During his General Audience, the Holy Father once again makes an impassioned appeal for the suffering Ukrainian people so greatly tried by the ongoing war.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
Let us pray for dear Ukraine, and the Ukrainians, so sorely tried by war…
This was the latest appeal Pope Francis made for the war-torn nation toward the conclusion of his Wednesday General Audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall.
In his remarks to Italian-speaking pilgrims, the Holy Father turned his thoughts to the young, the sick, the elderly and newlyweds, praying the example of the Apostle Saint Bartholomew, whose feast the Church observes tomorrow, “help them be witnesses of Jesus.”
He urged them to bear suffering with faith.
“To the intercession of St Bartholomew we entrust dear Ukraine, so sorely tried by war. Brothers and sisters, let us pray for the Ukrainians.”
“To the intercession of St Bartholomew we entrust dear Ukraine, so sorely tried by war. Brothers and sisters, let us pray for the Ukrainians.”
Also during the Pope’s earlier remarks to Polish-speaking pilgrims, the Holy Father remembered Ukrainians.
As he recalled the upcoming Feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa, on 26 August, marking a major feast day in Poland given the great devotion to her, that causes massive numbers to flock to her shrine, the Pope prayed that this devotion further ignite the love of the Polish people for their neighbouring Ukrainians, before blessing them from his heart.
