life of peace, justice, and love: waiting for the day when they finally feel grasped by hands that do not humiliate; but with tenderness that will lift them up and guide them on the road of life, and on to heaven.”

He concluded with a prayer: “We ask the Lord that He at the same time lead them by the hand along life’s path, and free them from this slavery.”

Last Friday, Pope Francis visited a refugee center in Rome which houses women who have been rescued from prostitution. The visit is part of his “Friday of Mercy” campaign in honor of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

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