Pope Francis Invites Everyone to Join in Consecration Prayer for Peace and says "I plead with all actors in the international community to truly commit themselves to putting an end to this repugnant war."

On Sunday, March 20, 2022, after the Angelus prayer at the Vatican, Pope Francis invited everyone to join in the Consecration prayer for peace. He also made an a appeal for Ukraine:

After the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters,

Unfortunately, the violent aggression against Ukraine does not stop, a senseless massacre where havoc and atrocities are repeated every day. There is no justification for this! I plead with all actors in the international community to truly commit themselves to putting an end to this repugnant war.

Also this week missiles and bombs hit civilians, the elderly, children and pregnant mothers. 

 

 I went to visit the injured children who are here in Rome. One is missing an arm, the other is wounded in the head ... Innocent children. I think of the millions of Ukrainian refugees who have to flee leaving everything behind and I feel great pain for those who do not even have the possibility to escape. Many grandparents, sick and poor, separated from their families, many children and fragile people remain to die under the bombs, without being able to receive help and without finding safety even in air-raid shelters. This is all inhumane! Indeed, it is also sacrilegious, because it goes against the sacredness of human life, especially against defenseless human life, which must be respected and protected, not eliminated, and which comes before any strategy! We do not forget: it is cruelty, inhuman and sacrilegious! Let us pray in silence for those who suffer.

I am consoled to know that the people left under the bombs do not lack the closeness of the Pastors, who in these tragic days are living the Gospel of charity and fraternity. In recent days I have heard some of them on the phone, how close they are to the people of God. Thank you, dear brothers, dear sisters, for this witness and for the concrete support that you are courageously offering to so many desperate people! I also think of the Apostolic Nuncio, just made Nuncio, Monsignor Visvaldas Kulbokas, who has remained in Kyiv together with his collaborators since the beginning of the war and with his presence makes me close every day to the tortured Ukrainian people. Let us be close to this people, let us embrace them with affection and with concrete commitment and with prayer. And please don't get used to war and violence! Let us not tire of welcoming generously, as we are doing: not only now, in the emergency, but also in the weeks and months to come. Because you know that at the first moment, we all do our best to welcome, but then, the habit cools our heart a little and we forget. We think of these women, these children who with time, without work, separated from their husbands, will be sought by the "vultures" of society. Let's protect them, please. they will be sought by the "vultures" of society. Let's protect them, please. they will be sought by the "vultures" of society. Let's protect them, please.

I invite every community and every faithful to join me on Friday 25 March, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, in carrying out a solemn act of consecration of humanity, especially of Russia and Ukraine, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that she, the Queen of peace, obtain peace for the world.

I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from Italy and from various countries. In particular, I greet the faithful of Madrid, the international group "Agora of the inhabitants of the earth", the doctors and rescuers of the 118 Emergency Service, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal "Charis" - which is the only one officially recognized, "Charis", not others -, and the members of the Focolare Movement. I greet the Small Choir of the Antoniano of Bologna with the band of the State Police, the "Ensemble Vox Cordis" Choir of Fornovo San Giovanni, the "San Vincenzo Grossi" Choir of Pizzighettone, the boys of the profession of faith from Angera, Sesto Calende and Ternate, the pilgrimage of the diocese of Asti and the faithful of Venice and Sassari.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday. Please don't forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and goodbye.

Source: Vatican.va