“A thousand days of suffering, a thousand days of love”. Pope Francis returned during the general audience this Wednesday morning in St. Peter’s Square on the war in Ukraine. Denouncing “a shameful catastrophe for all humanity”, he renewed his call for peace and to remain alongside the “martyred Ukrainian people”. He read to the faithful a letter from a young Ukrainian imploring him to speak of his faith and love that gives meaning to his wounds.
Xavier Sartre – Vatican City
After his letter to the apostolic nuncio in kyiv, in which he wrote of wanting to embrace all Ukrainians wherever they are, Pope Francis spoke at length about this war on the occasion of the thousand days of “the invasion of Ukraine”, “a tragic anniversary for the victims and for the destruction caused”. The Holy Father described it as “a shameful catastrophe for all humanity” “which should not dissuade us from remaining alongside the martyred Ukrainian people, from imploring peace and working so that weapons give way to dialogue and confrontation to encounter”.
The Sovereign Pontiff then read the letter received two days earlier from a Ukrainian student who prayed to him, on the occasion of this “thousandth day of this terrible war”to not only speak about the sufferings of Ukrainians, but to be a witness to their faith. “Even imperfect, writes this youngits value does not diminish, it paints with painful strokes the picture of the Resurrected Christ..
From right to left, the wives of the presidents of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, of Serbia, Tamara Vicic, and of Lithuania, Diana Nausedienne
“In recent days, the letter continues, there have been too many deaths in my life. Living in a city where a missile kills and injures dozens of civilians, witnessing so many tears is difficult. I would have wanted to run away, I would have wanted to go back to being a child hugged by his mother, I would have honestly wanted to be silent and full of love but I thank God because through this pain, I am learning to love more.”
Pain, a sign of love
The Pope continued reading: “Pain is not only a path to anger and despair; if it is based on faith, it is a good teacher of love”. “My father, calls out to the student, if the pain that hurts means that you love, then when you speak of our pain, when you recall these thousand days of suffering, remember also the thousand days of love because it is only love, faith and the hope that gives true meaning to wounds”.
The faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s Square welcomed these words coming directly from Ukraine with profound silence, touched by this reading made in the presence of Olena Zelenska, the wife of the Ukrainian president, who was previously received by the Pope , before visiting the Bambino Gesù pediatric hospital in Rome during the day.
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