Pope Francis: Hope and belief after a thousand days of war in Ukraine

Pope Francis: Hope and belief after a thousand days of war in Ukraine

Washington, USA - The Catholic bishops in the United States have urged to pray for the Ukrainian people during Lent and to work for just peace. This message followed shortly after a tense meeting between the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj and leading US politicians in Washington, in which the future support of the United States for Ukraine was discussed. The chairman of the US Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, underlined solidarity with the suffering Ukrainian people and asked politics to vigorously oppose Russian aggression. In addition, he warned of possible oppression of the Catholic Church in Ukraine, emphasized the importance of freedom of religion and demanded that no Christian church may be abolished, according to Kathpress .

an urgent appeal for peace

At the same time, Pope Francis has given the world a moving appeal on the occasion of the thousandth day of the war in Ukraine. During a general audience in the Vatican, he reminded of the horrors of war and read a moving letter from a Ukrainian student who asked for the recognition of the faith and love of his people. Francis described this painful anniversary as a "shameful catastrophe for all of humanity" and asked everyone to look for peace. "The weapons have to be silent and the confrontation has to give way to the encounter," he said, while emphasizing the need for courage and dialogue. His call to solidarity with the Ukrainian people was additionally reinforced by the presence of Olena Selenska, the wife of the Ukrainian President href = "https://www.vaticannews.va/de/news/2024-11/papst-franziskus-generalaudienz-frieden-appell-ukraine-kraine-not.html"> Vatican News reported.