Pope Francis prays for victims of every war, including Ukraine

By Benedict Mayaki, SJ

During the weekly General Audience, Pope Francis prayed for Ukraine amid its ongoing war which has lasted over 6 months now.

“I do not forget martyred Ukraine,” the Pope said in his appeal towards the end of the Audience.

Addressing the faithful present, the Holy Father encouraged each person to “be a builder of peace and to pray that thoughts and plans of concord and reconciliation will spread in the world” in the face of all the scenarios of war in our time.

“Today we are experiencing a world war, let us please stop!” he urged.

Finally, Pope Francis entrusted the victims of every war, especially the “dear people of Ukraine” to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

War in Ukraine

As the war drags on in Ukraine, concerns continue to mount with the fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region, near a nuclear power plant.

United Nations chief, Antonio Guterres, has urged Russia and Ukraine to agree to a demilitarised perimeter around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

Mr. Gutteres' remarks come following the release of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on the power station which recommended the establishment of a security zone around the area.

Meanwhile, EU members Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have reached an agreement to restrict the entry of Russian citizens traveling from Russia and Belarus. The restrictions will only include exceptions for humanitarian and family reasons, lorry drivers and diplomats, said Latvian Foreign Minister Edgar Rinckevics.