Pope Francis has once again called for an end to the war in Ukraine. In his midday prayers this Sunday, he called for “the restoration of that small piece of humanity that creates the conditions for a diplomatic solution in the search for a just and lasting peace.”
Two years after the start of the war in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Major Archbishop of Kiev, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, calls on the Catholic Church around the world to…
The second anniversary of the start of this war was celebrated “with sadness” on Saturday. “So many victims, injuries, destruction, fear, tears in a time that will be terribly long and whose end is not yet predictable,” said Francisco, without naming the aggressor, Russia. This war not only devastates the corresponding region of Europe, but “also triggers a worldwide wave of fear and hatred”. The Pope once again expressed his “deep affection for the tormented Ukrainian people” and promised his prayers “for everyone”, especially for the many innocent victims.
Furthermore, the Pope called for prayer for Palestine, Israel and many other war-torn regions of the world and appealed for concrete help for those who suffer. “Let us think of the innocent and injured children,” said Francis in St. Peter’s Square.
He specifically referred to two regions in crisis in Africa, firstly eastern Congo, where groups suspected of Islamic terrorism devastated villages and murdered dozens of people this week. “I join the bishops’ call to pray for peace, hoping for an end to the fighting and seeking sincere and constructive dialogue,” the pope said. But “increasingly frequent kidnappings” in Nigeria have also caused concern. Francis called for efforts “to contain the spread of these incidents as much as possible.”
(Vatican news – gs)