Pope Leo tells pilgrims from Latvia, which has been heavily affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine, that in times of conflict it is important “to turn to God and to be strengthened by his grace”.
By Joseph Tulloch
Pope Leo met on Monday with a delegation of Christian pilgrims from Latvia, one hundred years since the first official pilgrimage from the country to Rome.
Among them was Evika Siliņa, who has served as Prime Minister of Latvia since 2023.
War in Ukraine
Today, Pope Leo said, the country – which borders Russia and has been heavily affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine – faces “turbulent times”.
In such circumstances, he stressed, “it is important for us to turn to God and to be strengthened by his grace”.
The Pope then expressed his gratitude for the deepening in relations between the Holy See and Latvia “over the last few years”, and thanked Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa for her presence at the audience.
Pope Leo during his private audience with Latvian PM Evika Siliņa (@VATICAN MEDIA)
The pair had already met earlier that morning in a private audience in the Vatican.
After her meeting with the Pope, Siliņa had also held a meeting Vatican officials including Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Holy See Secretary of State.
These talks, according to a communiqué from the Holy See Press Office, had focused on the “positive contribution” that the Christian faith and the Catholic Church offer Latvia, as well as “several regional and international issues, especially efforts to achieve peace and end the war in Ukraine”.
Hope does not disappoint
The Latvian pilgrimage, which counted some 200 members, comes in the context of the 2025 Jubilee year, whose theme is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.
In his address to the group, Pope Leo said that the saints buried in Rome had all demonstrated that “hope does not disappoint”, despite the “uncertainty of their circumstances” and “the challenges they faced”.
He stressed that hope does not mean “having all the answers”, but is rather a question of “putting trust in God” and “follow[ing] Christ more closely”.
The Pope greets members of the pilgrimage from Latvia (@Vatican Media)
Space and silence
Bringing his address to a close, the Pope offered a few thoughts about the importance of the pilgrimage the group from Latvia had embarked on.
Such journeys, he suggested, take us “away from the routine and noise of everyday life” and give us “the space and silence to hear God’s voice more clearly”.
The Pope thus invited the Latvian pilgrims to make the most of their time in Rome, “so that it may strengthen your faith and bestow upon you the peace that the world cannot give”.
