Pope Francis urges global action to protect civilians in war
Enough of attacking civilians, Pope Francis said Sunday during a meeting with the faithful at the Angelus prayer in Vatican City. He appealed to the international community to take decisive actions to ensure that humanitarian law is respected in conflict-affected areas.
Francis called for prayers for peace in places such as Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Myanmar, and Sudan. He stressed that the international community should act decisively to ensure the respect of humanitarian law in conflicts.
"War is always a defeat"
- No more striking schools, hospitals; no more hitting workplaces! Let us not forget that war is always a defeat, always! - he added, addressing the thousands who had gathered at 12:00 GMT in St. Peter's Square.
In his reflections before the midday prayer, Francis spoke about the need for light, hope, and peace in the world. He noted that people sometimes create such complicated situations that it seems difficult to get out of them.
The Pope encouraged "opening the spiral of light" in various contexts: family, social, and international. He called for closeness with the suffering, forgiveness, compassion, and reconciliation. - This resonates specially in the recently begun Holy Year, urging us to be messengers of hope with simple but concrete gestures for life - Francis emphasised.
