Pope Francis asked to pray for all children who suffer exploitation, hunger and war on the Feast of the Holy Innocents on 28 December.
“Today, on the feast of the Holy Innocents, let us think of the little ones, of all the children who suffer from exploitation, hunger and war. May the Lord help us with his blessing to protect and support them, ”said the Holy Father.
In addition, the Pontiff invited at the end of this 2022 to “give thanks to God for his goodness and mercy”, and prayed “that the love of God revealed in Bethlehem bring comfort to our hearts, troubled by the drama of war in Ukraine and in other parts of the world.
“I also want to thank the Polish people for all the help they give to the Ukrainian people,” Francis added.
On December 26, the feast of Saint Stephen the martyr, the Pope also recalled the celebration of the Feast of the Innocent Saints that the Church celebrates on the same day.
“The liturgy seems to want to move us away from the world of lights, lunches and gifts in which we can be somewhat dedicated these days,” the Holy Father said on that occasion.
Along these lines, Pope Francis explained that “the martyrs are the most similar to Christ”, because “the word martyr means witness”.
“The martyrs are witnesses, that is, brothers and sisters who, with their lives, show us Jesus, who defeated evil with mercy,” the Pope said then.