After the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo turns his thoughts to Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province and to Ukraine, urging prayer and closeness for peoples wounded by violence and war.
By Francesca Merlo
At the conclusion of the recitation of the Angelus prayer on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV once again drew the world’s attention to regions suffering from violence, calling for prayer and concrete solidarity.
Closeness to Mozambique
The Pope first expressed his concern for the people of Cabo Delgado in Mozambique, who have endured years of insecurity caused by extremist violence. Since 2017, attacks in the northern province have killed thousands and forced more than a million people to abandon their homes, seeking safety in other parts of the country.
“I express my closeness to the people of Cabo Delgado who have become victims of an unsecure and violent situation that continues to cause death and displacement,” said Pope Leo. He urged the faithful not to forget “these brothers and sisters of ours,” and expressed his hope that the efforts of Mozambique’s leaders will succeed in restoring security and peace.
Prayer for Ukraine
Pope Leo then recalled the day of prayer and fasting observed on Friday, 22nd of August, for all those suffering from the scourge of war. With this in mind, and marking the anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, he emphasised the initiative “World Prayer for Ukraine,” a spiritual appeal uniting Christians and people of goodwill across the globe to entrust the nation to the Lord.
“Today,” Pope Leo concluded, “we join our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who, with the spiritual initiative ‘World Prayer for Ukraine,’ are asking the Lord to grant peace to their tormented country.”
