As Christians hold a day of prayer for peace in Ukraine, Pope Francis prays that world leaders will work towards peace as political tensions rise between Russia and Ukraine.
This is according to Vatican News.
At the conclusion of his weekly General Audience, Pope Francis asked the faithful “to pray for peace in Ukraine, now and throughout this day.”
He had called for an international day of prayer for peace to be held on January 26, as Russia amasses troops along its border with Ukraine.
The Pope asked the Lord to “grant that the country may grow in the spirit of brotherhood and that all hurts, fears, and divisions will be overcome.”
“This nation is long-suffering, it has suffered hunger, endured a lot of cruelty, and deserves peace,” the Pope said.
He then urged that today’s prayers and supplications rise up to heaven and “touch the minds and hearts of world leaders, so that dialogue may prevail and the common good be placed ahead of partisan interests.”
Finally, the Pope asked that our prayer for peace be made with the words of the Our Father, explaining that “it is the prayer of sons and daughters to the one Father, the prayer that makes us brothers and sisters, the prayer of children who plead for reconciliation and concord.”
Prayers for Ukraine come as the U.S. and other world leaders express concern over Russia’s apparent preparations for another military incursion into Ukraine.
