Pope Francis concluded his general audience by reminding the “tortured” people of the Eastern European country that they will live through difficult months due to blackouts and power outages caused by Russian incursions. The Pope urged the children sitting next to him to pray for the children of the Collège Saint-Michel des Batignolles in Paris. And the Pope announced that starting next Wednesday the catechism will be translated into Chinese.
vatican news
Vatican City, Wednesday, November 27, 2024: Pope Francis remembers the “persecuted” people of the Eastern European country at the end of his general audience. The Pope turned his thoughts to Ukrainians and said that Ukraine is preparing to experience a harsh winter due to power outages and the collapse of the electrical grid due to Russian incursions. Thousands of people are without electricity or heating, while the first snowfalls have already affected the capital, kyiv, and other cities affected by waves of bad weather.
A prayer for Ukrainian children and young people
Meanwhile, Pope Francis addressed the children sitting next to him. They are students at the Collège Saint Michel des Batignolles in Paris, they are between 12 and 13 years old and they are preparing to take the sacrament of Confirmation. “Think of the children, the young people, the Ukrainian children and young people who are suffering right now in this very harsh winter without any heat,” the Pope said.
The Pope asked them, and all the young people present in the courtyard or connected via streaming: “Will you pray for the Ukrainian children? Will you pray? Don’t forget everyone.”
peace in holy land
With the same apprehension, with the same attention, the Pope asked for prayers for the Holy Land, where rays of hope are emerging after Israel announced a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, in the eyes of many people, this appears to be neither a step towards peace nor a prelude to a ceasefire in Gaza. That is why the Holy Father urges us to pray again and again for the return of peace to the land of Jesus.
“And we also pray for peace in the Holy Land, Nazareth, Palestine, Israel, that there be peace, that there be peace… People suffer a lot. Let us all pray together for peace.”
The joy of the gospel in a world of suffering
In his greeting to the Polish pilgrims, the Pope also invited all the faithful to be generous and peacemakers by supporting the sick and those suffering because of the war, especially the Ukrainian people facing the winter. Said. “This will be a bad winter for Ukraine.”
Greeting the French faithful, the Pope also expressed an invitation: “In our world, enveloped in the sadness of wars and numerous crises, we proclaim the joy of the Gospel through our lives transformed by the presence of God.”
Translation of the Wednesday Catechism into Chinese
And with evident joy the Pope announced that starting next week, before Advent, something new will come to the celebration of the General Visit: for the first time, the Catechism will be translated into Chinese. A way of transmitting the message of the bishop of Rome to the faithful of what Pope Francis has always defined as “a great country.”
