This Wednesday (21), Pope Francis urged the faithful to remember the Ukrainian children who are suffering in the cold this Christmas.
“Let’s think of the many children who are suffering in Ukraine because of the war,” the pope said, in an improvised speech at the end of his weekly Vatican audience.
The pope has been making appeals for Ukraine in almost all of his public appearances, at least twice a week, since Russia invaded the country in February.
“Most of the children I’ve seen here can’t smile,” the pontiff said, referring to Ukrainian refugee children in Rome.
“It is very serious when a child loses the ability to smile. These children carry with them the tragedy of this very inhuman, shocking war. Let’s think of the Ukrainian people this Christmas – without electricity, without heating, without the essentials to survive,” he said. Francis.
The approach of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is of particular concern to Ukraine. In recent months, Russia has focused on the country’s civil infrastructure, which has seriously compromised the distribution of electricity and, as a consequence, the livelihood of the Ukrainian people.
Last week, the pope urged people to spend less on Christmas celebrations and gifts and to send more donations to the people of Ukraine to help cope with hunger and the cold of the coming winter. “It’s beautiful to celebrate Christmas, but let’s lower the level of spending. Let’s have a humbler Christmas, with humbler gifts, and send what we save to the Ukrainian people,” the pontiff said.
Two weeks ago, Francis wept as he spoke of the war in Ukraine and referred to the country as a martyred nation. At the time, the pope’s voice shook when mentioning the local population. After seconds of silence, he resumed speaking in a broken voice.
Francis has made both veiled and explicit criticisms of Russia. In September, he urged Ukraine to open up to dialogue in search of a peace deal, but said he found it “morally acceptable” for Western countries to donate arms to Kiev.
“Self-defense is not only licit, but also an expression of love for the homeland. Someone who doesn’t defend himself, who doesn’t defend something, doesn’t love that thing. Whoever defends it, loves it,” Francis said at the time.
The Vatican has launched a crowdfunding campaign to send thermal underwear to Ukraine.
Several countries in Europe and other regions are supplying transformers, switches and cables, as well as diesel generators, to generate electricity and heat in the country during winter.
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