Pope Francis pleads for peace in the world

By Linda Bordoni

"From this island of the Mediterranean, we raise a plea for peace: peace for all the lands that face this sea, especially for the Holy Land where Mary gave birth to Jesus," said Pope Francis before the recitation of the Angelus Prayer on Sunday.

Addressing the bishops, clergy and religious of the French island of Corsica where he is spending the day to participate in a Conference, celebrate Holy Mass and meet with the faithful, the Pope raised his urgent and tireless plea for the war-torn countries of the globe.

"Peace for Palestine, for Israel, for Lebanon, for Syria, for the entire Middle East! Peace in tormented Myanmar,” he prayed.

Ukraine and Russia

And raising his prayers to “the Holy Mother of God" for  "the long-awaited peace for the Ukrainian people and the Russian people,” he said: "They are brothers, cousins. Let them come to an understanding! War is always a defeat. Peace to the whole world!"

Destruction in the Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk

Prayers for victims of Cyclone Chido

The Pope also asked for prayers for the victims of a cyclone that struck the Mayotte archipelago in the past hours.

“I am spiritually close to those who have been affected by this tragedy,” he said.

At least 11 people were killed overnight on Saturday after a cyclone slammed into Mayotte, the most intense storm to hit the French Indian Ocean archipelago north of Madagascar in nearly a century.

Cyclone Chido swept through Mayotte bringing winds of more than 200 kph and damaging makeshift housing, government buildings and a hospital.

Devastation caused by the cyclone in the Mayotte arrchipelago