During the audience, Pope Francis prayed for all the victims of the terrible floods in Spain, especially in Valencia, and the cruelty of war, dedicating them to Mary, Our Lady of the Helpless.
Vatican News
Vatican City, Wednesday, November 6, 2024 (Rei): Pope Francis said: “I wish to greet the Virgin Mary of Desamparados, who cares for the poor and is the Patroness of Valencia, which has suffered so much from the serious floods that almost 200 More than 100,000 people have died and dozens are missing.
At the end of his audience, the Pope made a strong appeal to Valencia, Spain, and urged them to be close to those suffering from this disaster.
The Pope was referring to a statue of the Virgin Mary that he had received from the faithful in Valencia and that the Pope placed next to him on stage throughout the service. “I wanted the patron saint of Valencia to be here,” he said, adding that the statue “was given to me by the people of Valencia.”
The Virgen de los Desamparados, patron saint of Valencia, is seen holding a lily in one hand and the Child Jesus in her arms. Her posture is slightly leaning forward, which gives the Virgin Mary her affectionate name, “La Jeparudeta”, which affectionately means ‘the hunchback’.
“Today, in a special way, we pray for Valencia and other parts of Spain that are suffering from flooding,” the Pope said.
Spanish authorities said Tuesday that 89 people were confirmed missing, a week after devastating floods hit the eastern region of Valencia. This is the first number of missing people to be made public. This figure is only for the eastern region of Valencia, where 211 of 217 people have died.
After his catechesis, Pope Francis also called for peace amid the brutality of war.
Ukraine, Holy Land, Myanmar
“Let us pray for peace,” the Pope urged. “Let us not forget the long-suffering Ukraine, which is suffering a lot; Let’s not forget Gaza and Israel.”
“The other day, 153 civilians were shot while walking on the street. This is very sad,” he said, adding: “Let’s not forget Myanmar.”
Pope Francis concluded his appeal by addressing Valencia once again: “Let us not forget Valencia or Spain.”
Hail Mary of Our Lady of Forsaken
He invited those present to join him in praying the Hail Mary to the Virgin Mary of Desamparados.
And he concluded: “And we pray to the Lord that we may always live with hope.”
