With a hashtag inviting people for a common prayer for Ukraine, Pope Francis tweeted an excerpt from the Fratelli tutti encyclical against war.
The Pope also spoke over the phone with the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
As per Vatican News, the words from the encyclical were accompanied with the hashtags #Ukraine and #PrayTogether. They are written in different languages against the background of the crucifix, which cannot help but touch people’s hearts.
Through Twitter, Pope Francis shared a reminder about fraternity: “Every war leaves our world worse than it was before. War is a failure of politics of humanity, a shameful capitulation, a stinging defeat before the forces of evil.”
Do everything possible to restore peace
According to the Secretariat of the Head of the UGCC in Rome, on the evening of February 25, His Holiness Pope Francis called His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Head and Father of the UGCC. The Pope inquired about the situation in Kyiv and Ukraine in general, and also assured His Beatitude Sviatoslav: “I will do everything in my power.”
The Holy Father also asked about the situation of bishops and priests in the territories most affected by the Russian military operation. Pope Francis thanked the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church for its closeness to the Ukrainian people, its choice to be with the people, and the fact that the dungeons of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Kyiv have become a real shelter for the people. The Holy Father assured His Beatitude Sviatoslav of his closeness, support, and prayers for the dear Ukraine. At the end of the conversation, Pope Francis gave his apostolic blessing to the suffering Ukrainian people.
