Pope Leo XIV: Our hearts bleed when we think of Ukraine
This was reported by Vatican News.
The Bishop of Rome expressed his gratitude to the members and benefactors of ROACO for "sowing seeds of hope in the lands of the Christian East." He acknowledged that the history of the Eastern Catholic Churches has often been marked by trials, and unfortunately, by misunderstanding and oppression, even within the Catholic world. He noted that today, "the violence is ravaging the Christian East with a diabolical intensity previously unknown."
"Our hearts bleed when we think of Ukraine, the tragic and inhumane situation in Gaza, and the Middle East, ravaged by the spread of war," he said. "Every individual, all of humanity, must examine the causes of these conflicts and seek to resolve them, while rejecting explanations that are manipulative or false. People should not die because of fake news!"
He questioned, "How can we still believe, after centuries of history, that acts of war bring peace and do not turn against those who wage them?"
“People are beginning to realize the amount of money that ends up in the pockets of merchants of death, that could be used to build new hospitals and schools, is instead being used to destroy those that already exist!”
The Pope then asked: In the face of hatred and violence, what can we Christians do? In addition to protests, peacemaking efforts, and dialogue, we are primarily called to pray and remain faithful to Jesus, without allowing ourselves to end up in the clutches of power. “I would like to thank and symbolically embrace all Eastern Christians who respond to evil with good,” the Holy Father concluded.
