Pope renews prayers for people suffering horrors of war

By Devin Watkins

As he led his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis relaunched his appeal for peace in our war-torn world.

In his greetings to the Italian-speaking faithful, he expressed his solidarity with the people of countries that are enduring the horrors of war.

“We renew our prayerful closeness to the dear Ukrainian population so harshly tried and to those who suffer the horror of war in Palestine and Israel, as well as in other parts of the world,” he said.

The Pope also encouraged all people to pray for nations at war.

“Let us pray for these people who are enduring war,” he said, “and let us pray to the Lord that He may sow the seed of peace in the hearts of the authorities of the countries.”

Papal concern for global crises

Pope Francis has made his appeals for peace a near-constant refrain in his public audiences.

On Monday, he held his annual “State of the World” address to Ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, detailing his concerns regarding global issues.

The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Russia’s war in Ukraine topped his list of situations that require global attention and concern.

At the same time, he condemned the “enormous stock of available weapons” that offer the illusion of deterrence.

“The contrary is true: the availability of weapons encourages their use and increases their production,” said the Pope. “Weapons create mistrust and divert resources.”