At the conclusion of the liturgy celebrated with devotees of Divine Mercy, which took place in Saint Peter's Square this morning, the Holy Father led the recitation of the Regina Coeli. Introducing the Marian prayer, he said the following words to those who were in the Square:
On this day, which is at the heart of the Holy Year of Mercy, my thoughts go out to all those people who thirst for reconciliation and peace. I think especially of those in Europe, of the drama of those who suffer the consequences of violence in Ukraine: of those who remain in that land, disturbed by the hostilities that have already brought about the deaths of many thousands of people, and of those - more than a million of them - who have been driven to leave those lands and remain in grave situations of loss.
Most of those who suffer in this way are elderly and children. In addition to accompanying them with my constant thoughts ad with my prayer, I have a desire to promote humanitarian support for them. In this regard, a special collection will take place throughout all the Catholic Churches in Europe on Sunday, April 24. I invite the faithful to be united in this initiative with generous contributions. This gesture of charity, in addition to alleviating material suffering, will express my personal closeness and solidarity and that of the entire Church. My fervent wish is that we will be able to help to promote peace and respect of the rights of all people, with no ulterior motives, in that land that has been so earnestly put to the test.
While we pray for peace, let us remember that tomorrow marks the World Day against land mines. Too many people continue to be killed and mutilated by these terrible arms, and courageous men and women risk their lives in order to reclaim lands where these mines have been hidden. Please, let us renew our commitment to a world that is free of land mines!
Finally, I extend greetings to all of you who have participated in this celebration, especially to groups who are cultivating a spirituality of Divine Mercy.
Now, all together, let us pray to our Mother ... Regina Coeli ...
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Regina Coeli
On this day, which is at the heart of the Holy Year of Mercy, my thoughts go out to all those people who thirst for reconciliation and peace. I think especially of those in Europe, of the drama of those who suffer the consequences of violence in Ukraine: of those who remain in that land, disturbed by the hostilities that have already brought about the deaths of many thousands of people, and of those - more than a million of them - who have been driven to leave those lands and remain in grave situations of loss.
Most of those who suffer in this way are elderly and children. In addition to accompanying them with my constant thoughts ad with my prayer, I have a desire to promote humanitarian support for them. In this regard, a special collection will take place throughout all the Catholic Churches in Europe on Sunday, April 24. I invite the faithful to be united in this initiative with generous contributions. This gesture of charity, in addition to alleviating material suffering, will express my personal closeness and solidarity and that of the entire Church. My fervent wish is that we will be able to help to promote peace and respect of the rights of all people, with no ulterior motives, in that land that has been so earnestly put to the test.
While we pray for peace, let us remember that tomorrow marks the World Day against land mines. Too many people continue to be killed and mutilated by these terrible arms, and courageous men and women risk their lives in order to reclaim lands where these mines have been hidden. Please, let us renew our commitment to a world that is free of land mines!
Finally, I extend greetings to all of you who have participated in this celebration, especially to groups who are cultivating a spirituality of Divine Mercy.
Now, all together, let us pray to our Mother ... Regina Coeli ...
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