Russia-Ukraine crisis

Pope leads international prayer service for peace in Ukraine, elsewhere

Reuters

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Pope leads international prayer service for peace in Ukraine, elsewhere

PRAYER FOR PEACE. Pope Francis leads a prayer for peace from Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, Italy on May 31, 2022.

Vatican Media/Simone Risoluti/u00adHandout via Reuters

Worshippers in shrines in Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, and other countries are connected by video and Catholics around the world are asked to pray at the same time

ROME, Italy – Pope Francis led an international prayer service for peace in Ukraine and other places stricken by war on Tuesday, May 31, sitting in his wheelchair before a statue that Romans traditionally associate with peace.

The 85-year-old pope visited the Rome basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and prayed before the statue of Mary Queen of Peace. Pope Benedict XV commissioned the work in 1918 to ask God to end World War One.

Worshippers in shrines in Ukraine, Iraq, Syria and other countries were connected by video and Catholics around the world were asked to pray at the same time.

About 1,000 attended the service in Rome, including the Ukrainian ambassador to the Vatican and a number of people wearing the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Before praying the rosary, Francis asked Mary, who in Christianity is revered as the Mother of God, to “reconcile hearts that are full of violence and vendetta.”

Francis, who has made numerous appeals for peace in Ukraine since Russia invaded its neighbor in February, is suffering from knee pain and has been using a wheelchair for the past few weeks. (LIVE UPDATES: Russia-Ukraine crisis)

As he was leaving the church, he stopped to greet other people in wheelchairs, including a boy wearing a Ukrainian flag around his neck. – Rappler.com

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!