Pope calls for prayers for Ukraine, recalls World Mission Day

By Vatican News staff writer

In his words following the recitation of the Angelus prayer on Sunday, Pope Francis said that on Tuesday 25 October he will go to Rome's Colosseum to pray for peace in Ukraine and in the world, together with representatives of the Christian Churches and Communities and world religions. The moment of prayer will take place in conjunction with the "Cry of Peace” meeting taking place these days.

"You shall be my witnesses"

Sunday 23 October marks World Mission Day with this year's theme “You shall be my witnesses,” said the Pope. And this day marks "an important opportunity to reawaken in all baptized persons the desire to participate in the universal mission of the Church, through witness and the proclamation of the Gospel."

In his message for World Mission Day 2022, the Pope says, "I continue to dream of a completely missionary Church, and a new era of missionary activity among Christian communities."

Be courageous witnesses to Christ

Finally, the Pope also recalled that yesterday, Vicente Nicasio Renuncio Toribio and eleven companions of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists), killed in hatred of the faith in Spain in 1936, were beatified in Madrid.

He invited everyone in the Square to give their applause for the new Blesseds.