Pope expresses closeness to Ukraine experiencing immense cruelty

By Alessandro De Carolis

A word that Pope Francis often pronounces and shares with the world is 'perseverance.' The same could be said of the 'constancy' with which, for over six months, now Pope Francis has increasingly accompanied his reflections, especially at the General Audience and Angelus, with an appeal, a plea, or even just a few words of solidarity for the Ukrainian people, no matter what the topic for the occasion may be. 

For the 13th consecutive time since June 5, again from the window of the Apostolic Palace following the recitation of the Angelus when greeting those gathered in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis recalled the "immense" suffering Ukraine is bearing:

“Let us persevere in our closeness and in prayer for the dear Ukrainian people who are experiencing immense cruelty.”

Civilians deaths continue to rise

As Russian shelling and the Ukrainian armed response continue, ordinary people on the ground are often caught in the middle of areas that quickly become front lines of conflict. The press area of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, as reported by Ukrinform, reported that yesterday alone more than 1,000 people, including 324 children, were evacuated from the area of the nuclear power plant occupied by the Russian army. At the same time, the war bulletins continue to arrive from various areas that daily report many civilian deaths and injured, particularly in the Donetsk region.