ROME — Pope Francis said Sunday that his deep concern over the suffering of the people of Ukraine remains very much alive and urged his hearers to continue working for peace.
“The thought of the people of Ukraine, afflicted by war, remains vivid in my heart,” the pontiff told the 20,000 pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square for his weekly Angelus address.
“Let the passage of time not temper our grief and concern for that suffering population,” he exhorted. “Please, let us not grow accustomed to this tragic situation!”
“Let us always keep it in our hearts. Let us pray and strive for peace,” he concluded.
Francis has been a vocal critic of the war from the outset and in early March denounced the “rivers of blood and tears” flowing in Ukraine.”
“It is not merely a military operation, but a war, which sows death, destruction and misery,” he said at the time.
Twelve days later, the pope condemned the “brutal violence” brought to bear on the population of Ukraine.
“The tragedy of the war that is taking place in the heart of Europe leaves us astonished,” Francis said, adding that “we never thought we would see such scenes again, reminiscent of the great wars of the last century.”
“The heartbreaking cry for help of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters urges us as a community of believers not only to reflect seriously, but to cry with them and to do something for them,” he continued, “to share the anguish of a people whose identity, history and tradition have been wounded.”
“The blood and tears of children, the suffering of women and men who are defending their land or fleeing from bombs rattle our conscience,” he said. “Once again humanity is threatened by a perverse abuse of power and partisan interests, which condemns defenseless people to suffer all forms of brutal violence.”