Pope: mercy and pity for battered Ukrainian people

Pope Francis addressed a thought to Ukraine today in the Angelus. KEYSTONE / EPA / MAXIMUM PERCOSSI sda-ats

This content was published on August 14, 2022 – 6:32 pm

(Keystone-SDA)

At the end of the Angelus, on this second Sunday in August, Pope Francis does not fail to make his voice heard again on the tragic conflict in Ukraine.

“Mercy is the way of salvation for each one of us and for the whole world. And we ask the Lord for special mercy, mercy and pity for the tortured Ukrainian people”, the Pope said.

Ukrainian flags – as the Pontiff himself notes – also wave among the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, as well as Polish, French, Italian and Argentine flags. And it is precisely in addressing the Polish faithful that Bergoglio addresses “a special thought to the numerous pilgrims who today gathered in the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow, where twenty years ago St. John Paul II made the Act of Entrusting the world to Divine Mercy “. “Today more than ever we see the meaning of that gesture – he underlines – that we want to renew in prayer and in the witness of life”.

The Pope’s desire to go to Ukraine could materialize soon, compatibly with his health conditions, although it is not yet clear whether before or after the trip to Kazakhstan scheduled for 13 to 15 September next, during which he should meet the patriarch of Moscow Kirill. Preliminary to the visit to Kiev was also the telephone conversation that Francis had two days ago with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who reported in a tweet that he had “updated him on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, on its horrible crimes. “.

“I am grateful to the Pontiff for his prayers for Ukraine – said Zelensky -. Our people need the support of world spiritual leaders who should convey to the world the truth about the acts of horror committed by the aggressor in Ukraine”.

And shortly after, the Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See, Andrii Yurash, confirmed: “The Ukrainian state and society will be happy to greet the Holy Father. The papal touch to the suffering land can help stop war and create peace. “.

Meanwhile, in the appeals to today’s Angelus, Francis’ thought does not go only to Ukraine. “I would like to draw attention to the serious humanitarian crisis affecting Somalia and some areas of neighboring countries”, he says. “The populations of this region, who already live in very precarious conditions – he warns -, are now in mortal danger due to the drought”. The Pope therefore hopes “that international solidarity can respond effectively to this emergency”. “Unfortunately the war distracts attention and resources – he concludes -, but these are the objectives that require the utmost commitment: the fight against hunger, health, education”.

Pope: mercy and pity for battered Ukrainian people