Concluding the meeting with the pilgrims on November 27, Pope Francis asked not to forget about the Ukrainian people, who are on the threshold of a difficult winter. The pontiff asked the children present at the audience to pray for their peers in Ukraine. With a call for solidarity in this vein, he addressed the Poles as well.
Points of attention
- Pope Francis encourages the world to show solidarity and support Ukrainians during the challenging winter conditions.
- The Pope opposes the UOC-MP ban in Ukraine, advocating for the freedom to pray in one's church.
- He calls for prayers for peace in the Holy Land and mercy for those affected by war.
- Pope Francis emphasizes the importance of freedom of choice in worship and calls for support for Ukrainians enduring a harsh winter.
- He reminds people to pray for the martyred Ukrainian people, especially the children and teenagers suffering in the cold.
The Pope called to support Ukrainians during the difficult winter
Pope Francis pointed out the difficult conditions in which Ukrainians are preparing to survive the next winter at the end of the general audience in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.
Congratulating young people, the sick, the elderly and the newlyweds at the end of his meeting with the pilgrims, Pope Francis reminded that Advent, the period of preparation for Christmas, begins.
I encourage everyone to experience this season of Advent as a rich season with vigilant prayer and burning hope.
And let's not forget the martyred Ukrainian people. He is suffering a lot. Think about the Ukrainian children and teenagers who suffer during this period without heating in the midst of a very harsh winter. Pray for them.
Francis
Pope
The Pope also called to pray for peace in the Holy Land.
And we also pray for peace in the Holy Land. For peace to come. People are suffering a lot. Let's all pray for peace together.
Congratulating the Polish pilgrims, the Holy Father asked: "Be merciful and peacemakers, supporting those who are experiencing difficulties and suffering because of the war, in particular Ukrainians, to survive the winter. This will be a difficult winter for Ukraine."
The Pope opposed the UOC-MP ban in Ukraine
Pope Francis said that the Ukrainian law banning the activities of religious organizations connected to the Russian Federation in Ukraine seems to forbid people to pray "in the church they consider their own."
I continue to follow with sorrow the fighting in Ukraine and the Russian Federation, and as I think about the laws recently passed in Ukraine, I fear for the freedom of those who pray, because one who truly prays always prays for all, — reads the pontiff's statement.
According to his belief, a person does not commit evil if he prays. Francis called for those who want to pray to be allowed to do so "in the Church they consider their own."
Please, let no Christian Church be abolished directly or indirectly: Churches cannot be touched, the Pope concluded.
