Pope Francis called international actors to conduct the peace dialogue in Ukraine and also asked social actors in Sri Lanka to refrain from all forms of violence. The Pope delivered this message at the Vatican after the Angelus prayer this Sunday.
“I am always close to the martyred Ukrainian population, hit every day by a hail of missiles. How is it possible not to understand that war creates only destruction and death, alienating peoples, killing truth and dialogue?” Pope Francis shared his anxiety to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square on 17 July.
“I pray and hope that all international actors will really work hard to resume negotiations, not to fuel the senselessness of war,” he added.
Pope Francis also spoke about the serious social and economic crisis that the people of Sri Lanka are experiencing, the worst in the last 70 years, and again expressed his closeness.
“Dear brothers and sisters, I join you in prayer and urge all parties to seek a peaceful solution to the current crisis, in favor, in particular, of the poorest, respecting the rights of all. I join the religious leaders in imploring everyone to refrain from all forms of violence and start a process of dialogue for the common good,” he said.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned from office on 14 July, after fleeing to Singapore in the face of mass protests against his government, following the economic crisis that caused shortages of fuel, food, and medicine.
The 15 bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Sri Lanka said in a statement that “the political and economic crisis have caused people to suffer unjustly” and that “those responsible for this horrendous crisis must still be exposed.”