Pope Francis asked to think about the children in Ukraine this Christmas who suffer and who bear the consequences of an “inhuman” war that has made them lose “the ability to smile.”
At the end of the General Audience this Wednesday, Pope Francis asked that ” on this feast of God who becomes a child, let us think of the Ukrainian children .”
He said this during the greeting to the Polish faithful, where he recalled that, according to their tradition, “on Christmas Eve they leave an empty place for an unexpected guest.”
“This year – the Holy Father pointed out – will be occupied by the multitude of refugees from Ukraine, to whom you have opened the doors of your homes with great generosity “.
The Holy Father recalled the times he met refugee children from Ukraine in the Vatican and lamented that “the majority cannot smile, and when a child loses the ability to smile, it is serious .”
“These children carry the tragedy of that inhuman, harsh war. Let us think of the Ukrainian people, this Christmas: without light, without heating, without the main thing to survive, and let us pray to the Lord to bring them peace as soon as possible”, the Pope pointed out.
Later, he asked the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph “to teach us to understand the true meaning of this festival, to help us live it with peace and joy, sharing who we are and what we have with the people who need it most.”
In addition, he invited the faithful to ” contemplate more closely the manger in these days. There, in the cold and ice, the Son of God is born: his gaze awakens our hearts and commits us to build a more fraternal world.
“With a prayer for peace and good for each of you and your families, I wish you all a Merry Christmas,” Pope Francis concluded.