A group of mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, and aunts of Ukrainian prisoners-of-war hand Pope Francis a traditional embroidered blanket, advocating for the protection and return of their loved ones.
At the conclusion of Wednesday's General Audience, Pope Francis greets a Ukrainian woman whose husband is a prisoner of war and their son, who came bearing gifts for the Pope, including a calendar showing the devastation of the Azovstal steelworks plant.
"One woman told me that she saw her house burn down completely in 20 minutes. Only a small hut remains, where she now lives with her husband. It is very painful for them to wake up every morning and see only ruins around them." Sister Marta Meshko
"if no weapons were made for a year, hunger in the world would end," said Pope Francis. Wars are waged when empires feel weak: killing people and using weapons makes them feel strong.
Pope Francis reiterated his concern over the war in Ukraine three times during the weekly General Audience, calling for disarmament and appealing for dialogue. He also highlighted the many forgotten wars wreaking death and destruction across the globe.
Every year on November 6, the UN observes the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. It seeks to make people aware of the consequences that war and conflict have on the environment.
Pope Francis' new book “I Ask You in the Name of God. Ten Prayers for a Future of Hope”, makes an impassioned plea for nations to set aside war and the threat of nuclear destruction.
Pope Francis is calling on children throughout the world to pray the Rosary on Tuesday for peace in Ukraine and other war-torn areas, as part of the initiative “A million children praying the Rosary”.
War is always a horrible brutality, leaving painful consequences that are hard to describe. Vietnamese people sympathize and pray for the tragic situation that the country and the people of Ukraine are suffering.
