“Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia,'' Francis said.
VATICAN CITY — In an Easter message highlighting hope, Pope Francis on Sunday invoked prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people, praised nations which welcome refugees and called onwracked by the latest surge in deadly violence to forge a “climate of trust.”
The pope's Easter message is known by its Latin name, ”Urbi et Orbi," which means “to the city and the world.”in February 2022, Francis has repeatedly called for the fighting to end and sought prayers for the “martyred” Ukrainian people. He urged the international community to work to end the war in Ukraine and “all conflict and bloodshed in the world, beginningFrancis also prayed for those who lost loved ones in an earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey two months ago, claiming tens of thousands of lives.
With migrants risking their lives in smugglers’ unseaworthy boats in hopes of reaching Europe, the pope lamented that Tunisia's people, particularly the young, struggle with social and economic hardship.or were left missing after attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Tunisia. The bloody conflicts cited by Francis contrasted with a riot of bright colors lent by orange-red tulips, yellow sprays of forsythia and daffodils, hyacinths and other colorful seasonal flowers that decorated St. Peter's Square. The blooms were trucked in trucks from the Netherlands.
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